REDW LLC, one of the Southwest’s 10 largest advisory and CPA firms, also recognized among INSIDE Public Accounting’s Top 200 Accounting Firms, is welcoming Brian Grayek as IT & Cybersecurity Director for the firm’s Cybersecurity consulting practice.

In this newly created national role, Grayek will grow the firm’s Cybersecurity consulting practice to help clients assess and adapt IT operations to better protect, elevate and empower their organizations. Based in Phoenix, Grayek will travel to the REDW offices in Albuquerque and Oklahoma City to further develop the practice and help clients to identify and achieve crucial security goals.

“Cybersecurity is a critical topic, and many businesses do not have the in-house resources to properly protect their organizations against these ever-present and evolving risks,” says Grayek. “Together with the talented and expanding team at REDW, we will help our clients carryout their security goals to better protect them against the myriad of shape-shifting cyber threats that exist today.”

“Many organizations have recently shifted operations to remote and flexible work which has created opportunities for cybercriminals,” says REDW Managing Principal Steve Cogan. “Some of those criminals are affiliated with foreign governments. The need for organizations to be cybersmart and prepare for increased regulations and cyber insurance underwriting requirements has become more important than ever. Brian’s seasoned expertise will help empower and safeguard our clients.”

Grayek has more than 30 years of experience in the IT and cybersecurity fields, including as a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), helping companies meet security regulations or prepare for a security audit. He has held executive roles with three different Fortune 500 companies and one Fortune 100 company, has been an acting CISO three times, served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and was the Vice President of Product Management at Computer Associates, where he managed the development, support, and future enhancements for 34 software security products. In addition, for 10 years at Motorola, he was a part of a group of seven leaders that served as the virtual CTOs for the corporation, traveling all over the world to bring in new technologies to keep Motorola at the forefront of innovators.

“The depth and breadth of Brian’s expertise provides sophistication and leadership for our Cybersecurity consulting practice, bolstering REDW’s commitment to fully supporting our clients by meeting their critical cybersecurity needs,” says Mike Allen, Principal-in-Charge of REDW’s Phoenix Office. “We look forward to the professionalism and specialized skills Brian will bring to our clients as we work with them to become cybersafe.”

Grayek earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) registered practitioner, and has his Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). Additionally, Grayek is an Information Systems Security Association International (ISSA) Fellow and has been recognized by the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA) with the Threat Unit Fellow, an honor for members that have provided a significant contribution to national security.