Application Security Gets Better With Pierre Betouin’s Sqreen
Cybercrime is a big threat to any online company and individual as well. The possibility of leaking information, tampering with personal details, and fraud has increased over the years. In this scenario, it is hard for common people to believe which companies or web applications can provide proper security. Because it is not a good idea to take risks when it comes to very sensitive and vulnerable issues. Similarly, it is also the responsibility of a company to provide proper safety. The security systems should be updated regularly and it should be able to provide real-time defenses. An outdated security system is as good as not having one at all. So, Pierre Betouin launched Sqreen, a security platform in 2015. The platform can be installed for any web applications and it will detect anomalies and provide an automatic response. So, a company can just buy this software instead of going through the chaos of managing its own. It can save a lot of time as well along with better experience for both parties. Sqreen is based on the San Francisco Bay Area.
About Pierre Betouin
Pierre graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2006. While he was in college, he founded Challenge-SecuriTech (a security contest) and was also a Security Researcher at EADS. In 2006, he joined SAGEM Defense and Security and left the company in the same year.
In November 2006, Pierre joined Apple as a Software Security Engineer. After two years, he became Security Engineering Manager and left the company in 2015. Currently, he is the CEO of Sqreen.
How did it start?
Pierre has more than eight years of working experience at Apple. He was part of a team working for responsible for offensive security assessment and predicting external attacks. While he was managing the team, half of the work took place in Europe and the other half in the United States. So, his time at Apple allowed him to get exposed to two different kinds of work environments.
When he decided to open his security platform, Sqreen, he had a better picture. Pierre noticed that it is easy to hire engineers in Europe. Because people are very committed to working for a company as big as Apple. But, in the U.S. the competition was very tough due to Facebook and Google. So, Pierre decided to focus on engineering and create a great product before devoting time to marketing.
Expansion and Growth
When Pierre started the company, it was located in Paris. And, the entire team worked in one office. It was just the beginning and Pierre wanted to be more specific about proper communication. In 2016, the company raised $2.3 million in the seed round. The company invested it in making secure products to fight against illegal coding practices. In 2019, Sqreen raised $14 million in Series A funding led by Greylock Partners, along with participation from Y Combinator, Alven Capital, and Point Nine. Participating in the Y Combinator was one step forward for the company to launch more realistic products.
Currently, Sqreen provides an Application Security Management Platform to the companies. Some of the companies that use the product of Sqreen are ZipRecruiter, Le Monde, BlaBlaCar, etc. Apart from the in-house employees of the company, Sqreen also shows interest in hiring freelancers. And, Pierre also said that hiring freelancers doesn’t mean treating them differently. They are equally part of the company and get the same information as everyone.
The U.S. is the main market
From opening an office in Paris, it gradually expanded to the U.S. to get feedback. And, according to Pierre, the U.S. in the main focus now. He thinks that the engineers, the customers, and the marketplace is very energetic in America. So, it is easier to get feedback on any new product very easily and quickly. An energetic team is very important in making a great company.
Implementation of Machine Learning
It is important to bring the applications of machine learning in cybersecurity due to the volatile cyber-threats. It not only helps Sqreen to prevent potential cybercrime but also analyzes emerging technologies, enhances the capability of data analytics, and estimates the degree of potential failure. ML also includes the concept of AI and deep learning that was slowly introduced in the platform of Sqreen.
Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more