You need a trusted cybersecurity ally—not another managed service provider or reseller. Difenda is there with you through it all. We don’t just implement and configure your systems, we monitor, we detect, we respond, and we continuously improve.
Are you passionate to be part of a fast paced, winning cybersecurity team? Do you want to be a part of the incredible growth Difenda is bringing to the cybersecurity industry?
Difenda is looking for dedicated, action-oriented and committed team players to join the fastest growing organization in the industry – Difenda wants you!
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David Erlich, Director of Sales & Customer Success, North America, believes the best is yet to come for Difenda. As Director of Sales, he is responsible for leading our North American sales team and helping enable our customers to take advantage of their Microsoft security investments by enabling technology and helping them manage it through Difenda’s 24/7 SOC service. David’s strategic focus and leadership skills have proven his ability to build high-performing teams throughout his career.
After earning a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Guelph, David started in the IT community in 2007. David then sharpened his skills over the past fifteen years as a District Sales Manager at Softchoice. He is a five-time President’s Club winner and three-time Top Team winner. With his leadership expertise and ability to strategically motivate sales teams, he is positioned to build on Difenda’s momentum and accelerate growth.
Even when off the clock, David is committed to supporting his community. He spent a lot of time working with Big Brothers and Sisters throughout his life and continues to support the youth in his community through the Covenant House organization.
When not managing Difenda’s sales team, David enjoys spending time with his two children, coaching hockey, cheering on the Leafs, and cooking. He also loves to spend time with his family at their cottage, biking, and skiing throughout the year.
With 25 years of experience in the Security and Intelligence space, Sheldon Shaw is Difenda’s Director of Research and Response, in North America. As Director of Research and Response, he works across the operational technology and information technology teams to craft comprehensive security plans and execute our engagement model. Sheldon leads our 24/7/365 response to emergent and critical cyber threats directly supporting our customer’s cyber resilience and response. Sheldon’s interest in new technology and problem-solving has driven his success in the Security and Intelligence space.
After earning a Graduate Degree from Acadia University and Intrusion Analyst Certification from SANS GIAC, Sheldon worked in National Security for 15 years. Sheldon then sharpened his skills over the past ten years working directly with clients in information and operational technology security.
Even off the clock, Sheldon is a committed leader and problem solver in his community. Sheldon is currently Deputy Mayor of a small town in New Brunswick and a former Councillor. He continues to provide leadership to the city council while speaking on issues of concern in the community.
When not managing Difenda’s research and response team or leading his community, Sheldon also enjoys coaching Basketball for the Province of New Brunswick.
Adam Batley is our Manager of Cloud Security and Advisory Services. As Manager of Cloud Security and Advisory Services, he is responsible for managing dynamic workflows and security environments through Difenda’s 24/7/365 SOC service. Adam’s strategic focus and straight forward attitude have supported his ability to assist IT teams and business users in maintaining risks and controls for full efficiency when reducing operational risks to organizations.
After earning a Computer Security and Investigations Certificate from Fleming College, Adam started in the IT community in 2013. He sharpened his skills over the past ten years through multiple positions in security at Herjavec Group. With his leadership expertise and ability to navigate high paced environments, Adam is positioned to strengthen Difenda’s cloud security services.
When not managing Difenda’s Cloud Security and Advisory Services teams, Adam enjoys spending time outdoors, kayaking, gardening, and practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also loves to spend time in the kitchen cooking.
Adam is also committed to supporting Autism Ontario, a charity organization representing the thousands of people on the autism spectrum and their families across Ontario. He is also currently growing hair for hair Locks of Love who create custom-made hair prosthetics for disadvantaged children.
Carlos Espinoza, Director of Cyber Research and Response Development, is willing to run the extra mile to achieve greatness with his team. As Director of Cyber Research and Response Development, he is responsible for the development and maintenance of Difenda’s MXDR platform, and helping our customers improve their security posture and achieve business objectives. Carlos’s strategic focus and leadership skills have proven his ability to develop and implement high performing Information Security Management Systems throughout his career.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering and MBA from Universided Metropolitana, Carlos has spent over ten years working on complex cloud security solutions. He has harnessed his skills with countless certifications such as CISSP, CISM, Splunk, Microsoft and more. With his security expertise and strong sense of team spirit, Carlos is helping change the game with Difenda’s information security management systems.
When not directing Difenda’s research and response team, Carlos enjoys spending time with his friends and family watching movies. He also loves swimming and woodworking whenever he gets the chance.
Deepak Khandekar, Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance, believes that results-driven actions are key to fast-tracked security operations management. As Director of Sales, he is responsible for developing, establishing and maintaining a company-wide information security compliance program. As well as the management of Difenda’s CyberGRC compliance practice, including GRC Advisory, Risk Assessments, Compliance Readiness Assessments, and Information Security Audits. Deepak’s passion and outcome-driven performance have demonstrated his ability to build peak-performing teams and achieve cross-functional business objectives.
After earning a Bachelor of Electronics Engineering from the University of Mumbai, Deepak started in the security industry in 2008 and practiced his skills over the past fifteen years in different roles at Difenda, formerly Paladion. He is a CISM, ITIL and SO Certified Lead Auditor. With his team building expertise and ability to achieve cross-functional business objectives, he has continued to change the game for Difenda when it comes to Governance, Risk and Compliance.
When not managing Difenda GRC, Deepak enjoys his time listening to music.
Brad Gettinger, Senior Technical Accounts Manager, believes in the power of hard work and patience. As Senior Technical Accounts Manager, he is responsible for leading the Technical Account Management team that is responsible for collaborating with clients to develop their digital systems through the practical utilization of data and strategy at Difenda. Brad’s positive attitude and dedication have proven his ability to build and maintain strong relationships with customers.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Toledo, Brad started in the IT community in 1997. He then spent the past twenty-four years honing his security skills though many positions in the IT security space. With his expertise in IT infrastructure and networking, Brad is positioned to build on Difenda’s momentum and help provide better outcomes for our customers based on their changing goals.
