Principal Security Architect · Zero Trust · SSE/SASE · AI Governance

Douglas E. Farmer, Jr., CISSP

I turn ambiguity into architecture.

I design and scale identity-driven security architectures that help highly regulated organizations reduce risk, move faster, and build operating models that last. My work spans Zero Trust, SSE/SASE, AI control planes, enterprise transformation, and strategic risk.

Douglas E. Farmer, Jr.
80,000+Endpoints at enterprise scale
75%Reduction in platform incident escalations
$1.8M+Sustained annual OpEx reduction
~50%Application performance improvement
Professional Focus

Identity-driven architecture for complex, regulated environments

I operate as a senior technical authority across Zero Trust, SSE/SASE, identity modernization, strategic risk management, and AI control planes. I translate business and regulatory requirements into scalable systems that engineering teams can build on and executives can confidently support.

Zero Trust & identity-centric enforcement
SSE/SASE strategy & modernization
AI governance & agentic control planes
Strategic risk & business alignment
CASB, SaaS governance & shadow IT
Enterprise transformation leadership
AWS, Azure & GCP security architecture
FedRAMP, STIG & RMF-aligned design
U.S. Patent
US-12432181-B2

SASE control scheme & traffic steering

A patented approach to the split-brain proxy problem that preserves identity context and creates a location-agnostic, always-on enforcement model across hybrid environments.

Selected Impact

Transformation outcomes at enterprise scale

Division-level modernization across multiple lines of business, spanning proxy, CASB, DLP, endpoint, identity, telemetry, vendor strategy, and AI governance.

Unified eight security platforms into a single SSE control plane and established the long-term architectural standard.
Directed architecture alongside four Distinguished Engineers, aligning cross-platform decisions and resolving high-impact technical disputes.
Influenced OS-level enforcement through direct collaboration with engineering teams at Apple, Google, and Broadcom.
Guided multi-million-dollar platform investments and aligned commercial decisions with long-term architecture strategy.
Extended SSE into GenAI governance using identity-aware enforcement, guardrails, SaaS discovery, risk scoring, and real-time telemetry.
Reduced policy deployment from hours to minutes, enabling faster regulatory and security response without destabilizing the broader architecture.
Leadership Approach

How I lead and deliver

I align senior engineers and stakeholders around clear architectural direction, frame complex risk into actionable decisions, and make high-stakes calls when ambiguity is high. I value clarity, consistency, accountability, and showing up for the people I work with.

My job is not simply to produce architecture. It is to create enough clarity that teams can execute with confidence.

Selected Experience

Career journey

Senior Lead Platform Engineer

Capital One
2018 - Present

Architectural lead for division-level SASE, Zero Trust, identity-aware enforcement, and AI control-plane modernization.

Lead Platform Engineer

Capital One
2014 - 2018

Cloud migration, authentication design, platform modernization, developer experience, and 99.999% availability.

Senior Security Engineer

GDIT · Federal / DoD
2013 - 2014

Security architecture for Secret-level coalition networks and multinational defense operations.

About

Clear thinking, steady leadership, systems that last

I am at my best in environments that value technical depth, sound judgment, and thoughtful execution. I care about resilient systems that work in the real world, not just on architecture diagrams.

Outside of work, family keeps me grounded and gives me perspective. I bring the same mindset to teams that I value personally: be present, communicate clearly, keep your word, and do the work the right way.

Looking Ahead

Architecture, strategy, and measurable impact at scale

I am drawn to hard problems where identity, security, infrastructure, business risk, and AI are converging - and where clear architectural direction can materially change the outcome.