Knox Systems has announced a key leadership appointment as it looks to scale its cybersecurity capabilities and accelerate secure cloud adoption across federal environments.
Hemant will lead the company’s cybersecurity strategy, focusing on securing its AI-driven cloud platform and advancing automated compliance frameworks.
Baidwan brings extensive experience from his previous role as Chief Information Security Officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he strengthened cybersecurity across large-scale federal systems. He also served as an inaugural member of the FedRAMP Board and Vice Chair of the federal CISO Council.
In his new role, Baidwan will guide Knox’s cybersecurity program and support customers through their FedRAMP journey. The company’s model enables authorization within 90 days at up to 90% lower cost, helping accelerate secure cloud adoption.
“Drawing on my experience leading federal cybersecurity and FedRAMP initiatives at DHS, I’m excited to join Knox Systems and help customers deliver secure, innovative cloud solutions to government and defense agencies,” said Hemant Baidwan. “Knox is uniquely positioned to transform how organizations achieve FedRAMP by dramatically accelerating the authorization process while maintaining the highest standards of security.”
During his tenure at DHS, Baidwan led several key initiatives, including advancing Zero Trust implementation, launching the Hack DHS vulnerability disclosure program, and developing a Unified Cybersecurity Maturity Model to improve enterprise risk visibility. He also worked on AI cybersecurity policy and cyber supply chain security, earning multiple industry and federal awards.
Knox CEO Irina Denisenko said, “Hemant Baidwan is one of the most trusted and highly regarded cybersecurity officials to have ever served in government. He will drive technical excellence at Knox Systems and ensure customers deliver secure, FedRAMP-compliant solutions.”
The appointment also highlights Knox’s strong federal advisory network, which includes former government leaders such as Carrie Lee, David Epperson, Chad Tetreault, John Zangardi, and Drew Myklegard.
Traditional FedRAMP processes typically cost $2M–$5M upfront, with annual costs exceeding $1M. Knox’s pre-authorised environment reduces first-year costs by 90%, making federal market entry more accessible for enterprise SaaS companies.
The U.S. government spends $100B annually on software, yet fewer than 500 SaaS applications are approved for use out of over 30,000 available commercially.
Knox operates one of the largest multi-cloud federal environments across Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, offering flexible deployment through a bring-your-own-architecture model. The company currently holds Authorizations to Operate across 15 federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, and the Food and Drug Administration.
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