CTM360 appoints Cybersecurity Guru Ian Cook as part of its Global Advisory Board

Bahrain-based cybersecurity company, CTM360®, has appointed cybersecurity veteran and leading industry guru Ian Cook to its global advisory board.

An acknowledged innovator in the field of cybersecurity, Ian has, for example, pioneered the application of Government Intelligence procedures in the corporate sector to predict future security risks, thus enabling security managers to focus their security resources more effectively. In 2004, he spent a one-year sabbatical at Cogenta developing Intelligent Open Source Monitoring Tools aimed at Government Agencies and Corporate Security Teams.

As well as being a highly active and long-standing member of the ‘Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), mentoring several UK cyber accelerator programs and providing cybersecurity services to early-stage startups, Ian is also the founder and CEO of Corbels Security Services, where he is focused on monitoring and mentoring Company Information Security Officers (CISOs) in large organisations and providing small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services.

He draws on almost three decades of experience in advising major global corporations on strategic security and has held senior technical and management positions at Saudi American Bank, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Barclays.  Most recently at Team Cymru, he was awarded the honoured title of ‘Team Cymru Emeritus’ as a mark of distinguished service.

According to Rabbi Rob Thomas the chairman and CEO of Team Cymru: “Ian is a seasoned professional who offers sage strategic guidance. His greatest gift is his prescience; he sees further down the road than anyone else, and thus his guidance is invaluable.” By constantly driving innovation and best practice in cybersecurity, Ian has not only established a growing international reputation as a leading innovator and global thought leader for the industry but also as a guide and mentor for young companies looking to expand within the rapidly evolving cybersecurity sector.

According to Steve Katz, who became the world’s first CISO in 1994, when banking giant Citigroup (then Citi Corp. Inc.) suffered a series of cyber-attacks from a Russian hacker: “While working with me at Citi Corp, Ian, who is one of the brightest minds I know, and a consummate information security professional, was the first to create a Threat Intelligence Unit using Government intelligence procedures, thereby hugely enhancing the organisation’s security.”

Former FBI special agent and diplomat Edward P Gibson stated: “I have known Ian for nearly two decades, both in my capacity as an FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Assistant Legal Attaché at the American Embassy in London and then as the Chief Cyber Security Advisor for Microsoft Ltd U.K. I have been extremely impressed by Ian’s knowledge of technology, forensics, and investigations; and, his compassion for victims. He is not done until the job is done.”

Douglas Orr, the CEO and Founder of Novastone, which provides white label messaging solutions for the financial services, legal and healthcare sectors, says: “I have relied on Ian as a security guide and mentor in launching startups over the past 15 years. His experience and network allowed us to create innovative cybersecurity solutions which exceeded client expectations. Ian’s lateral thinking brings ideas and raises questions that would make him an invaluable contributor to any startup. I can highly recommend Ian to those planning on or going through the startup journey.”

According to Greg Sim, the founding director and CEO of
international cybersecurity company Glasswall Solutions, which now has offices in the United Kingdom and across the United States: “Ian recognised Glasswall’s potential early on and, as the company grew, acted as its advisor. We now have world-class security polices and have elevated our development and product teams to the same level, increasing company and shareholder value. I cannot think of anyone else who could have achieved the same for a small tech company.”

Mirza Asrar Baig, CEO & Founder of CTM360®, says: “Ian is a
fantastic addition to our family. I have known him for some time and his input has always taken us to the next level. Getting him on board will help us articulate not only CTM360® ‘s strengths, but also benefit our EDX Labs companies, i.e. DMARC360 & PENTEST360. Ian continues to add value by keeping the team abreast of key
developments in the cybersecurity space.”

About CTM360®
CTM360® is a subscription service powered by EDX Labs, offering 24 x 7 x 365 Cyber Threat Management for detecting and responding to threats. Headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain, CTM360® specialises in offensive defense – a mentality that looks to neutralise and eliminate threats in infancy – to identify and manage cyber blind spots outside your network (surface, deep & dark web). Offered as a service and with an ecosystem built in the cloud, CTM360® remains a leading detection & response provider in cyberspace and for the digital domain.

Original source PRFire.com