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Sometimes, what victory demands is a little bit of coffee, a bunch of hard work and years of experience. Pour all that into the right environment, and you’ve got a success story. Triangle-based Cyber Defense Solutions, LLC is one of those stories.

In 2008, Rodney DeCarteret and Marc Saldana, CEO, launched their startup with one paid employee, a regular table at Panera Bread and bringing in what Saldana calls “minimal revenue.” But both knew they had the basis for a strong business: an innate understanding of cyber defense, totaling 40 years of combined experience in the security and analytics fields.

A history of growth

Who would have known that eight years after its inception, Cyber Defense Solutions (CDS) would have grown into an award-winning firm? With a rank of 1,391 of all businesses in the U.S. and 24th for security businesses, CDS was highlighted in the August 2016 edition of the Inc. 5000. The Inc. 5000 recognizes the nation’s fastest growing companies based on revenue growth.

For CDS, revenue grew in tandem with the need for adequate workspace. CDS had their first small office in Fairfax, but when they outgrew that space, they moved to Prince William County. The company tripled in size to a 1,150 square foot facility in Triangle. It was a smart move for many reasons, the first being that the award meant, among other things, needing to hire additional skilled professionals.

Now with about 50 employees and looking to break $6 million in revenue, Saldana said he hopes to grow even larger in Prince William County by working with the Prince William County Department of Economic Development, the County’s Chamber of Commerce and other local businesses.

A history of appreciation

“We are always pressing for the next higher mark, but most important of all is to be able to sustain it, before aiming for the next higher mark,” said Saldana. “We accomplish this with a high quality of work/life balance for employees. We get this, right here in Prince William County!”

Describing Prince William County as “very business friendly,” Saldana said being able to provide a great working and meeting environment is one of the reasons CDS has chosen to stay in Prince William County.

Saldana and Marketing and IT Manager, Danielle Cyr appreciate not just the reverse commute and easier traffic flow, but other amenities such as the proximity to the Beltway and an excellent hospitality industry, which make for pleasant sessions with clients and employees.

A location Saldana is pleased with, Prince William County “offers a good business climate and better quality life.” He said, “There is access to inexpensive business locations. And we’re outside Beltway traffic for the most part.”

A history of innovative solutions

Following their 2008 launch, in 2009 CDS developed the Cyber Training Institute (CTI), combining the classroom with online training. This was on-demand training offered at a superior price, only possible as a result of their commitment and low overhead.

By 2016, CDS had trained hundreds of professionals for career advancement in cyber security, offering a myriad of the most popular technical courses in IT, Network Security and Engineering, as well as consulting on malware reverse engineering, digital forensics and other niche services.

CDS considers itself a full-service IT consulting company, providing innovative security services to support departments with ISO 9000- and ISO 20000-certified quality services to clients such as Northrop Grumman and Analytical Services.

“Our niche is cyber security, but we are able to fill positions in any branch of IT. We’ve expanded and have the reputation of being able to fill any positions and needs,” said Cyr.

Saldana said CDS hires “can do, make it happen” people and sees every one of their corporate staff and on-site personnel as essential. “We strive for excellence for every person. And we are always seeking new talent, from the new personnel to advanced experts.”

As for customer service, Saldana said, “We try to make everything responsive to the customer. We ask them what they need and give them what they need.

“We have very little red tape. We carefully consider, weigh options and move forward.”

For more information on CDS, visit cyberds.com.