Chris Richardson

About Chris Richardson

That belief aligns with the principle of Occam’s Razor and has shaped my approach to designing scalable security solutions. My career path into cybersecurity was anything but traditional. Before focusing on security architecture, I worked in education, consulting, and technical sales. Those experiences taught me how to communicate complex ideas, understand people, and build collaboration across teams. Today, I bring that perspective to my work as a Security Architect.I am an Enterprise Security Architect and CISSP with more than two decades of experience across enterprise infrastructure, DevSecOps security, and governance. My work focuses on helping organizations identify vulnerabilities early, strengthen security architecture, and integrate security practices across engineering teams.Core areas of expertise include:• Enterprise Security Architecture• Threat Modeling (STRIDE)• Zero Trust Security Design• DevSecOps Integration• Infrastructure and Application Security• Security Governance and Compliance Frameworks• Vulnerability Management and Security Operations Integration• SIEM Alert Design and Detection Strategy• Security Automation and DevSecOps Security Practices• Architecture Governance and Security Standards DevelopmentThroughout my career, I have collaborated with engineering teams, risk leaders, and executives to design architectures that improve security posture without slowing innovation.Examples of this work include leading the migration of enterprise UNIX servers to centralized authentication, eliminating local accounts and resolving two SOX audit findings. I also implemented enterprise multi-factor authentication across UNIX systems supporting a government environment within a 90-day deadline, helping protect a $40M government contract.Security architecture is ultimately about collaboration.The strongest solutions emerge when security, engineering, and business teams work together to understand risk and implement practical safeguards that scale with the organization.If you are working on strengthening enterprise security architecture, advancing DevSecOps security practices, or addressing emerging challenges such as AI governance, I welcome the opportunity to connect.

Experience

1. Associate Director Infrastructure Governance

   Verizon

   Jul 2025 — Present · Columbus, OH, US

   One of the world’s largest telecommunications and technology companies, providing network infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise digital services.Leading initiatives to enhance infrastructure security governance across enterprise environments, I ensured the consistent and effective implementation of core security practices through collaboration with engineering and leadership teams. • Established automated validation processes for core security controls, including IAM, patching, and vulnerability management, improving enterprise compliance visibility and reducing security risk across infrastructure environments.• Led engineering teams responsible for adapting compliance tracking for infrastructure security validation.• Partnered with leadership teams to align governance strategies with enterprise security initiatives.• Oversaw infrastructure discovery and asset validation initiatives supporting enterprise security visibility.• Led vendor proof-of-concept evaluations for security technologies including ServiceNow Discovery and Flexera asset management platforms.

Education

• University of Iowa

  none, Theater and Music

  1982 — 1985

• Iowa State University

  B.S., Botany

  1988 — 1991