avatar

Kye Monroe

Principal Sovereign Cybersecurity and Compliance Engineer

Summary

Strategic DevSecOps & Sovereign Cloud Leader with over a decade of experience engineering resilient, high-scale security architectures. Expert in bridging the gap between complex regulatory requirements (FedRAMP, NIST, GDPR) and modern cloud-native engineering. Proven track record in Shifting Security Left by architecting automated CI/CD guardrails, Policy-as-Code, and robust observability pipelines. A specialist in designing sovereign cloud environments that ensure data integrity and residency for critical infrastructure and highly regulated sectors.

  • DevSecOps & Security Automation: Embedding security gating (SAST/DAST/SCA) within GitLab, ArgoCD, and Jenkins to automate vulnerability discovery and remediation.
  • Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC): Architecting secure, repeatable environments using Terraform and Bash; implementing Policy-as-Code to enforce compliance at the provisioning layer.
  • Security Orchestration: Designing automated workflows for threat detection and response using Python, NATS, and Vector to build high-performance security data pipelines.
  • Cloud-Native & Sovereign Infrastructure: Deep expertise in securing Kubernetes (EKS/GKE) and Docker workloads; implementing CNAPP/CWPP solutions (Wiz, Orca, Lacework) for multi-cloud visibility.
  • Sovereign Compliance: Architecting cloud environments tailored to Sovereign Cloud requirements, ensuring strict adherence to FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, and GDPR through automated audit controls.
  • Cloud Defense: Advanced configuration of GCP Security Command Center, Chronicle, and AWS Security Hub to maintain a proactive security posture across hybrid-cloud footprints.
  • Detection Engineering: Building sophisticated alerting and observability stacks using Splunk, Panther, and New Relic; mapping detection logic to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
  • Proactive Threat Modeling: Utilizing STRIDE and DFDs within tools like IriusRisk to identify architectural flaws during the design phase, reducing downstream risk.
  • Incident Response & Forensics: Orchestrating the full IR lifecycle, from automated containment via SOAR to deep-dive digital forensics and root-cause analysis.
  • Automated Governance: Scaling compliance programs for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HITRUST using platforms like Vanta and AuditBoard to transition from periodic audits to continuous monitoring.
  • Vulnerability Management: Managing enterprise-wide risk through Snyk, Qualys, and Tenable, integrated with third party bug bounty programs to minimize the organizational attack surface.

Experience

SAP [Sovereign Cloud Cybersecurity, Compliance]
April 2025 - Present
Principal Sovereign Cybersecurity and Compliance Engineer
Austin, TX (Remote)
  • Sovereign Cloud & Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC): Architected and deployed secure, sovereign cloud Kubernetes environments using Terraform, ArgoCD, GitLab, ensuring automated adherence to data residency and regional sovereignty laws through Policy-as-Code for critical infrastructure.

  • Security Orchestration & Automated Response: Engineered automated incident response workflows by integrating SIEM, SOAR, and EDR into the DevSecOps ecosystem; streamlined forensic investigations and reduced Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) through proactive threat intelligence loops.

  • GitOps & Observability Engineering: Automated security governance and real-time monitoring using Splunk, NATS, and Vector; developed custom Python and Bash scripts to automate code reviews and cloud security controls, ensuring a “security-by-design” approach within the deployment lifecycle.

MLS Co. [Cybersecurity, GRC, Compliance]
January 2023 - March 2025
Principal Cybersecurity & GRC Engineer, Consultant
Dallas, TX (Remote)

Consulting with clients to build security and compliance initiatives, ensuring adherence to industry frameworks (SOC 2, GDPR, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53/171). Strengthened cloud security posture, automated security processes, and enhanced threat detection. Managed risk assessment, incident response, and governance programs to align security strategies with business objectives.

  • Compliance-as-Code & Governance: Engineered automated governance frameworks to achieve SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and HITRUST certifications; transitioned static security policies into version-controlled standards integrated directly into cross-functional engineering workflows.

  • Cloud-Native Security & Infrastructure: Hardened AWS and GCP environments by deploying CNAPP/CWPP solutions and optimizing Security Command Center; secured containerized workloads (Docker, Kubernetes) and serverless architectures across complex hybrid and multi-cloud footprints.

