GRDS // AI
Applied AI that improves real work.
We design and build useful AI systems around your workflows, data, tools, and definition of success.
Explore AI capabilitiesAI IMPLEMENTATIONSECURITY & SECOPS
Production AI and security engineering.
Measured, secure, and built for your team to own.
GRDS helps startups and SMBs turn a defined problem into a working system. Engage one practice or bring both to work that crosses the boundary between building and defending.
Start a fit conversationFree 30-minute call. No obligation.
// 00 Practices
AI implementation and defensive security, each with a clear scope.
GRDS // SEC
Defensive engineering for real exposure.
We improve how your team detects, investigates, responds, and secures the systems your business relies on.
Explore security capabilities// 01 Capabilities
Clear scopes, built around the outcome.
GRDS // AI
Applied systems built with established models. The work stays at the application layer and includes the engineering required to run it well.
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Workflow discovery
Find a high-value use case, test feasibility, inspect the available data, and define measurable success.
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AI applications and automation
Build retrieval, tool integration, structured decisions, and human approval into practical business workflows.
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Evaluation and production operations
Measure quality, latency, cost, and failure modes. Ship tests, monitoring, documentation, and a clear handoff.
GRDS // SEC
Defensive security engineering for existing teams and companies establishing their first dedicated security capabilities.
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Detection engineering and automation
Improve telemetry, create detections aligned to your threat profile, and automate investigation context and response runbooks.
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Incident response and security engineering
Strengthen response, cloud and identity controls, vulnerability programs, device security, network monitoring, and secure development practices.
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AI and LLM security
Threat-model AI features, test guardrails, constrain data and tool access, monitor abuse, and prepare for AI-related incidents.
// 02 Combined Engagements
Build the system and secure it as one engagement.
For sensitive AI systems, GRDS can combine application delivery with threat modeling, access controls, audit logging, adversarial evaluation, and incident readiness. Each practice is also available independently.
// 03 How We Work
A defined process for scoped, milestone-based delivery.
ASSESSMENT & ROADMAP
A practical first milestone.
A typical assessment takes 1 to 2 weeks and can cover AI, Security, or both. It identifies the highest-value work, the constraints, the risks, and a sensible implementation sequence.
- Entry
- Free 30-minute fit conversation
- Commercial model
- Fixed scope and fixed price, quoted before commitment
- Outputs
- One-page scope, technical roadmap, risk register, success measures, and milestone proposal
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01
Discover
Understand the problem, people, systems, data, and current baseline.
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02
Design
Define the architecture, controls, tests, costs, and measurable targets.
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03
Deliver
Build in scoped milestones with working checkpoints and clear ownership.
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04
Measure & handoff
Validate the result and transfer the code, runbooks, documentation, and operating knowledge.
// 04 About
GROUNDED, RELIABLE, DEFENSIBLE SYSTEMS.
Jared Rathbun
Founder and Principal Engineer
Jared brings 15+ years of hands-on experience across software and security engineering. GRDS is based in Colorado and works effectively with remote teams.
- Detection Engineering
- Helped research, select, and implement a production security information and event management platform. Designs and maintains detections aligned to the organization’s threat profile.
- Incident Response
- Owns the response lifecycle, including coordination, investigation, containment, follow-up, and new controls or detections based on what the incident revealed.
- AI Systems
- Built an expert-analyst system that gathers alert context, produces structured recommendations, and supports deeper investigation. Also built tools that automate rule tuning and improve log-source configuration.
- Software Engineering
- Built complex security automation with Python, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, and Alembic, supported by continuous integration and delivery tooling that enforces code quality and linting.
- Security Engineering
- Experience across cloud security posture, identity and access, role hardening, vulnerability and bug bounty programs, device security, network monitoring, and secure development tooling.
// 05 FAQ
Useful answers before we talk.
Can we hire only one practice?
Yes. AI and Security are independent practices. A combined engagement makes sense when the work requires both application delivery and defensive engineering.
What does our team need before we start?
You need a defined problem and people who understand the current workflow. You do not need a dedicated AI team, data-science group, or security operations center.
Can you work with our existing tools?
Yes. GRDS is vendor-neutral and starts with your current stack, constraints, and budget. Recommendations are based on fit and operating cost.
What happens after the fit conversation?
If the work fits, GRDS proposes a short Assessment & Roadmap. You receive the scope, schedule, deliverables, and fixed price before deciding whether to proceed.
How do you fit into our security team?
GRDS can extend an established team or help a company create its first dedicated security capabilities. The engagement is shaped around the people already responsible for the systems.
Do you provide 24-hour SOC monitoring?
No. GRDS delivers scoped detection, automation, incident response, and security engineering work. Limited improvement retainers and incident-response retainers are available. Continuous monitoring and daily alert triage are outside the service.
// 06 Contact
Tell us what you are building or defending.
Start with a free 30-minute conversation. We will ask about the problem, your current systems, and what a useful result looks like.
Start a fit conversation