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Chad Holmes, CEO, Kivu Consulting

Chad Holmes: Fusing Expertise and Advanced Technology to Deliver Excellent Cyber Security Solutions Worldwide

As organizations were forced to modernize and transform their IT environments at a rapid pace due to the pandemic, it gave their employees remote access to critical infrastructure from possible unsecure environments. It has increased the overall threat landscape quickly, which has opened up their environments for more threats, and ransomware attacks. Ransomware is a malicious software (malware) which threatens to block access to the most important information. The most vital information of organization can be in threat due to such attacks. In future there can be more compromised environments and data-stealing.
This is where an effective on-site remediation assistance becomes a critical necessity of every organization. This cyber incident can be prevented from becoming a business disaster by having the right team of professionals. By combining highest technical expertise with legally sound, practical business solutions it is possible to protect the vital information of organizations.
Chad Holmes and Kivu Consulting’s team has unparalleled expertise in cyber compliance issues, organizational management, legal regulations, and incident response. Kivu’s post-breach remediation service seamlessly integrates with its incident response operations, or those provided by a third party. The team at Kivu consists of technical experts and experienced project managers, who ensure efficient collaboration with client staff and thirdparty resources. The company has over a decade of experience dealing with thousands of incident response engagements. It works with organizations around the world to mitigate the business interruption arising from ransomware and other malware attacks. The focus of Chad Holmes as Kivu’s CEO is to drive innovation and strategic business development to ensure the business capitalizes on the dynamic shifts in the cyber security industry.
Chad joined the Kivu’s team in 2020 with more than 22 years of experience in the cyber security field across multiple industries. During this time, he developed and led large cyber programs, transformation efforts, international teams, and service lines. His prior roles include EVP, Chief Services and Operations Officer at Optiv, Managing Partner for the cyber practice at EY and Chief Technology and Intelligence Officer at FireEye.
Laying Strong and Mature Foundation
Chad considers it is a huge blessing for him for having the great opportunity to take the helm of a fast-growing innovative cybersecurity firm in one of the hottest markets in Cybersecurity. As all cybersecurity startups are put in a hard position, Chad states that these cybersecurity startups have to mature quickly to keep up with the needs of a very fast-moving industry. The less matured cybersecurity startups directly cause them to struggle to keep up with the growth demand of the industry.
Chad’s journey has been an amazing one so far at Kivu. In the first six months of taking the role as CEO, he and his team have been able to lay down a strong and mature foundation for the organization that will help them to be able to respond faster to any market conditions that are thrown on their way. According to Chad, in cybersecurity, it is all about the value and brand, and thus, relaunch of Kivu Consulting to the market has been a huge focus for the company. The company also has been focused on driving operational excellence and hiring highly talented people. Chad states that as the CEO of Kivu, it is critical to develop a people first culture by developing high performing teams. He adds that for any organization to grow it requires there to be unity, trust and everyone going in the same direction after the same target.
Providing an End-to-End Solution
Kivu Consulting is a global cybersecurity organization that is the premier provider of Ransomware incident response services with a focus on providing an end-to-end solution around a breach from identification, negotiation, post breach remediation and continuous protection and response monitoring services. The company leverages its custom developed technology with a unique deployment model to drive speed and quality in its services. Kivu’s incident response service helps organizations respond to and eradicate attacks fast and effectively. Kivu is focused on providing speed and high-quality services across the entire lifecycle of a breach. It provides “Pre-breach” services focused on improving a company overall cybersecurity maturity posture. These services include threat assessments, tabletop exercises, vulnerabilities identification, remediation services and many more. If an organization is ever compromised, it provides “In-breach” services to help organizations navigate the complexity of a breach, identify, and remediate a threat actor, if required negotiate with said actor. These services include forensics services, incident response services, intelligence services and many others.
Kivu also provides “Post-breach” services, these services will help an organization quickly recover, rebuild, and build resilience in their organization. These services include rebuilding infrastructure, servers, cloud, and overall organizational environments. Lately, it provides continuous threat monitoring and intelligence services to help organization identify faster and prevent any future compromises. These threat identification and protection monitoring services are 24/7 services that are provided to organizations around dark web monitoring, advanced detection and hunting, threat, and vulnerability identification. Any of these services can be obtained in retainers, consulting engagements or as-a-service service offerings. Kivu is focused on helping organizations prevent compromise, assist them through a compromise, and prevent any future compromises.
Providing Unique Value to Customers
What makes Kivu different is that it provides unique value for its customers with an end-to-end solution from prebreach, in-breach to post breach services, along with its combination of great talent and global footprint. It can help an organization through the entire lifecycle of a breach by leveraging its flexible global 24/7 delivery model and unique technology.
