CDA
CDA is a private, founder-owned cybersecurity professional services firm founded in 2002, serving U.S. Government (notably the Department of Defense) and critical infrastructure clients with risk assessment, security engineering, testing, and applied R&D services built around the NSA-co-developed MIRROR methodology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersClarksville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CDA does
Cyber Defense Agency, Inc. (CDA) is a private, founder-owned cybersecurity professional services firm headquartered in Hartland, Vermont, founded in 2002 by O. Sami Saydjari, a former DARPA Information Assurance Program Manager and 20-year NSA leader. The firm provides consulting, systems engineering, risk assessment, security testing, and applied research and development services to U.S. Government clients — most prominently the U.S. Department of Defense — and to commercial organizations operating critical infrastructure. Its core technical asset is the MIRROR (Mission, Impact Risk Reduction with Objective Rationale) risk assessment methodology, jointly developed with the National Security Agency and applied to large, diverse defense systems, which CDA intends to extend into additional critical infrastructure sectors.
CDA's delivery model is direct, consultation-based professional services delivered by approximately twenty senior cybersecurity practitioners averaging over 30 years of experience, supported by the founder's 40+ years of information assurance leadership and his authorship of more than a dozen landmark technical papers. Revenue is generated on a project basis through custom-priced engagements; no standardized pricing, product licenses, or subscription streams are disclosed, and the firm maintains no visible content marketing, social media, or intermediary distribution channels. Customers reach CDA primarily through direct outreach, reflecting a reputation-driven, relationship-based go-to-market motion.
The firm operates exclusively within the United States, is privately held with no external institutional investors, and has no disclosed subsidiaries, acquisitions, funding rounds, or patents. The business is structured around a small team of high-cost, senior practitioners serving a narrow set of large government and critical infrastructure clients, with the planned extension of MIRROR into commercial sectors representing the principal forward-looking growth vector, though commercial traction has not been disclosed.
CDA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CDA
- Legal name
- Cyber Defense Agency, Inc.
- Website
- https://cyberdefenseagency.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CDA is a private, founder-owned cybersecurity professional services firm founded in 2002, serving U.S. Government (notably the Department of Defense) and critical infrastructure clients with risk assessment, security engineering, testing, and applied R&D services built around the NSA-co-developed MIRROR methodology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CDA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clarksville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CDA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Cybersecurity Services: Consulting services including cyber strategy, security architecture and engineering, strategic risk assessment, and applied research and development. Revenue generated through professional service engagements with government and commercial clients on a project basis.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
CDA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CDA provides professional cybersecurity consulting services to U.S. Government and commercial critical-infrastructure clients, including cyber strategy, security architecture and engineering, strategic risk assessment, security testing, and applied research and development. Its differentiator is the MIRROR risk assessment methodology, jointly developed with the National Security Agency, which quantifies cyber risk in terms of business mission impact and has been applied to large Department of Defense systems.
Product overview
CDA (Cyber Defense Agency) is a professional services firm offering a unified portfolio of cybersecurity consulting and research services. The core offerings include Cyber Strategy, Security Architecture and Engineering, Risk Assessment (featuring the MIRROR methodology developed with NSA), Security Testing, Strategic Risk Assessment, and Applied Research and Development. These services are delivered by cybersecurity practitioners averaging over 30 years of experience, providing defense against sophisticated cyber-attacks to U.S. Government and industry clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Risk Assessment (MIRROR methodology) Mission-effective security assessments that quantify cybersecurity risk in terms of business mission impact, using the MIRROR (Mission, Impact Risk Reduction with Objective Rationale) process developed jointly with the National Security Agency, and supporting compliance with industry regulations and standards.
- Security Testing Design, development, and implementation of testing architectures and plans for advanced information assurance and information operations system research and development technologies in experimental testbeds modeling actual operational systems.
- Cyber Strategy Strategic consulting services for developing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies aligned with organizational objectives, delivered to U.S. Government and Industry clients.
- Security Architecture and Engineering Designing and engineering security architectures and policies for enterprise systems to protect organizational mission while maintaining operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Applied Research and Development Next-generation security research and development services addressing sophisticated cyber-attacks against technologically intense organizations, conducted by practitioners who helped shape the cybersecurity field during its infancy.
Companies that use CDA
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CDA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
CDA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- National Security Agency (NSA)coreJoint development of MIRROR (Mission, Impact Risk Reduction with Objective Rationale) process - a significant risk assessment methodology for addressing complex cybersecurity problems, successfully applied to U.S. Department of Defense systems. CDA plans to extend MIRROR to other sectors including critical infrastructure providers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
CDA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CDA social profiles
Digital presenceCDA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CDA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CDA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CDA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CDA
What does CDA do?
CDA provides professional cybersecurity consulting services to U.S. Government and commercial critical-infrastructure clients, including cyber strategy, security architecture and engineering, strategic risk assessment, security testing, and applied research and development. Its differentiator is the MIRROR risk assessment methodology, jointly developed with the National Security Agency, which quantifies cyber risk in terms of business mission impact and has been applied to large Department of Defense systems.
Is CDA a public or private company?
CDA is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CDA founded?
CDA was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CDA based?
CDA is headquartered in Clarksville, United States, in the North America region.
How does CDA make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Cybersecurity Services.
Does CDA have an API?
No public API is recorded for CDA.