BreachQuest emerges from stealth with $4.4M to ...

BreachQuest, an early-stage startup with a founding team of cybersecurity experts building a modern incident response platform, ... BreachQuest,anearly-stagestartupwithafoundingteamofcybersecurityexpertsbuildingamodernincidentresponseplatform,hasemergedfromstealthwith$4.4millioninseedfunding. TheinvestmentwasraisedfromSlowVentures,LookoutfounderKevinMahaffeyandTinderco-foundersSeanRadandJustinMateen,whodescribedBreachQuestashavinga“disruptivevisionandaworld-classteam.” Thelatteriscertainlytrue.BreachQuestismadeupofformerU.S.CyberCommand,NationalSecurityAgencyandDepartmentofDefenseemployees,whichitseesasitsbiggestcompetitiveadvantage.ThesecondisitsPrioriplatform,whichtheTexas-basedcompanybelieveswillre-engineertheincidentresponseprocessandmoveincidentpreparednessintothefuture. Currently,ittakesmostorganizationsthereabouts280daystodetectabreach,thestartupsays,andtheslowrecoveryprocessthattypicallyfollowsmeansthislargelymanualprocesscoststheaverageU.S.businessjustshyof$4million.Thestartup’sPrioriplatformusesaimstoimproveonwhattheteamseesas“unacceptableindustrystandards,”enablingorganizationstodetectintrusionsandcompromisesfarfaster.Thatallowscompaniestonear-instantlyrespondandcontainthecompromise,thestartupsays. BreachQuest’sco-founderandCTOisJakeWilliams,aformerNSAhackerandfounderofRenditionInfosec,anAugusta,Georgia-basedcybersecuritycompanythatwasacquiredbyBreachQuest.WilliamstoldTechCrunchthatwhilemostotherincidentresponsefirmsarefocusedonpreventingincidents,BreachQuestisfocusingonpreparingfortheinevitable. “It’sarealitythatdeterminedadversarieswillgetintoyournetworkregardlessofwhattoolsyouputinplacetokeepthemout,”hesays.“That’snot[fear,uncertaintyanddoubt],it’sjustarealitythatifyou’retargetedyou’regoingtobecompromised.That’swhatourmissionisallabout:preparationtofacilitateresponse.” BreachQuest,whichwillalsoassessthecybersecurityrisksposedtoanorganizationbypotentialmergersandacquisitions,believesithaslittlecompetitioninthemarketrightnowbecauseincidentpreparationisatoughmarket. “WecontinuouslyseestatisticsabouthowITmanagersthinktheirsecuritycontrolswillpreventthemfrombeingbreached,sosellingincidentresponsepreparationtoolsandservicestothoseorganizationsisahardsell,”Williamssaid.“Butgiventhelandscapeofransomwareandothercybersecuritythreatsbeingregularfront-pagenews,wethinkthemarketisready.” BreachQuestwilluseits$4.4millionseedinvestmenttoacceleratetherolloutanddevelopmentofitsPrioriplatform,withfutureplanstospeedupitsforensicevidencecollectionprocessesandimproveresponsecoordinationacrossitsdisparateteammembers. “Incidentresponseischaoticandit’shardforpeoplewhoinfrequentlyworkinthesesituationstoaddressalltheissuesidentifiedthroughouttheinvestigation,”Williamssaid.“Fundamentally,theproblemisacombinationofthedifficultiesgettingtherightevidenceinatimelymannerandunderstandingthestatusoftheresponse.” Readmore: Passwordstatecustomerscomplainofsilenceandsecrecyaftercyberattack FireEyetosellproductsunittoSymphony-ledgroupfor$1.2B Whyincidentresponseplansfail