When not managing Difenda’s Technical Account Management team, Brad enjoys spending time with his children, and supporting them in their after-school activities. He also loves to spend time with his family cooking, running, and playing trivia.
In order to support his community and create a better future for his children, Brad is an active member of his children’s school board and his church.
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Biography coming soon.
Megan Miller’s energy and passion for learning flow into all aspects of her work. As the Growth Manager, North America, she brings a background in sciences which she has transitioned to the tech sector in her role at Difenda.
With a Bachelors of Science in Geology, Megan is a lifelong learner who is voracious about learning anything she can get her hands on about cybersecurity. Her positive energy has built a sales strategy with a focus on expanding in the United States while nurturing the Canadian presence. She is responsible for recruiting and training the sales team. Together with the company’s leadership, she creates the sales process and the company’s product strategy in order to better serve the customer base. This ensures that our customers have a highly trained and highly motivated team to help them every step of the way, Megan has completed Microsoft SC-900 training and working towards mastering Microsoft.
Whether at work or play, Megan is fully committed. She took her love of hockey all the way to the semi-professional level as a competitive hockey player. Megan loves all things sports including water skiing, scuba diving, cycling, and snowboarding. She also enjoys time with family and reading about alternative energy, innovation, and cybersecurity.
As the Microsoft Partner Manager at Difenda, Natasha Phanor is responsible for driving growth within our Microsoft Partnership. With six years in the industry, she offers a fresh, energetic approach, and the ability to focus on our customer’s needs throughout the entire process. Natasha has the innate ability to foresee customer needs and solve problems before they arise, which creates a smooth road for each customer she encounters.
As the recipient of the Outstanding Services Partner of the Year Award in 2018, it is clear that Natasha responds quickly to customer needs, creates a platform for understanding a customer’s business requirements, and walks them through the process to ensure their complete satisfaction.
In her spare time, Natasha is as energetic and passionate as she is on the job. A self-proclaimed foodie-extraordinaire, she enjoys dinner parties, traveling, downhill skiing, hiking, biking, and reading. Natasha has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in Dance, from Ryerson University.
Lisa Templeton is the perfect combination of human empathy and technological prowess. In her role as People Services Manager, she takes care of our team members to support them in their daily work, as well as on their personal life paths. Happy employees make for happy customers, and Lisa excels in giving our employees the tools they need for success in order to become the best possible versions of themselves. Along with employee formation, she shines in the service delivery support domain to continuously improve the process. Her 24 years of experience in IT Operations and Service Management help her create quality and efficiency at Difenda.
Having attended the Information Systems Management certificate program at Ryerson University, and with various other certifications to her credit, Lisa is perceptive and innovative when it comes to information technology, but also sensitive to the needs of her human constituents. Responsible for achieving the first privately owned company HDI Support Center certification in Canada, she has also designed and implemented Service Management excellence programs and 24×7 IT Operations departments for multiple IT organizations, and has created corporate rewards and recognition programs to keep her employees engaged and motivated.
On the personal side, Lisa passionately supports the cause of breast cancer research, having lost her mother to the disease. She reads voraciously in her spare time, and enjoys the art of home renovation. The summer months also bring time on her boat and exploring new hiking trails.
Miranda McCurdy uses her myriad super powers in all aspects of her job and personal life. As the Marketing Director at Difenda, Miranda McCurdy brings over a decade of experience to the table, which includes expertise in all facets of operations, brand management, and content marketing, as well as a multitude of successful strategies for the ever-expanding digital world. She is an expert at simplifying the message the company is trying to send, filling in gaps in the information, and strengthening the content in order to create compelling narratives that strengthen the brand and developing programs that bring teams together.
With several Addy Awards issued by the American Advertising Federation Cleveland to her credit, and her never say die attitude, Miranda understands both the broader picture and the minute details that are needed to successfully market a product. With her abilities to harness both the talent needed to spread the message, as well as to create the message itself, she is an integral cog in the company’s ability to communicate with customers and other stakeholders.
When she is not building a brand, she shares her ability to fill the gaps in her community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, and the Charleston Food Bank. In her spare time, Miranda spends time with her family, enjoys fitness and health, paddle boarding, reading, and arts and crafts.
Connections are the name of the game for Juliana Zaremba. As Strategic Partnerships Director, she is responsible for Difenda’s channel partnerships and the development and ownership of the channel partner program. She is also responsible for the global Microsoft Partnership, including the creation of strategic plans with MSFT contacts that will facilitate the continued growth of the business and establish certification and training protocols in all security technologies. Her role is multifaceted, as she acquires partners, manages relationships with them, and develops strategies that will provide cutting edge security solutions to our customer base. Another integral aspect of her job is to facilitate growth.
With a Bachelor’s in Math from the University of Waterloo and 14 years of experience from her previous roles at Herjavec Group and CDW, her cutting edge focus and ability to develop long-lasting relationships and strategies provides world class security solutions to our customer base.
Juliana thrives on connections outside of work as well. She is a philanthropist and contributor with Women4Change based in Hamilton. This group of local women is passionate about supporting local causes, and she focuses her efforts around Women in STEM. She is also a member of Club Italia in Niagara Falls and supports their youth events throughout the year.
When not managing the Microsoft Global partnership, Juliana enjoys reading, often reading several books at once. Juliana enjoys exploring the Niagara Escarpment with her family, as well as sharing meals and experiences with her extended family. Juliana’s competitive nature has her always trying new things, like Whoop band challenges and Peloton.
Biography Coming Soon
