Origin Story; the AI Shift

In 2024, We launched StrongestLayer with the mission to revolutionize how organizations secure their inboxes against AI-generated phishing threats. We identified three major challenges facing security teams:

  1. Reactive Email Security: The rise of AI tools has enabled the creation of novel and unique threats at scale, allowing anyone to become "Patient Zero." This diminishes the effectiveness of traditional email security.
  2. Overburdened SOC Teams: Security Operations Center (SOC) teams are increasingly overwhelmed by the volume of AI-generated phishing emails reported by employees, which hampers their ability to respond effectively.
  3. Compliance-Driven User Training: While security awareness training has existed for a long time, it has typically been focused on compliance rather than building true resilience against evolving threats. This issue is only growing with the increased complexity of AI-driven threats.

Today, StrongestLayer has grown to a team of over 20 dedicated security experts across Threat Intelligence, Engineering and Architecture. Our innovative solution not only detects novel, AI-generated threats but also enhances user security awareness, seamlessly integrating SOC analyst capabilities into daily workflows. By providing real-time protection against AI-generated threats at scale, StrongestLayer addresses critical security gaps while easing the burden on SOC teams.

At StrongestLayer, we are committed to transforming email security in the age of AI, ensuring that organizations have the toolset to combat this generational shift.

Founder 1

Riz

Co-founder & CEO

Co-Founder and CEO of StrongestLayer, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 18 years of experience in cybersecurity, Riz has held leadership roles at Trellix and FireEye, where he developed the MVX detection engine for zero-day threats, the core of all FireEye products. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences and has a couple of patents in malware analysis.

Founder 2

Joshua Bass

Co-founder & CPO

Co-Founder of StrongestLayer, based in the Washington, DC area. With over 14 years of experience in cybersecurity, Joshua specializes in cyber threat intelligence, digital risk, and email security. He has held cybersecurity leadership roles at Google and Mandiant and has built security products for leading companies and government entities, including Bank of America, the US Department of Defense, and CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). Joshua holds degrees from Queen's University Belfast and the University of Alberta.

Founder 1

Riz

Co-founder & CEO

Co-Founder and CEO of StrongestLayer, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 18 years of experience in cybersecurity, Riz has held leadership roles at Trellix and FireEye, where he developed the MVX detection engine for zero-day threats, the core of all FireEye products. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences and has a couple of patents in malware analysis.

Founder 2

Joshua Bass

Co-founder & CPO

Co-Founder of StrongestLayer, based in the Washington, DC area. With over 14 years of experience in cybersecurity, Joshua specializes in cyber threat intelligence, digital risk, and email security. He has held cybersecurity leadership roles at Google and Mandiant and has built security products for leading companies and government entities, including Bank of America, the US Department of Defense, and CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). Joshua holds degrees from Queen's University Belfast and the University of Alberta.