How Fortalice Solutions Addresses Security Needs

Fortalice Solutions is a cybersecurity firm specializing in training and various advisory services. The organization was founded by Theresa Payton, the former first female CIO of the U.S., Melissa O’Leary, former Chief Adviser to the director of the office of administration at the White House, and Bridget O’Connor, former special assistant to the president for White House Management. 

The three women spoke to Channel Insider about the security needs of executives, how their background enables them to succeed in the private sector, and how they have navigated their journeys as women in technology.

Government and private sector expertise meet current threat landscape

Payton serves as the founder and CEO of Fortalice, while O’Leary is the firm’s CSO, and O’Connor is its COO. The three experts say they each identified gaps and opportunities in how companies approach security through their time working with the White House.

“Bridget, Melissa, and I especially noted gaps in the industry’s ability to perform seamless and sleek protection when we set up the first cybersecurity operations for the White House proper,” Payton said. “To achieve a model commensurate with what we were protecting, we had to strategically harness the state of the art at the time. Unfortunately, that state of the art had gaping holes when it came to human-centered design.”

Fast-forward to the present day, where cybersecurity solutions have evolved further and organizations have more at their disposal than ever before. Still, the Fortalice Solutions teams believe the true answer to many security concerns is not the productization of tools but the human-centered “glue” that keeps a fortified security approach together.

“We know from our experience that productization is necessary but not sufficient, especially when you have bad actors that will use all at their disposal to infiltrate networks,” O’Leary said. 

Why Fortalice stands out in a crowded space

After years of experience in and out of the public sector, Payton struck out on her own to launch Fortalice Solutions alongside O’Connor and O’Leary.

“I saw an opportunity when I left the White House to be that human-centered team that was lacking – essentially the glue that leads to truly fortified security,” Payton said.

Fortalice Solutions offers “signature white glove service to cutting-edge cybersecurity educational training opportunities, including open-source intelligence, in-class (and virtual) offensive cybersecurity operations training, and general cybersecurity training, communications, and live expert Q&A sessions tailored to your organization’s needs,” according to its website.

On the advising side of the house, the firm offers a wide range of services-based solutions, including:

• Customized cybersecurity roadmaps to optimize existing tools and people while justifying any needed enhancements to executives
• Data privacy and security compliance testing as well as tabletop exercises to establish needs across an organization
• Pentration testing and application assessments to take offensive, proactive security measures before bad actors launch an attack
• Human-curated monitoring of the dark web, social media, and the deep web to assess, monitor, and mitigate digital, physical, and business threats to executive-level personnel and corporate brand

Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, all three experts say that too many organizations remain at substantial risk due to a lack of long-term planning and a new focus on executive targeting.

“Many organizations suffered ransomware and other attacks in 2024, and their teams are still narrowly focused on remediating the specific breach,” Payton said. “What they may not realize is that the attackers don’t have their blinders on – they’re many steps ahead, planning to revictimize them and other victims.”

“Consider a digital bodyguard program for your executives who are being targeted now more than ever – we saw a 25% increase in targeting last year alone,” O’Leary added. “This targeting not only impacts an executive personally but can bleed over to the corporation and cause compromises.” 

Women in tech: driving forward regardless of surrounding difficulties

In addition to being practiced, veteran experts in security, the three co-founders are also established leaders in a field that continues to struggle with gender equity across technical roles. For O’Connor, while bias does exist, it does not stay at the top of mind as she pursues the goals in front of her.

“It’s important to not overly focus on what you may perceive as a bias. Recognize it and take it under consideration as you move forward,” O’Connor advised. “It’s also important to find your people – I’m honored to work alongside Theresa and Melissa at a purely female-led and operated cybersecurity firm.”

Payton agrees, echoing the importance of finding people to turn to for support and, in the case of these three women, future business opportunities.

“Accept early that you will learn, you will fail, and you will succeed–sometimes all at once. It can be a wild ride at times, but when you are locked in on an important mission, it is worth your time and the risk it takes to succeed,” Payton said.

Women in tech continue to make strides toward equity in roles, pay, and opportunity. Learn more about how two organizations support women in the channel.