With over ten years of incident response experience, cyber security excellence and customer service go hand in hand at Kivu. Kivu’s responders have investigated incidents at hospitals, universities, financial institutions, and publicly traded companies globally, and are not only highly certified consultants but also effective communicators. Kivu also has implemented streamlined processes, unique delivery team methodology and automated technology to drive a high-quality services and customer experience. The combination of dedicated delivery teams, unique approaches and focused technology makes Kivu the top end to end breach response company in the world.
Delivering Practical Business Solutions
Kivu Consulting is well known in the cyber security industry for its high level of technical expertise and legally sound, practical business solutions. It fuses expertise and advanced technology to deliver cyber security solutions worldwide. Since 2009, Kivu has provided incident response, risk management, and forensics investigation services to clients around the globe. With 24x7x365 SOC operations in the U.S. and Europe, it offers round-the-clock monitoring and response services to support prevention efforts of organizations. Kivu Consulting’s goal is to provide experienced, unbiased advice so that organizations can more effectively prevent and mitigate cyber incidents.
Quick Analysis, Response and Recovery
Kivu Consulting’s unique methodology employs patented technology that rapidly collects data remotely, analyzes it at a centrally secure location, and allows Kivu analysts to quickly move from analysis to response and recovery.
Preserving Digital Information for Successful Legal Outcome
Kivu Consulting’s digital forensics professionals are experts in imaging and ensuring the proper preservation of digital evidence in all of its formats. Digital evidence is often critical in proving employee misconduct, intellectual property theft, or the whereabouts of a suspect at a certain point in time. Kivu is committed to following industry best practice and using the most effective forensics tools to secure data with minimal interruption to business operations of clients. It also provides forensics research and expertise during the litigation process.
Leading from Front
Chad has always said that in any transformation or growth, culture is critical element to the overall success of that growth transformation. He states that culture will kill any strategy no matter how good it is, and thus, getting the culture right is so critical. He says that during this process, organizations have to simplify their operations, focus their people on where their passions lie, and it will drive successful growth. Chad says that with all leadership it is critical for leaders to be people first, engaged and lead from the front. He believes that leaders will have to work harder than any employee they have. Therefore, Chad focuses on a servant leadership model, where one has no titles, and one will do any job in the company if required.
Chad says that as the leader of the organization, one has to remain focused and what he has learned is it is easy to get lost in the daily noise and lose focus on that north star. Therefore, Chad advises to make sure to manage one’s time wisely and remove any slack from one’s day where one can maintain that dedicated focus. Chad also advises to always continue to learn and adjust one’s business model as people and industry change daily and it will require for leaders also to change.
Talking about the importance of culture and people development, Chad says, “As a business leader, you will be faced with challenges that seem too be too difficult to overcome but by having the right team, approach and focus you will be able to win. The main thing, that I have learned is focusing on your people’s success will drive your company’s success. So, spend time on your culture and people development up front, helping them reduce their daily slack through people, process and technology will make a huge impact.”
Having Determination and Innovative Mindset
Chad states that entrepreneurs have to have determination, patience, and an innovative mindset to see around the corners as they are building their organizational strategy and culture. He adds that having experience from many different roles during their career will help any entrepreneur to be success in any industry. He mentions that entrepreneurs should not focus on their competition but focus on the trust of their people and the trust of their clients by driving the highest quality outcome and they will win in any business. So, he says that entrepreneurs are required to have humility and a love for people as success is defined by the success of one’s people and clients and if one focuses on that one’s company will be successful.
Being Patient and Flexible
In his advice to emerging leaders aspiring to venture into cybersecurity industry, Chad says, “Be focused on the value that you are providing not your competition. Always try to provide excellence in everything you do but know perfection is not allows possible. Just be patient, and flexible, as the cybersecurity industry changes fast so you will need to be able to change as fast. Make sure to focus on your people and your client success and maintain the laser focused on your mission. This will help any entrepreneur to have huge success.”
Driving Operational Excellence for Clients
As Kivu Consulting is hyper focused on driving excellence for its clients around the world, it plans to continue to grow rapidly into more countries, innovate its service offerings, move into new industries, build unique intake and delivery models that will continue to drive speed and partnership with its customers. Kivu will continue to be flexible as its industry moves fast so it has to also move fast. Staying focused on its core values and strengths will serve its clients and its people the best. It wants to continue to serve clients wherever they are. Kivu Consulting will continue to drive deeper more complex offerings that helps its clients stay ahead of the threat factors and provide services throughout the entire breach lifecycle.