Fidelis Cybersecurity is the latest cyber firm to open an office at Port San Antonio, with nearly two dozen experts supporting customers in Texas and throughout the greater United States. Founded in 2002, and now led by President and CEO Peter George, Fidelis works with leading companies across industries such as energy, financial services, aerospace, federal agencies and manufacturing.
“Fidelis Cybersecurity is growing rapidly — we’ve more than doubled our employee headcount last year,” said Rex Brunelli, San Antonio managing director of operations for Security Consulting Services, Fidelis Cybersecurity. “As part of this expansion, we need to be where our customers are. We selected San Antonio for our newest location to be close to our growing federal and commercial customer base, and to tap into the strong talent the area has to offer.”
Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, the new Port San Antonio location allows Fidelis to better serve local customers while growing its regional sales and research and development efforts. In just the last year, the company expanded from 140 to over 320 employees.
Criminals, nation states and cyber gangs are increasingly targeting companies and government agencies and exploiting weaknesses in computing systems. Cyber security is adapting to this alarming trend, shifting from only using prevention tools to providing real-time incident detection and response solutions. After all, finding out about a massive data breach after the fact, is not the ideal time to find out your company’s prevention tools failed.
Instead, companies like Fidelis focus on providing clients real-time monitoring of attempted cyber intrusions. Fidelis can also detect and stop the tools and tactics of advanced attackers in real time. Companies also call upon Fidelis after they’ve discovered a breach to determine the scope of the incident, remove attackers from the company’s system and re-secure the network.
“The Port provides a convenient location, modern infrastructure and opportunities to leverage local workforce and training resources,” said Fidelis Vice President of Operations Robert Browning in a recent press release. “We are excited about partnering with Port San Antonio as we expand our business presence in the region.”
San Antonio City Councilman Rey Saldaña (D4) thinks Fidelis coming to Port San Antonio signals a larger trend — the growth of San Antonio overall as a leader in tech talent.
“We always knew Port San Antonio had potential as a location for an IT and tech community,” said Saldaña, whose district includes much of the Port’s campus. “When we started to discuss its advantages—a former air base that offers force protection for sensitive cyber security operations—it made sense to support developing Port San Antonio’s potential to become a vital new tech cluster in San Antonio’s growing tech ecosystem.”
Now with the vibrant tech corridor in downtown San Antonio, companies like Fidelis can reach out to Codeup or UTSA graduates or members in the CyberDef Dojo for example, to hire local cyber security talent.
“We’re excited to be part of the growing technology and security scene in San Antonio,” Brunelli added.
The addition of Fidelis Cybersecurity at Port San Antonio reflects the trend of companies providing real-time cyber intrusion monitoring, companies like root9b in the Tower Life Building downtown.
Increasingly, that local pipeline of skilled employees are finding more companies for starting promising cybersecurity careers so they can stay in San Antonio rather than move away.
“(City Council members) think investing in Port San Antonio is an investment in the entire city, with the growth of new higher paying jobs that can help grow San Antonio’s middle class,” Saldaña said. “The arrival of an industry leader like Fidelis Cybersecurity underscores the Port’s commitment to serving as a large and strategic center for one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.”
Top Image: Fidelis Cybersecurity booth at the RSA Cybersecurity Conference in San Francisco March 2016. Photo Courtesy of FidelisCybersecurity.
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