  • Shift-Left Threat & Vulnerability Management: Orchestrated continuous security practices, including automated threat modeling and SAST/DAST integration; built custom automation for malware detection and multi-engine scanning to secure the software supply chain.

  • Automated Detection & Response: Scaled SOC operations by implementing automated threat response playbooks and refining detection logic in Chronicle; led cross-functional incident handling and digital forensics to minimize blast radius and improve organizational resilience.

Included Health [Cybersecurity, Cloud Platform Engineering]
January 2023 - December 2023
Lead Principal Cybersecurity Engineer, Cloud Platform Engineering
Dallas, TX (Remote)

Designed and implemented a robust Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) program, ensuring secure cloud architecture, regulatory compliance, and proactive threat mitigation. Led enterprise-wide security initiatives, including vulnerability management, incident response, and governance frameworks, to enhance the security and resilience of cloud environments.

  • Cloud Security & Compliance: Established security controls for IAM, VPCs, S3 bucket policies, encryption, and access management. Led PCI DSS compliance implementation and maintained HIPAA, HITRUST, and SOC 2/2 attestation and certification adherence, ensuring audit readiness and regulatory alignment.

  • Threat Detection & Incident Response: Integrated AWS native security tools (CloudTrail, GuardDuty, Security Hub, Config) with SIEM (Panther) to proactively detect threats. Conducted forensic investigations, and penetration tests, and maintained an updated Incident Response Plan (IRP) for swift remediation.

  • Vulnerability Management & Risk Mitigation: Developed and executed a cloud vulnerability management program leveraging Tenable, Snyk, AWS Inspector, and Orca. Collaborated with third-party vendors for penetration testing, prioritized remediation efforts, and enforced security best practices. Building automation to detect malware and malicious content using multiple antivirus engines and website scanners.

  • Security Automation & Monitoring: Configured real-time monitoring and alerting using Datadog, Sumo Logic, and Orca. Automated security governance, code review processes, and cloud security controls using Terraform, Python, and Bash within CI/CD pipelines.

Procore [Cybersecurity, Blue Team]
January 2021 - March 2022
Principal Cybersecurity Engineer, Blue Team Lead

Led a high-performing security engineering team, driving advanced threat detection, incident response, and security automation. Designed and implemented enterprise security solutions to enhance cyber resilience, align with compliance standards, and strengthen the organization’s security posture.

  • Threat Detection & Incident Response: Led forensic investigations, malware analysis, and adversary emulation using the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Developed SIEM/SOAR integrations and advanced alerting logic for proactive threat hunting and rapid incident containment. Building automation to detect malware and malicious content using multiple antivirus engines and website scanners.

  • Enterprise Security Architecture: Designed and deployed security solutions, including CrowdStrike Falcon (EDR), Tenable.io (VM), Snyk (SCA), and Cloudflare security stack (WAF, IPS/IDS, bot mitigation). Enforced IAM controls and DLP strategies to protect sensitive data.

  • Security Automation & Compliance: Integrated IaC security with Terraform, automating compliance checks against CIS/STIG benchmarks. Ensured regulatory adherence to SOC 2/2, GDPR, NIST, and ISO 27001 through continuous monitoring, security audits, and executive-level security reporting.

  • Strategic Risk Management & M&A Security: Led cybersecurity due diligence for M&A, integrating acquired assets into the security framework. Partnered with infrastructure teams to enhance Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) planning, ensuring resilience against cyber threats.

Evisort [DevSecOps]
June 2019 - March 2021
DevSecOps Manager

Led a team of security professionals, integrating security into the software development lifecycle and fostering a culture of collaboration, automation, and compliance. Developed enterprise security programs, enhanced cloud security posture, and implemented security automation to streamline compliance and risk management.

  • Security & Compliance Leadership: Designed and implemented security and compliance programs, achieving SOC 2/2 attestation and ensuring adherence to GDPR, FedRAMP, and NIST 800-53/171. Established governance frameworks, security policies, and automated compliance monitoring.

  • Threat Management & Incident Response: Strengthened security posture through penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, adversarial emulation, and bug bounty management. Led incident response efforts, including investigation, threat hunting, and remediation.

