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Since 2014

We Don't Just Protect Data.
We Protect Futures.

Protection Associates was founded by former intelligence and DoD cybersecurity professionals with one mission: give every business the same level of cyber defense that nation-states use. No compromises. No shortcuts.

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2014
Year Founded
500+
Businesses Protected
85+
Security Specialists
$0
Client Data Lost in 2025
12
Years in Operation
99.97%
Client Retention Rate
60+
Compliance Audits Passed
$2.3B+
Client Assets Protected
Protection Associates team collaborating in a modern security operations environment
Our Story

Built by Defenders. Run by Operators.

Protection Associates was founded in 2014 by a team of former U.S. intelligence analysts, NSA cybersecurity engineers, and DoD incident responders who watched helplessly as the private sector got outmatched by the same adversaries they'd spent careers fighting.

They left government service with one goal: bring nation-state-level cyber defense to the businesses that power the American economy — without the bureaucracy, the six-month procurement cycles, or the price tags that only the Fortune 100 can afford.

Today, Protection Associates protects over 500 businesses nationwide, from healthcare organizations and financial institutions to fast-growing technology companies and critical infrastructure operators. We operate a 24/7 Security Operations Center staffed by 85+ elite security professionals and have maintained a perfect record: zero client data breaches since 2019.

  • Founded by former NSA, CIA, and DoD cybersecurity professionals
  • Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO — a hub of U.S. defense and cyber expertise
  • SOC 2 Type II certified, ISO 27001 aligned, NIST CSF compliant
  • Voted #1 Managed Security Provider in the Mountain West, 2024
What Drives Us

Our Core Values

These aren't wall decorations. They're the principles that govern every decision we make for every client we serve.

Integrity Above All

We tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. If your security posture has a critical gap, we say so — clearly, immediately, and with a plan to fix it.

Speed Saves Everything

Every second of dwell time costs money. We optimize every process, every tool, and every workflow for speed — because in cybersecurity, the fastest team wins.

Client Success First

We measure our performance by client outcomes, not internal metrics. If a client isn't more secure than when they started, we haven't done our job.

Zero Tolerance for Gaps

One unmonitored endpoint. One unpatched vulnerability. One untested backup. We lose sleep over these things so our clients don't have to.

Continuous Learning

The threat landscape evolves daily. Our team invests thousands of hours annually in certifications, research, red team exercises, and intelligence sharing to stay ahead.

Community Defense

A breach at one company weakens the entire sector. We share threat intelligence with law enforcement and industry partners because cybersecurity is a team sport.

Leadership

The Team Behind the Shield.

Former intelligence officers, NSA engineers, and Fortune 500 CISOs — united by one mission.

DC
Dion Carmouche
Chief Executive Officer
Former NSA Senior Analyst and DoD Cyber Operations lead. 22 years in national security before founding Protection Associates.
SR
Sarah Rodriguez
Chief Security Officer
CISSP, CISM, former CISO at two Fortune 500 companies. Led the security response to three major national incidents while at DHS.
MC
Marcus Chen
VP of Threat Intelligence
Former CIA cyber analyst with expertise in nation-state APT groups. Architect of our proprietary threat intelligence platform.
KP
Kira Patel
Head of Compliance
Certified HIPAA Professional, PCI QSA, and SOC 2 specialist. Has guided 60+ organizations to successful compliance certification.
Our Journey

12 Years of Defending What Matters.

2014

Founded in Colorado Springs

Dion Carmouche and Sarah Rodriguez launch Protection Associates from a 3-person office. First client: a regional bank with a critical vulnerability discovered during a pro-bono assessment.

2016

SOC 2 Certification & First Enterprise Client

Achieved SOC 2 Type II certification and landed our first Fortune 500 client — a healthcare company that had just experienced a ransomware near-miss.

2018

24/7 SOC Launch

Opened our Security Operations Center with 24/7/365 coverage. Team grew to 40+ analysts. Introduced our proprietary threat detection platform, cutting client detection times from hours to seconds.

2020

National Expansion & Cloud Security Practice

Expanded to serve clients nationwide. Launched dedicated Cloud Security practice to address the explosion of cloud adoption during the remote work era. 200+ clients protected.

2022

Threat Intelligence Division

Marcus Chen joins from the CIA to lead our new Threat Intelligence division. Introduced proactive threat hunting and nation-state APT monitoring for enterprise clients.

2026

Today: 500+ Clients, 85+ Specialists

Protection Associates is now one of the top managed security providers in the Mountain West. Zero client data breaches since 2019. Still operating with the same mission we started with in 2014.

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Ready to Work With People Who've Seen It All?

Our team has defended against nation-state actors, stopped eight-figure ransomware attacks, and guided hundreds of organizations through their most critical security moments.

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