Building for the Future: Verkada’s Commitment to Federal Security Needs

At Verkada, we are steadfast in our mission to protect people and property in a privacy-sensitive way, not just for businesses and educational institutions, but also for the very backbone of our nation — the federal government. Recognizing the unique and evolving challenges faced by federal agencies, we've taken a significant step forward by establishing the Verkada Federal Advisory Board.

The formation of this board is a testament to our commitment to understanding and addressing the intricate needs of federal security. Comprising distinguished individuals – Kiersten Todt, Vice Admiral Timothy Szymanski, Dan Mathews, and Robert Efrus – the board brings an unparalleled depth of knowledge and experience from the public sector. Their insights will be invaluable as we tailor our offerings to meet the stringent requirements of federal security.

We are also working to get more of our products available in our FedRAMP offering, affirming our dedication to providing secure, reliable and compliant solutions in the cloud that federal agencies can trust. We recently launched four new models of dome cameras that meet the FIPS 140-2 encryption standard, as validated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and announced Verkada Guest is now available in Command on AWS GovCloud.

Our philosophy is simple: understand the customer's needs deeply and build solutions that address those needs effectively. This approach has served us well across our global customer base, including the public sector where our solutions protect millions of students, healthcare workers, and public servants.

The establishment of the Federal Advisory Board is more than just an organizational update; it's a reflection of our commitment to bridging the gap between physical and cybersecurity. With the guidance of our esteemed board members and our continuous drive for innovation, we aim to deliver intuitive, cloud-first solutions that not only meet but exceed the evolving security needs of the federal government.

Verkada's journey has always been about more than just technology. It's about building trust, ensuring safety, and fostering a secure environment for all our customers, including the most critical sectors of our nation. 

Meet Verkada’s Federal Advisory Board

Kiersten Todt, former Chief of Staff of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Kiersten Todt is the former Chief of Staff of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). She was responsible for the planning, allocation of resources, and development of long-range objectives in support of the department's goals — including the management and execution of an almost $3 billion budget and over 3,000 employees and contractors. She currently serves in an advisory role to CISA’s director and is a strategic adviser to venture capital firms and the Data and Trust Alliance, a CEO-led cross-sector industry effort to create standards for data provenance and high-risk use of artificial intelligence. Prior to her CISA role, Kiersten co-founded and was Managing Director of the Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI), a nonprofit that develops free cybersecurity tools for small businesses worldwide. Her service to the Federal Government includes serving as a professional staff member in the U.S. Senate, where she co-drafted the legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security, and as Executive Director of President Obama's Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. 

Vice Admiral Timothy Szymanski (Retired), former Deputy Commander of United States Special Operations Command

VADM Szymanski served in many Navy and Joint Special Operations assignments as a Navy SEAL officer for nearly 37 years.  He most recently served as Deputy Commander United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Florida after serving as the Commander Naval Special Warfare in Coronado, CA. USSOCOM ensures the readiness of joint special operations forces and, as directed, conducts operations worldwide. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Tim graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1985. He completed a Master of Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy degree at the Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Norfolk VA.

Dan Mathews, former Commissioner of the US Public Buildings Service 

Dan Mathews spent 25 years of federal service in Congress and the executive branch. In 2024, President Biden appointed Mathews to the Public Buildings Reform Board, which is tasked with making recommendations to realign the federal real estate portfolio. He also serves on the Industry Advisory Group of the US State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. In addition, Mathews is a board member of both the Federal Real Property Association and the National Federal Development Association. He has extensive experience with federal real estate issues and served as Commissioner of the US General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service, where he led the 375 million square foot civilian real estate portfolio of the Federal Government, over 5,000 employees, and a $12 billion budget. Mathews graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Government and Philosophy. 

Robert Efrus, Founder and CEO of federal consulting firm, Efrus Federal Advisors LLC

Robert Efrus is the Founder and CEO of Efrus Federal Advisors LLC (EFA). He also serves as President of the Coalition for Enterprise Open Source Software in Government. Robert has a unique understanding of how to leverage the congressional oversight process in support of procurement outcomes and has a long and distinguished record in helping federal software vendors capture large federal deals. Most recently, Robert was awarded a prestigious FED 100 award for his multi-year efforts to raise awareness about evolving software security requirements. He formerly served as a Presidential Management Fellow at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (HQ) where he worked as a manned space flight Congressional Liaison Officer in NASA’s Office of Legislative Affairs. Robert also worked on Capitol Hill as a NASA Congressional Fellow handling space and aviation issues for a United States Senator.