Ruben Velazquez

About Ruben Velazquez

I\'m a security and compliance leader with extensive experience in building cybersecurity, application security, and GRC programs that empower business growth. My background in SaaS and cloud environments has enabled me to drive compliance with SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS while improving enterprise risk posture. I’m passionate about developing scalable security solutions that protect organizations and build customer trust.Key Achievements:•Enterprise Trust & Business Growth Enablement:Established a comprehensive security and compliance framework that achieved SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR compliance. Enabled faster sales cycles by streamlining security due diligence for enterprise contracts.•Application Security & Secure SDLC Integration:Developed and scaled an application security program, embedding secure coding practices and security testing into the SDLC, reducing vulnerabilities and improving overall platform security.•Security Engineering & Threat Detection Innovation:Built a metrics-driven security program integrating blue and red team functions, reducing mean time to respond (MTTR) and improving threat detection accuracy through automation and standardized response playbooks.•Corporate IT Operations Management:Managed corporate IT operations in a hybrid environment with cloud infrastructure in Azure, improving scalability and resilience. Led cloud migration and optimization projects while ensuring secure configurations and continuous monitoring.•Governance, Risk, and Compliance Program Development:Implemented a scalable GRC framework, integrating risk management into production change management workflows and reducing third-party risk through standardized vendor security evaluations.

Experience

1. Senior Director - Head of Information Security

   Replicant

   Jun 2024 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Built and matured Replicant’s security and compliance group, integrating Security Operations (Blue Team), Security Assurance (Red Team), and GRC functions• Enhanced trust in the Replicant brand by aligning security initiatives with go-to-market strategies for enterprise customers• Developed security operations processes and metrics to improve remediation and response effectiveness• Achieved SOC 2 Type 2, improving customer trust and accelerating sales cycles by increasing pipeline velocity for enterprise prospects• Implemented a threat modeling and risk-based approach to vulnerability management and secure SDLC, improving prioritization of exploitable risks and increasing development team velocity

Education

• Community College of the Air Force

  Associate's Degree, Information Technology

  2008 — 2010

• American Military University

  Bachelor's degree, Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance

  2009 — 2014

Skills

• Computer Hardware
• Comptia Security+
• Technical Support
• Information Assurance
• Endpoint Security
• Veterans
• Risk Management
• Vmware
• Virtualization
• Comptia
• Help Desk Support
• Training & Development
• Vpn
• Computer Security
• Program Management
• Incident Response
• Servers
• Network Security
• Active Directory
• Windows Server
• Information Security
• Firewalls
• Palo Alto Networks
• Risk Assessment
• Project Management
• Network Administration
• Security+
• System Administration
• Wireless Networking
• Windows 7