Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Principal operating in the Cyber Security space. If you think a Principal is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Nic Jackson
Principal Developer Advocate of HashiCorp
Nic Jackson is a developer advocate and polyglot programmer working for HashiCorp, and the author of “Building Microservices in Go” a book which examines the best patterns and practices for building microservices with the Go programming language. In his spare time, Nic coaches and mentors at Coder Dojo, teaches at Women Who Go and GoBridge, speaks and evangelizes good coding practice, process, and technique
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About HashiCorp: HashiCorp is a remote-first company that solves development, security, and operations challenges in infrastructure.
Janet Williams
Director & Principal Advisor of CybSafe
Janet helps us keep the bigger picture on Cyber Security. in perspective. Janet, a former Chief Police Officer in the Metropolitan Police Service, held the National Law Enforcement Portfolio for Cyber-Crime 2008 – 2012. She developed the first police E-Crime Unit and was the Law Enforcement Lead engaged in writing the first UK Cyber Security Strategy in the Cabinet Office. She was the government Law-Enforcement Lead for Cyber-Crime for the 2012 Olympic Games taking her place at COBR. And in 2013, as a Non-Executive Director of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, she helped develop the organisation’s cyber security strategy. She is currently the National Security Adviser to the Security Committee of Qatar, where she advises on the development of Qatar’s cyber security capability and response. Janet works to enhance SME cyber security across the UK through her work as President of the Cross-sector Safety & Security (CSSC) charity. She is also a member of the Information Assurance Advisory Council (IAAC).
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About CybSafe: A behavioural security and data analytics platform helps people make better security decisions, and improve their security behaviour.
Afzal Ali
Principal Engineer & Expert – Synthetic Environments & Experimentation of Airbus Defence & Space
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About Airbus Defence & Space: Airbus Defence & Space develops and engineers products in the fields of defense and space.
Chris Hewertson
Principal | CIO | CTO | Board Advisory of Freeman Clarke
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About Freeman Clarke: Freeman Clarke creates, manages, and executes technological strategies and solutions to help one’s company grow.
Thomas Cannon
Principal Consultant of NCC Group
Thomas Cannon is the former Director of R&D at viaForensics LLC.
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About NCC Group: NCC Group exists to make the world safer and more secure.
Saher Naumaan
Principal Threat Intelligence Analyst of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence
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About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence: Information security consulting firm.
Balendra Elangco
Principal Consultant of PA Consulting Group
Balendra has been delivering enterprise security architecture and solutions for financial services, telecoms, media and packaged goods that include Financial Extranets and a large Payment Card transmission network. He has experience in designing, implementing and maintaining solutions (technical and governance) that meet compliance requirements such as PCI DSS and ISO 27001. He has also led managed security services teams for multinationals with global footprints. He is an exam developer for CISSP at ISC².
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About PA Consulting Group: PA Consulting Group provides management consulting, IT consulting, and technology and innovation services.
Rodrigo Marcos
Principal consultant of SECFORCE
Rodrigo caught the hacking bug when he was 14 years old, after he hacked into his dad’s computer. After discovering his passion for white-hat hacking he started his career in the offensive security industry, eventually founding SECFORCE where he is currently CEO. SECFORCE provides IT security and penetration testing services to some of the biggest brands and government organisations in the world. During his career, Rodrigo has seen an increasing demand in security services from iGaming companies, which seek to safeguard their IT assets against Internet-borne attacks. With a wide knowledge of the offensive security arena and with a vast experience in online services, Rodrigo has an unparalleled understanding of current and future cyber-threats affecting iGaming businesses. Having published a number of books, articles and tools in the topic of penetration testing and IT security, Rodrigo is a sought after speaker who has participated in conferences and seminars all around the world.
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About SECFORCE: SECFORCE are vendor independent penetration testing, security specialists providing effective business risk intelligence, security guidance.
David Everett
CEO and Principal Consultant of Microexpert
David Everett is a leading authority on the security design of electronic payment systems. With a cryptographic background and extensive knowledge of the tamper resistant properties of smart cards and HSMs (Hardware Security Modules) David is able to assist clients with a deeper understanding of electronic payment systems and digital currencies. His expertise also includes novel approaches to securing data in the cloud and IOT. David is the CEO of Microexpert which provides consultancy services in electronic payment and transaction systems. The company has been advising clients on digital security for over 30 years. David is the co-founder of Tibado, a central ledger electronic cash system and prior to that was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Mint to analyse the future of electronic payments which culminated in the design of MintChip, an electronic cash system for both the physical and virtual worlds. Previously he was engaged by NatWest bank to design a fiat based digital currency system using public key cryptography that became known as Mondex. This also led to the invention of Multos, a secure multi-application Smartcard OS with a PKI based control module. David also represented the UK banks on the original research work designed to improve card verification methods. This eventually led to the chip and pin system adopted internationally today. As a consultant to eftPOS UK David undertook the security design of a national debit card system which resulted in the first significant commercial use of public key cryptography. Previously he was contracted by CHAPS, the UKs Clearing House Automated Payment Scheme as co-designer of the security scheme. As a cryptography consultant, David is particularly able to help his clients with the business and technical architecture of modern electronic payment systems, authentication, IOT security and digital currencies. Apart from his numerous lectures David also undertakes training sessions on various aspects of electronic payments and transactions.
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About Microexpert: Microexpert are an independent data security consultancy and are leading experts in the application of cryptography.
