At Symmetry Systems, our mission is to secure the world’s most sensitive data. This mission has been deeply shaped by the military service and values of the veterans who have been part of our team over the years, our extensive research with defense and intelligence agencies, and the support of our primary investor, Forgepoint Capital. From our core values to our product architecture, the veteran experience, our work with DARPA, NSA, Lockheed, GDMS, and others, and Forgepoint’s commitment to veteran leadership are woven into the fabric of our company.
Veteran Leadership from the Beginning
Veteran leadership has been integral to Symmetry from the very beginning. Paul Herdener, one of our founding team members, served as Director of Business Operations in the early days, driving the company’s operations and shaping its culture. As a veteran of the US Marine Corps with 12 years of service, spanning numerous roles leading Marines around the globe, Paul brought a wealth of operational expertise, a mission-first mindset, and a sense of duty and service to his role and country. He continues to this day to be an active member of the Reserves.
More than that, Paul was instrumental in defining the values that would become the bedrock of Symmetry’s culture. His commitment to integrity, excellence, and service above self and ruthless focus on mission set the tone for the entire company. Under Paul’s influence, Symmetry embraced a set of core values that reflect the distilled best of the military ethos:
- Integrity First –Do the right thing because it’s the right thing, even when it’s really hard! Even when no one’s watching.
- Customer Is the North Star – Unrelenting focus, where Customer Needs and our joint mission guide every decision no matter how decentralized. When it’s cold, when we are tired, all the time, everywhere.
- Treat Data Like Family – With respect, care, and deliberation.
- Innovation with Purpose – Build with purpose and intent in driving outcomes and achieve the end state.
These values are not just words on a wall. They have been lived every day by the Symmetry team, thanks in large part to the example set by Paul and other veteran leaders over the years.
A Legacy of Service
For Paul was far from alone. Over the course of Symmetry’s history, numerous veterans have brought their diverse experiences and discipline from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps to our team. Their perspectives and expertise have been invaluable in shaping our approach to cybersecurity. Each of these veterans carried with them the lessons and values instilled in their service. Integrity first and “doing the right thing even when no one’s watching” is the ethos of the military professional. Putting the customer and mission first, above personal interests, is the essence of servant leadership learned in the military. Safeguarding sensitive information is a sacred trust, akin to caring for family. And purposeful innovation to support the mission is the driving force of military research and technology.
The Symmetry Logo: A Nod to Military Heritage
Even our logo pays homage to military heritage. The Symmetry logo was heavily influenced by Paul and is reminiscent of the sergeant’s stripes, representing the non-commissioned officers leadership, trust, and expertise that form the backbone of any fighting formation.
The sergeant’s stripes, or chevrons, have a long history in the U.S. military. They denote rank and leadership responsibility, with each stripe representing a level of experience and authority. By embodying this symbol in our logo, we signal our commitment to the values of leadership, trust, and earned expertise that are the hallmarks of the sergeant’s role.
Purpose-Built for Mission-Critical Environments
Drawing from military strategy, we treat data as the center of gravity (Schwerpunkt) – the crucial element upon which an organization’s entire operation depends. As Clausewitz defined it, the center of gravity is the “hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends” (Clausewitz, 1989, p. 595-596). Striking at the enemy’s center of gravity is key to victory, while defending one’s own involves protecting that core source by understanding its vulnerabilities, decentralizing functions, creating redundancy, and disrupting enemy efforts to build or focus their own center of gravity. This effectively makes their system unstable and unable to effectively project power.
Most importantly, Symmetry’s product architecture is purpose-built for mission-critical environments. Our extensive research and collaboration with agencies like DARPA, NSA, Lockheed, and General Dynamics Mission Systems have deeply informed our product design. Through these partnerships, we’ve gained invaluable insights into the unique security challenges faced by defense and intelligence agencies. We’ve learned firsthand about the stringent requirements for air-gapped, secure, resilient systems that can operate in contested environments. And we’ve worked side-by-side with some of the nation’s leading experts in cybersecurity and data protection.
These experiences have directly shaped the development of our DataGuard platform. With a zero-trust model, support for air-gapped deployments, and robust auditing, Symmetry is designed from the ground up to meet the security needs of the most sensitive government and military systems. We know what it takes to safeguard classified information because we’ve collaborated closely with the agencies charged with protecting our nation’s most critical data.
The Forgepoint Capital Connection
Our commitment to veteran leadership and service is not just internal—it’s also reflected in our choice of investors. Symmetry’s primary investor, Forgepoint Capital, actively recruits and invests in military veterans and former intelligence personnel. Forgepoint’s leadership includes veterans like Managing Director Ernie Bio (Air Force Veteran) and Principal Andrew McClure (Marine Intelligence Veteran). But the commitment to service runs even deeper. Don Duet, another Managing Director at Forgepoint, with strong connections to the Harvard Kennedy School comes from a family with a strong military tradition. This deep understanding of and respect for military service is evident in Forgepoint’s actions. The firm regularly hosts representatives from the NSA and other agencies at its conferences and events, facilitating a dialogue between the private sector and the defense community.
Moreover, Forgepoint’s Advisory Council includes a roster of distinguished leaders from the defense and intelligence communities. This includes former NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers, former Commanding General of the U.S. Army Cyber Command Lieutenant General Edward Cardon, and former Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Doug Wise. The insights and guidance provided by this advisory council have been instrumental in shaping Forgepoint’s investment strategy and, by extension, the direction of companies like Symmetry Systems. Their deep understanding of the cybersecurity challenges faced by the military and intelligence agencies has helped to ensure that our products and services are aligned with the needs of these critical customers.
Forgepoint’s expertise, network, and the influence of its advisory council have been invaluable in guiding Symmetry’s growth and deepening our ties with the defense community. With their support, we’ve been able to accelerate our mission of securing the world’s most sensitive data.
Continuing the Mission
At Symmetry, we’re proud to carry forward the tradition of veteran leadership in cybersecurity, to build upon the insights gained from our work with leading defense and intelligence agencies, and to have the support of investors who share our commitment to these values. With a history steeped in military service, experience across multiple branches, deep ties to the defense community, and the backing of Forgepoint Capital and its distinguished advisory council, we remain uniquely focused and committed to protecting the data that matters most – for the good of our customers and country.
For the veterans who have been part of Symmetry over the years and for our veteran-led investors, this has been more than just a job or a financial opportunity. It’s a continuation of the mission they started in uniform – to serve, to protect, and to make a difference. That mission lives on at Symmetry Systems, thanks to the veteran DNA, the legacy of our defense partnerships, and the support of Forgepoint Capital at our core.