  • Secure SDLC & Automation: Integrated security into CI/CD pipelines by automating security vulnerability scanning and remediation. Implemented Infrastructure as Code (IaC) security scanning and collaborated with development teams to enforce secure coding practices.

  • Cloud & Network Security: Deployed IAM solutions, network security controls, edge protection, and logging/monitoring enhancements. Ensured secure access management and minimized attack surfaces in cloud and hybrid environments.

Nalej (formerly Daisho) [Security Operations]
June 2016 - June 2019
Principal Security Engineer, Head of Operations
Copart [DevSecOps]
August 2014 - June 2016
Principal DevSecOps Engineer, Team Lead
HNTB [DevSecOps, Disaster Recovery]
March 2011 - April 2014
Principal DevSecOps Engineer, Disaster Recovery
Thomas Weisel Partners / Stifel Nicholas [Compliance]
August 2007 - December 2010
Unix Trading Systems Engineer, Asset Management Compliance
AOL/Time Warner [Network Security]
August 2001 - April 2007
Network Security Engineer

Skills

Cybersecurity Skills
Cloud Security Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts Network Security Security Operations Security Principles Product Security Security Operations Access Controls Concepts Continuous monitoring Defense In Depth SIEM/SOAR SAST/DAST/SCA CNAPP/CWPP
Governance, Risk, Compliance Skills
General Data Protection Regulation FedRAMP HIPAA/Hi-TRUST SOC2/2 NIST CSF PCI DSS Digital Forensics, Incident Response
Soft Skills
Strategic Leadership Team Collaboration Cross-Functional Communication

Education

Austin Community College
Cybersecurity

Austin, TX

Criminal Justice / Computer Science

San Marcos, TX

Certifications

by ISC2
2025

ISC2 certification proving core knowledge, skills and abilities in a cybersecurity role.

by Google
2024

Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer certified to design and implement secure workloads and infrastructure on Google Cloud.

General Data Protection Regulation Fundamentals
by Measured Collective
2019, 2024

Certification that aligns with the ICO’s accountability guidelines for data privacy training covering GDPR and PECR. Validated understanding of core principles, legal requirements, and best practices under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

by Cisco
2003 (ret.)

Validated comprehensive knowledge of networking concepts including IP addressing, subnetting, VLANs, routing and switching protocols, and network security fundamentals.

by Microsoft
2000, 2003 (ret.)

Validated expertise in designing, implementing, and managing Microsoft infrastructure solutions, including Windows Server environments, Active Directory, virtualization, storage, and networking services.

CompTIA Net+
by CompTIA
2001 (ret.)

Validated foundational proficiency in managing, configuring, and troubleshooting wired and wireless networks across various platforms. Gained expertise in network architecture, protocols, IP addressing, routing, switching, and network security.

CompTIA A+
by CompTIA
2001 (ret.)

Validated hands-on skills in IT support, including hardware configuration, software installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Gained expertise in operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux), networking fundamentals, security best practices, and system diagnostics.

Patents

Multi-Party Authentication in A Zero-Trust Distributed System - US Patent No.: 10110585-B2

A zero-trust network and methods of using same are disclosed. The network includes a plurality of nodes, some of which are user devices, such as mobile phones, some of which are computer servers. One or more of the nodes includes a directory system. When a server receives an access request by a user device or other node, the directory system is notified of the request. The directory system will contact a number of randomly selected nodes, and if any one of the nodes does not recognize the requesting device, the requesting device will be denied access. If every queried node is able to authenticate the requesting device, the directory system creates a session for the first device to access the server. The directory system can grant access by providing the server and device reciprocating keys. After the session ends, the accessed node is assigned a new identifier.

Organizations

  • ISC2 Member (2025 - Present)
  • FBI InfraGard Program Member (2023 - Present)
  • Society of Information Risk Analysts Member (2011 - Present)
  • Open Web Application Security Program (OWASP) Member, Dallas Texas Chapter (2016 - Present)

Languages

English [Native]
Spanish [Semi-Conversational]

Interests

Cooking
Dog Dad
Golfing
Libraries
Museums
Reading (Non-Fiction, History, Biographies)