Today we’d like to introduce you to Danon Vaughn. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Danon Vaughn is an Atlanta native with 20+ years in Information Technology and Security and has been a part of the tech start-up community since 2004. He has a strong background in internal IT operations security that includes scaling operations to maximize efficiency to balance the needs of internal and external customers He has been responsible for building operations from the ground up for help desk services and internal network operations. This includes large-scale growth that included local, national, and international offices.
This experience led to the growth of operations within a start-up organization where he built internal IT support operations for ISS (Internet Security Systems) that eventually went public and was sold for $1.5 billion to IBM.
Danon’s career has spanned across startups, large corporations that include IBM and Georgia Pacific, as well as academia where he currently holds a Senior IT Manager position at Emory University.
In 2018 Danon Vaughn founded Ransom Shield, an IT Security Services Company, to bring IT Security to underserved businesses. Danon has been a part of several security panels and in 2021 he was awarded with the Innovator of Year Award for 2021 by the Atlanta Innovation Forum for his dedication to cybersecurity awareness.
Most recently his company Ransom Shield was a part of the 2022 Emory Startup Launch Accelerator which has led to the continued growth of security services offered to small businesses and start-ups.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
When I think about what it takes to get to where I am today, I would say it was not easy. I am a serial entrepreneur and I have had a total of three different businesses and all of them have been technology related. I enjoy business ownership but to get past to the point where you are running your business and doing what you love takes time, you have built up a strong operational foundation and have the necessary resources in place. All those things take time, so it is not easy but having a right team of people who are supportive has help Ransom Shield reach many milestones.
When it comes to facing challenges, I have learned to stick with it. Some weeks you may want to just give up but that’s OK! Sit on that idea, let it come back to you and you will have a new perspective on it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When it comes to Cyber Security, I have a real passion for it.
It took me a while to realize my place inside of a security but now that I have a vision, I can see the urgent need for cybersecurity in the small business market. With over 20 years of experience starting from an IT Operations perspective I’ve been able to take cyber security awareness and understanding and bring that to small businesses and that is a big part of what we do. What we are most proud of is what we do through cyber security outreach events that educate the community and give back so that we all stay cyber aware. Our brand is human-focused cyber security!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memory was riding BMX bikes and jumping ramps in my backyard. I never played organized sports so having fun on my bike was the best of times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ransomshieldsecurity.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ransomshield/
