The 2025 Best Firms to Work For: Coalfire

CONSULTING SERVICE LINES: Cyber Assessment, Advisory and Security Services

Karen Laughton, Executive Vice President, Advisory Services, Samantha Gorbatyuk

Coalfire is a leading cybersecurity and compliance firm with 20+ years of experience. Trusted by over half of the Fortune 50, Coalfire provides assessments, red teaming, threat modeling, FedRAMP/CMMC advisory, and more. Their tailored solutions and SaaS platforms help organizations reduce risk, stay vigilant, and secure cloud and AI environments.

CMAG: What characteristics and elements would you attribute to your firm's inclusion as a Best Firm to Work For?

We're truly honored to be named one of the Best Firms to Work For for the seventh year in a row. This continued recognition is a testament to our unwavering focus on what matters most: our people. We're proud of the dynamic and growth-oriented culture we've built, prioritizing employee engagement, professional development, and a shared sense of purpose.

Year after year, we strive to enhance the employee experience, adapt to the evolving needs of our team, and create opportunities for everyone to thrive. Our presence in the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, our culture of innovation, and our world-class client base make Coalfire an exciting and meaningful place to build a career.

CMAG: Are there any specific programs or initiatives that contributed to you being included as a Best Firm?

One of the most meaningful drivers behind our recognition as a Best Firm to Work For is our culture of well-being. We're deeply committed to supporting our people, not just as professionals, but as individuals. That commitment shows up in how we prioritize mental, physical and emotional health.

Our flexible time off policy encourages team members to take the time they need to rest and recharge. We also offer flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options, to support better balance and reduce the stress of commuting and rigid schedules.

Well-being at our firm goes beyond benefits; it's embedded in how we work, how we lead, and how we show up for each other. By fostering a supportive, high-trust environment and maintaining our focus on purpose-driven work and client impact, we've created a space where people can thrive and grow.

CMAG: In describing your firm, what would you say sets it apart from other consulting firms?

What sets Coalfire apart is our exclusive focus on cybersecurity, compliance and advisory. These are complex, high-stakes disciplines that require deep expertise and constant innovation. Unlike generalist consulting firms, our teams dedicate themselves to helping clients navigate the toughest regulatory environments, modernize their security programs, and confidently adopt emerging technologies like AI and cloud at scale.

Our differentiation is not only in what we deliver but in how we deliver it. Coalfire combines advisory services with proprietary platforms and automation to accelerate outcomes and reduce client risk. At the same time, our culture emphasizes collaboration, transparency and continuous learning, ensuring that every client engagement benefits from a team of highly engaged experts who are personally invested in the mission.

What truly sets us apart is the balance we strike between excellence in our craft and a people-first culture. We believe secure digital transformation is only possible when our employees feel supported, empowered, and inspired to do their best work. That commitment fuels innovation, strengthens client relationships, and sustains our position as a trusted partner for the world's most security-conscious organizations.

CMAG: Where your workforce is concerned, what would you say your priorities look like for the upcoming year and beyond?

Looking ahead, one of our top priorities is continuing to invest in our people through rewards, recognition and career development. We're currently focused on enhancing how we support growth at every level, from early career to leadership, because we know our team is made up of ambitious, high-performing individuals who are eager to advance their careers.

To support that, we're doubling down on initiatives that celebrate success, clarify career paths, and create more structured learning opportunities. Whether it's through internal mobility, upskilling, mentorship or leadership development, we want every team member to see a future here - and have the tools and encouragement to pursue it.

CMAG: What opportunities do you see as the most promising?

The biggest opportunity ahead is helping our customers and partners enable artificial intelligence across their organizations. Pressure is high to move quickly from pilots to production with generative AI, copilots and agentic systems. But these advances also bring new risks around data, tools, and compliance that end users won't overlook. Companies want to bring AI to market without sacrificing decades of security progress – and they want to do it more efficiently with AI itself.

Coalfire is uniquely positioned to meet this need. Our Security and Compliance Framework for GenAI and Agentic Systems – developed from our direct experience building, testing and auditing these technologies – gives enterprises the guardrails to innovate quickly while maintaining trust, audit readiness and regulatory alignment. Paired with our advisory, assessment and testing services, the framework helps clients reduce risk, accelerate deployment and capture competitive advantage. It also serves as the foundation for our own AI-driven security and compliance agents that augment client teams with reliable automation.

Beyond AI, we see continued growth in guiding clients through evolving global frameworks such as PCI DSS v4.0, CMMC 2.0, and ISO/IEC 42001, as well as in meeting demand for continuous, coordinated compliance. Still, AI is the most transformative force in the market. Coalfire's ability to help clients adopt it securely and responsibly will differentiate both them and us in 2026.

CMAG: What market forces do you see as the most challenging?

AI is transforming the landscape faster and more dramatically than almost any other market force. In addition to helping clients meet critical industry requirements and strengthen their security posture, we're guiding them through rapidly emerging AI governance frameworks like NIST AI RMF and ISO 42001. These frameworks are becoming essential as companies work to embed security, trust, and accountability directly into their AI products. The pace of change is intense, and our role is to help clients not only keep up but also turn these challenges into opportunities for resilience and innovation.

CMAG: What impact do you think Best Firm to Work For honors will have on your employees? The firm overall? Clients?

For our employees, this recognition reinforces pride and belonging. It validates the culture they've helped create, one that values well-being, growth and impact, and it reminds them that their work contributes to something larger than themselves. Awards like this strengthen engagement, retention, and the confidence that Coalfire is a place where they can build long-term careers.

For the firm overall, the honor solidifies our position as a people-first organization and strengthens our ability to attract top talent in a competitive market. It also signals to the industry that our culture is a differentiator, directly tied to our ability to deliver innovative, high-quality outcomes for clients.

For clients, the recognition offers assurance that they are partnering with a firm that not only invests in expertise but also creates an environment where experts thrive. Engaged and motivated teams deliver better results, and the Best Firm to Work For distinction underscores that Coalfire's people are our greatest advantage.