Stephen Kovac
Global Chief Compliance Officer, Zscaler
Stephen Kovac’s biggest recent accomplishment was achieving 33 public sector and 58 global authorizations, making Zscaler the most accredited security cloud in the world.
With over 400 public sector organizations as customers, including 12 of the 15 cabinet agencies, Zscaler has become a standard in zero trust government implementation. In 2024, the company is continuing its rapid growth, building government and education-focused teams and certifications globally as it increases its international hub footprint and expands its FedRAMP Moderate platform in dozens of countries.
“Under Stephen’s leadership, Zscaler has successfully achieved FedRAMP authorization and multiple international public sector certifications around the globe for our entire product suite, which is a testament to his dedication and commitment to maintaining the highest standards of security for governments,” said Jay Chaudhry, CEO and chairman, Zscaler. “He is an expert in cyber risk management and has a deep understanding of the security needs of organizations operating in the cloud.”
Why Watch
Zscaler is taking the methodology of what it achieved in the U.S. and relaunching it in every allied country in support of their missions. Each government has its own version of FedRAMP, CJIS and other certifications; and Zscaler demonstrated an understanding of compliance with its commitment to invest in the authorization process for countries such as Japan, Singapore, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Kovac said he firmly believes you are only as good as the people on your team. This is what led him to add two key hires to his already world-class team: Sean Connelly, former CISA director of zero trust initiative as Zscaler’s executive director, global zero trust strategy and policy; and Brian Conrad, former director of FedRAMP at General Services Administration, as director of global compliance, authorizing authority liaison.
“International growth is a top priority for us this year and forward,” Kovac said. “We will be expanding our FedRAMP Moderate clouds internationally as well as continuing to certify our global cloud in nations that require cloud security certification such as FedRAMP.”
Fun fact: Kovac was a professional tennis player on tour for seven years with a top 100 ATP ranking. He also competed in over 100 triathlons.