Fortreum: Simplifying Cybersecurity & Cloud Compliance for Businesses

In the digital age, the myriad rules, regulations, and cybersecurity specifications organisations must comply with have become significantly more complex than ever before. And for organisations that wish to conduct business with the U.S. government, defence agencies, or other highly regulated sectors such as health care and finance, adhering to these compliance standards is not a choice but a necessity. But that process is often confusing, expensive and time-consuming.

Enter Fortreum, founded by two seasoned cybersecurity veterans, James Leach and Michael Carter, that helps businesses break through the haze and gain clarity in these complex markets. Their goal is simple – to make cybersecurity and compliance easy to understand, manage and achieve.

The Story Behind Fortreum

Fortreum was built on the notion that organisations shouldn't get bogged down in the regulation. James Leach and Michael Carter have firsthand experience in how companies struggle to manage complex frameworks such as FedRAMP, CMMC, FISMA, HIPAA, etc. They didn't want to deal with compliance as if it were another checklist, but turn it into a solution that could be leveraged to help companies grow and thrive.

Two decades of experience and a decision to form a modern, people-focused company grounded with technical expertise tempered with a common-sense business perspective were incorporated into the creation of Fortreum. The result is a business that has gained early recognition as a go-to friend in cybersecurity and cloud compliance.

The Leaders of Fortreum

James Leach, Managing Principal / Co-Founder

James Leach has significant experience in cybersecurity and regulatory regimes. With over 20 years of experience, he has counselled government agencies and private companies through some of the most challenging compliance issues. He works to simplify and operationalise demanding security standards.

James is known for his technical competence and clear communication skills. He is passionate about shifting compliance from a barrier into a business advantage, so clients get through their audits and dramatically improve their security and operations in the process.

Michael Carter- Managing Principal, Co-Founder

Michael Carter has a bounty of hands-on experience in cloud security and compliance. He started his career as a security assessor at federal agencies, specialising in risk management. He is a former op senior advisor to a world leader on cybersecurity. He has held senior positions within global consulting firms where he provided risk advisory and governance, risk and compliance services.

Michael is highly regarded for his value in distilling complex technical issues into a roadmap that makes sense for organisations. He's working to give customers confidence—not only in their ability to achieve compliance, but also in their capacity to grow their businesses safely.

James and Michael make up something of a dream team, combining big picture strategy and intimate technical knowledge.

What Fortreum Does

Fortreum provides multiple service lines to ensure that organisations comply with various standards. These include:

- FedRAMP – Leading cloud service providers through the Federal Risk and Authorisation Management Program to better serve U.S. government customers.

- CMMC and DoD Compliance – Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification support for defence contractors.

- FISMA and HIPAA - Help organisations address the federal security mandates and protect the healthcare data.

- SOC, ISO, PCI, GovRAMP – Supporting financial, international, and government compliance programs.

- Technical Tests/Cyber Foundations – Providing testing, testing and foundational guidance to ensure systems are secure and audit-ready.

Fortreum also emerged with a method called XRAMP that speeds compliance by enabling organisations to reuse audits across different standards. This avoids duplication, saves time, and cuts costs.

People-First Culture

Why Fortreum is different. It's not just what Fortreum does, it's how they do it. The organisation is built around a strong culture, which has four dominant fundamentals:

- Autonomy: Team members are trusted to make decisions and contribute their innovations.

- Responsibility – We all have a say and take responsibility for those things we commit to follow through with.

- Quality — Doing Quality work is the key to every client relationship.

- Client-Centric Approach – From start to finish, it's all about what's best for the customer.

It has made Fortreum a fast-growing club and an enriching workplace. Employees say it's a place where creativity and innovation are encouraged and people matter.

Recognition and Growth

In no time, Fortreum has become known as one of the fastest-expanding organisations. Its blend of technical skill, client service, and new generation of innovative compliance solutions has driven astonishing growth.

The firm has also gained some significant accreditations, such as Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) status for PCI compliance. This allows Fortreum to provide organisations with a complete PCI assessment, which will aid them in protecting financial information and staying compliant with industry standards for payment cards.

The speed to market and name awareness they have achieved prove that Fortreum's formula is winning over clients seeking expertise and ease in cybersecurity and compliance navigation.

Why Clients Choose Fortreum

There are a few reasons why organisations are coming to Fortreum:

- Built by Compliance Leaders – With founders at the table of creating some of the most pervasive compliance standards, clients believe in their perspective.

- Straightforward Approach – Fortreum simplifies challenging demands into straightforward actions.

- Full-Service – They have almost all (mind the "almost") compliance standards under a single roof.

- Client Partnership – Fortreum is part of the client's team and is committed to its long-term success.

- Results That Work – Fortreum has assisted individuals from agencies to private enterprises in achieving successful authorisations and certifications.

Looking Ahead

With information security threats and legal requirements increasingly complex, the requirement for expert guidance will continue to increase. Fortreum is future-ready with the right mix of technical ability and vision. And the company is not only assisting clients with the current demand but also positioning them for challenges yet to come.

James Leach and Michael Carter remain at C-Level, steering and pushing Fortreum forward regarding cybersecurity and compliance. Their mission has not changed: to unravel the complicated, help organisations become stronger, and restore confidence in a volatile digital world.

Wrapping up

But Fortreum isn't your average cybersecurity consultant firm. That trust in mistral is invaluable as it enables more businesses to make compliance a strength, not a struggle. Under the guidance of co-founders James Leach and Michael Carter, the company has earned its reputation for clarity, trust and innovation in what can be a very foggy space.

Their story is about what happens when expertise meets purpose: a company that grows fast and changes lives in meaningful ways for its clients. For companies that need help on the regulatory front, Fortreum provides not just an answer, but also a sense of security.