CxO of the Week: Derek Smith, CEO of Shape Security

Published on
13/12/2019 09:43 AM

Derek Smith is the CEO and Co-Founder of one of the world's leading cybersecurity ventures. The Shape brand, launched in 2011, is responsible for developing new and intuitive solutions for the protection of today's leading businesses. Smith is at the heart of the team, driving Shape Security's vision to a better-defended feature. His company creates technology that can protect IoT devices, mobile APIs, websites, and more from automated and intelligent attacks.  Over the years, Derek's work in the cybersecurity environment has supported businesses of all shapes and sizes. This includes airlines, significant banks, US government agencies, retailers, among others. What's more, Shape is backed by various elite investors, including Epic Ventures, Google Ventures, JetBlue Technology, Allegis Ventures, and HPE. 

A History in Security

Before helping to create a pioneering new cybersecurity competitor, Derek was already building a reputation for himself in the industry. Prior to his position as CEO and Co-Founder at Shape Security, Derek worked as the Senior Advisor of Cyber Policy for the United States Department of Defense. Here, he was addressing significant security threats every day and based within the Pentagon. Before his time with the Pentagon, Derek was the Vice President of cybersecurity at the Raytheon company, a business dedicated to global defence. Here, he managed the information assurance and cybersecurity products for the brand, as well as supporting R&D and implementation for various large customers.  Derek also earned some of his experience in the cybersecurity environment as the CEO and Co-Founder of Oakley Networks. This company has quite a heritage in the digital environment as the first organisation to develop a data leakage protection strategy and insider threat network technology. US Department of Defense deploys the technology created at Oakley. As well as this, it also appears in various companies within the Fortune 500. 

Moving from Strength to Strength

Derek Smith is a long-standing pioneer in the security and technology landscape. One of his very first experiences in employment was as founder and CEO of his own company, the Cambric Corporation. Between 1989 and 1996, this business was leading the way as a pioneer in the creation of 3D computer-aided engineering services. Eventually, the organisation was acquired by Tata Technologies. As a four-time founder and CEO, Smith has significant experience and insight to bring to his position at Shape Security. In his latest leadership position, he ensures that his company continues to thrive at the cutting edge of cybersecurity technology. 

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