Today we want to introduce you to Tevin Manuel, founder and CEO of Tandem Cyber, a cybersecurity firm with nationwide coverage. Tevin has supported Groover Labs since before we opened, helping us design some of our security systems. Since then, he’s been busy building Tandem Cyber.

Read our interview with Tevin below.

Tell us about Tandem Cyber as an organization. What do you do?

At Tandem Cyber, we’re the cybersecurity sidekicks you didn’t know you needed. We make cybersecurity and compliance services accessible to organizations that often think they can’t afford it. Think of us as an extension of your IT team, taking care of all the cybersecurity headaches so they can focus on what they do best. We’re your one-stop shop for everything cyber.

Tell us a little bit about you and your team.

The Tandem team is made up of professionals who took the road less traveled to get here. Personally, I’ve had the privilege of serving in several defense-focused cybersecurity roles with the U.S. Air Force and the Cyber National Mission Force. For the Air Force, I’ve led teams at the 184th Wing and 194th Integrated Warfare Wing; we hunted state-sponsored threats within our military’s infrastructure. At the CNMF (the coolest job ever), I work with some of the most creative and intelligent minds to stop or respond to malicious cyber actions. Currently, I’m wrapping up my Master’s at Carnegie Mellon University in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity—because, hey, you never stop learning in this field! (The imposter syndrome is real.)

In addition to my military experience, I’ve accumulated certifications like CISSP, GCIH, GCIA, and specialized in offensive security tactics. I am currently working on GRID, an Industrial Control System course and certification. At Tandem, I lead a team that secures over 177,000 users across 23 organizations, guiding them through the complex world of compliance and cybersecurity with creativity and humility.

What are your current areas of expertise? In which industries would you like to expand?

Our expertise lies in Higher Education, a sector we’ve specialized in since launching Tandem in 2020. We’ve also expanded into financial services and are eager to dive into healthcare and startups. These sectors are prime targets right now, and we’re ready to bring our expertise to help them defend from unwarranted attacks and supply chain compromise.

Walk us through what it looks like when a company hires Tandem as their cybersecurity provider.

Hiring Tandem is like joining forces on a tandem bike ride—where we bring the bike! First, we introduce both teams because cybersecurity is a team endeavor. We outline the rules of engagement, identifying what we can handle independently and what requires your go-ahead. Then, we dive into your network details to ensure our tools are tuned to your needs. From there, it’s an ongoing process of tuning and adapting, with everything up and running within 30 days.

What’s one of the more interesting (or unfortunate) situations you’ve encountered?

One that stands out is a “never say never” scenario. During a Business Email Compromise tabletop exercise, a system admin confidently claimed it could never happen to them because of all the red tape. Fast forward eight months and that exact scenario played out in reality—only this time, it involved an $860K transfer to a malicious account. Luckily, we recovered $800K, but it was a powerful reminder that overconfidence can be costly.

What suggestions do you have for local business leaders to protect against future cybersecurity incidents?

First, partner with a third-party firm actively engaged in threat intelligence—not just subscribed to it. Being part of a trusted threat intelligence community can give you a heads-up before threats become crises.

Second, patch your systems religiously. If you can’t, collaborate with experts, like us, to find creative ways to minimize risk.

Third, vet your vendors. Hold them to your security standards, especially for building OT systems like HVAC, camera systems, and access controls.

Finally, adopt a zero-trust strategy to reduce both your attack surface and the potential impact of breaches. As a friendly reminder, don’t let someone sell you Zero-trust as a product, it isn’t a product, it’s a strategy!

What should business leaders look for when evaluating a cybersecurity firm?

Before you look at pricing, consider these:

- Team Interaction: Can you call, Slack, or email directly, or is everything through tickets? (We prefer direct communication).

- Vendor Neutrality: Are they pushing specific tools, or are they solution-agnostic? (We recommend the best tools for your needs, not ours).

- Vision and Direction: Are they selling you security or are they pitching you a strategy aligned to a framework? (We are maturing our customers and to do so we align all of our customers to CIS v8 Controls, and NIST frameworks as applicable.)

- Mitigation Support: Do they just hand you a report, or do they help you implement fixes? (We’re with you every step of the way).

- Regulatory Compliance: Are they ensuring your industry’s specific compliance needs? (We keep you compliant with everything from HIPAA to GLBA).

- Access to Tools: Do you have visibility into the tools and data used in your environment? (We ensure full transparency and access for our clients).

- Security Briefings: How often are you updated on your security posture? (We brief you monthly and immediately for any incidents).

What made you want to open a Wichita office at Groover Labs?

I first saw Wichita’s downtown in 2015 and was struck by its potential. A few years later, I met Curt and Tracy, who shared their vision for Groover Labs—a hub for innovation right in the heart of Wichita. I jumped at the chance to help, especially with networking, internet, and cybersecurity. Since then, I’ve been inspired by the community they’re building. Groover Labs felt like a natural home for Tandem, and we’re excited to contribute to the local talent pool and community spirit.

 As we are getting comfortable, we have some neighborly perks in the works!