Cyber security entrepreneurs launch new business
A new cyber security consultancy has been launched in Leeds by the founders of RandomStorm; which was bought out in a £10m deal in 2014.
Andrew Mason and Robin Hill founded cyber security firm RandomStorm in 2007 and were based in the Round Foundry Media Centre in Holbeck. The company re-located to Wetherby and were acquired by Accumuli PLC in a £10m deal in December 2014. Accumuli was then acquired by a competitor in the marketplace, NCC PLC.
As their non-compete clause expired in December 2017, Mason and Hill have now launched Pentest People; hiring Anthony Harvey as the sales director and Gavin Watson as the technical director. Both are ex-RandomStorm employees and have joined as shareholders in the business, which has based itself once again in the Round Foundry Media Centre.
Mason said: “There are five us in the team at the moment and we expect there to be significant growth in the market place. We know the cyber security industry well and can offer a penetration test that delivers what the customer needs and wants, taking away their pain points.”
The firm has developed a system which aims to remove the administrative burden felt by customers who are undertaking a penetration test and provides the results in a live vulnerability system through a secure portal to make the results easier to integrate with. There will also be an emphasis on mobile and app technology by the team; who say they are reacting to an ever changing cyber security landscape which they are equipped to help businesses navigate.
The company will also work with apprentices at Leeds Beckett University and run cyber security awareness courses for people and business in the region.
“There are exciting times ahead. There are a lot of synergies to what we were doing before but we are accessing different parts of the market place. We have experience of working with large and growing businesses. It is great to be back in the Round Foundry and part of the cyber security cluster,” added Mason.
Yesterday, Pentest People achieved CREST accreditation for penetration testing.
