Twenty-seven years ago, while in college, cybersecurity expert Sean Connery took his first job working with technology at Babbage’s, one of the largest consumer specialty software retailers in the United States.
As an employee perk, Babbage’s lent software products to employees to help them become familiar with the products. While most employees would check out a game here and there, Sean was more ambitious. In just one year, he learned 791 different computer software programs!
“There weren’t a lot of computer classes back then,” Sean said. “You had to buy software at a retail store and it was expensive! You’d spend $495 for Word and another $495 for Excel, and so on. I checked out two or three pieces of software every day. I’d take them home, install them, figure them out, and return them.”
When Babbage’s saw how much software Sean was checking out, they eliminated the policy. In addition to developing an extremely fast learning curve, it gave Sean, the Co-Founder and President of both Orbis Solutions, Inc. (OSI) and ITIS Compliance, a different perspective than the typical IT provider—he experienced the software from the CONSUMER’s perspective first.
After graduation, Sean became the government sales manager at Valcom, an innovative communication solutions company. At Valcom, he identified that clients weren’t receiving the best experience possible. He rectified the situation by helping them open a computer learning center and was promoted to the learning center manager to oversee the instructors. Here Sean’s inquisitive nature led him to expand his own knowledge and expertise further by focusing on the TECHNICIAN side. Sean completed over 50 computer certification programs including Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Security certifications.
Understanding the customer’s experience coupled with his acquired technician skills, Sean started his own company, Right Stuff, a Value-added Reseller (VAR) in Tucson, Arizona. “I looked at it from the customer’s point of view first,” Sean said. “This helped me to better customize their software to do what they wanted.”
During this time, Sean traveled to Las Vegas for a computer show where he met Kelly who became his wife. Sean relocated to Las Vegas to start his life with Kelly and closed his VAR company. It didn’t take long for Sean to take Vegas by storm. Joining the Novel User Group, he was elected president. Plus, his exceptional ability to understand technology from the client’s perspective and then articulate how it could align with business goals without using tech-speak attracted executives. Once he proved he could execute on solving complex IT problems, Sean began landing one high profile position after the next. He spent the next 20+ years serving in roles such as the CIO of a national retail organization, Vice President, and Director of IT for large hotel-casinos and organizations. “Large organizations kept hiring me,” Sean said. “I’d go in and fix all the important problems and then move on to another organization.”
This led Sean to add yet another IT superpower to his IT tool belt. Working for casinos, that could not afford compromises in their security, he focused on learning everything he could about cybersecurity. This included passing the world’s premier cybersecurity certification, to become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). A title he’s held for over 15 years, he is considered a foremost expert in effectively designing, implementing, and managing best-in-class cybersecurity programs.
Sean used this to run the data center at Bally Gaming and became one of the two original architects of the entire IT infrastructure at Wynn Resorts. “I was given a bucket of $50 million to build everything from scratch and make it as bulletproof as possible,” Sean recalled.
But it was his job working as the VP of IT for a large gaming CRM company that led him to open his own company. “The company was continuing to grow like crazy, however during a conversation with the CFO, I discovered that they were spending more money than they were making,” Sean said.
As Sean witnessed the company shrinking, he came up with an idea. “I thought rather than jumping from company to company, I should just figure out how to outsource services and take care of IT for multiple companies at the same time.”
In 2010, Sean opened the doors to OSI, a virtual IT department that provides all the support and help businesses need to increase their productivity, profitability, and cybersecurity. Today OSI is the premier IT provider in Southern Nevada. Sean’s vast experience, inquisitive nature, and expertise in Cybersecurity, IT Compliance, Storage Area Network (SAN), VMware ESX, ITIL, and servers has brought him to work with an expansive list of companies from retail to manufacturing to major casinos to celebrities.
He’s authored two best-selling books, Under Attack and You Are Target #1 and as a thought leader in Cybersecurity, he’s spoken at Microsoft, Harvard, and other venues across the nation. He’s also received several high-profile honors, including a 2019 Expy for Cybersecurity and a finalist for the Top Tech Exec Awards in Las Vegas. Creating significant expansion, OSI has grown 25% year over year throughout the last decade.
Why You Want A Triple Threat In IT
The expression “triple threat” has typically been associated with performing arts and football. However, I’d argue that Sean is a triple threat in IT. His intimate and unique understanding of the consumer experience is the first side and is reflected in his proactive approach. He delivers first-time resolution and a consumer experience not typically found. “I think a sense of urgency is extremely important, so much so that 82% of our tickets come in through email and are solved within 15 minutes,” Sean said. “Our phones are answered in 20 seconds or less by someone who is there to solve your problem. We provide 24/7 coverage and start our day at six o’clock to double-check and make sure everything is up and running when a client walks through the door at 8 AM.”
The second side, his depth of knowledge and skill in technology, is reflected in his vast experience in working with different systems. “At this point, we’ve worked with every kind of software and figured out solutions for just about every problem there is,” Sean said.
How OSI Approaches Cybersecurity Differently
Cybersecurity is Sean’s third side. His strict dedication to consistency, education, monitoring, processes, and being proactive are unmatched. Sean customizes tools and has made his process so efficient that he can manage thousands of endpoints using a staff a fraction of the size a large company typically uses.
“We want to get the most out of our tools and have the most efficiencies,” Sean said. “We’ve seen a significant increase in the sophistication, the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks. Because of that, we’ve been diligently watching and putting in new technologies, protocols, and services to protect our clients.”
Sean far exceeds expectations in customer satisfaction because he is an IT Triple Threat.
“We don’t lose clients because of bad service,” Sean said. “But we’ve gained clients where their previous IT company turned on security but weren’t actually stopping threats. I stress to my employees the importance of being consistent and documenting everything. I even check with vendors to make sure we aren’t missing anything.”
Sean even added another layer of defense with ITIS Compliance, his company that is dedicated to conducting and defending PCI and HIPAA audits, as well as other compliance needs. His certified testers include a CISSP, a CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker), and a seasoned penetration testing team that methodically investigate systems for potential vulnerabilities and provides solutions for any weaknesses they identify.
It all circles back to his roots of the customer experience. “We get to the point where we are friends with our clients,” Sean said. “So, it becomes personal. We want to protect their data as if it were our data. We spend money as if it were our money. We educate them about cybercrime and protect them and make sure they have the best.”
Visit Orbit Solutions, Inc. at: https://www.orbissolutionsinc.com/
