GRC Viewpoint

CROWDSTRIKE: A Leading Name in the Cyber Security Realm

GEORGE KURTZ

Co-Founder & CEO

CROWDSTRIKE

A prestigious American lawyer, Jeh Johnson has once quoted, “Cyber security is a shared responsibility, and it boils down to this: In cyber security, the more systems we secure, the more secure we all are.” In the present era, where everything around us is either in digital form or occurring via online means, cyber security becomes a need of the hour. Although, there are several organizations ready to tackle the issue of cyber security our team put its efforts to bring the best among them to the table for our readers.

This search of us landed us on the page of CrowdStrike-one of the leading platforms operating in the business realm by offering next-level cyber solutions. Their unmatched portfolio inspired us a lot and made us feature them in our upcoming edition-‘Top Cyber security providers in 2020.’ Our team had an interesting and exciting meeting session with the leadership panel of the company where they shared numerous unknown facts about their business ventures along with their successful journey so far.

The leaders also convey some valuable nuggets for the upcoming business enthusiasts out there. We sincerely hope and desire that this fascinating read will not only add an extra value to our readers’ life but will also inspire them to chase their dreams.

Conceptualized in the year 2011 by some extraordinary heads-George Kurtz, Dmitri Alperovitch, Gregg Marston, CrowdStrike is helping the world with extraordinary cyber solutions. Having its headquarter in the USA, the company is operating all over the world and setting new standards for the cyber security realm. The integrity and dedication of the team of CrowdStrike always leave its clientele astonished and inspired at the same time.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • GERHARD WATZINGER

He joined the role of the chairman of the board of CrowdStrike in April 2012. Before CrowdStrike, Watzinger served as the chief strategy officer and executive vice president at McAfee, where he was responsible for guiding McAfee’s global business strategy and development.

Watzinger has helped accelerate the international expansion of McAfee and has directed the company through numerous successful mergers and acquisitions, which have resulted in record revenue growth and increased market share. He was also the architect of McAfee’s acquisition by Intel, a $7.7B transaction that was one of the largest deals in the security industry. Watzinger has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany.

  • GEORGE KURTZ

He is the CEO and co-founder of CrowdStrike and a leading provider of next-generation strategies. Kurtz is an internationally recognized security expert, author, entrepreneur, and speaker. He has more than 29 years of experience in the security space, including extensive experience driving revenue growth and scaling organizations across the globe. His entrepreneurial background and ability to commercialize nascent technologies have enabled him to drive innovation to market throughout his career. He has authored the best-selling security book of all time, Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets & Solutions.

  • ROXANNE AUSTIN

She is President and CEO of Austin Investment Advisors, a private investment and consulting firm, and chairs the US Mid-market Investment Advisory Committee of EQT Partners. Ms. Austin serves on the Board of Directors of Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Freshworks, and Verizon Communications and formerly, the Board of Target Corporation, Teledyne Technologies, and Ericsson.

She was named 2018 Director of The Year – Corporate Leadership and Service by the Forum for Corporate Directors and one of the most influential directors in the boardroom by the National Association of Corporate Directors. She is co-chair of the annual corporate governance conference at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She is a frequent speaker on matters of corporate governance and crisis management.

Previously, Ms. Austin was the President and CEO of Move Networks, an IP-based television delivery service. She has also served as the President and COO of DIRECTV, the world’s leading provider of digital television entertainment services. Before joining DIRECTV, Ms. Austin was the Executive Vice President and CFO of Hughes Electronics Corporation (then the parent of DIRECTV). She was a partner of Deloitte and Touche before joining Hughes and served as a firm designated specialist in mergers and acquisitions and aerospace and defense.

  • CARY DAVIS

He is the MD of the Warburg Pincus, who joined Warburg Pincus in 1994 and is responsible for Technology investments in the Software and Financial Technology sectors. Before joining Warburg Pincus, Mr. Davis was an Executive Assistant to Michael Dell at Dell Computer and a Consultant at McKinsey & Company. He is a Director of BitSight, Clearwater, CrowdStrike, Cyren, eSentire, Infoblox, Privitar, Reorg Research, and Varo Bank.

Mr. Davis is Chairman of the American Academy in Rome, a Director of the Andy Warhol Foundation, and has been an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, Chairman of the Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, and Chairman of the Boys Prep Charter School. Mr. Davis received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

A RESPONSIBLE PLATFORM

  • THE VALUES

CrowdStrike’s culture is built on the principles of autonomy, flexibility, and trust, fostering a diverse, inclusive and supportive work environment that enables its people to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

  • THE MISSION

The company has the mission to stop breaches and its purpose is a promise to provide safety and security to some of the world’s largest, most influential companies and, by extension, the billions of people around the world who use their services.

  • THE VISION

The world is the office for CrowdStrike. As a purpose-built remote-first company, the team believes cultivating a connected culture for every employee, no matter where they are in the world, is a key ingredient in building a high-performing, diverse company.

  • THE FUTURE

Innovation is at the heart of the organization. They draw on the collective experience and deep cultural diversity of the workforce to refine the business model-and upend it completely, if need be.

EDGE IN THE MARKET

  • Realism

Leveraging recent incident response (IR) cases and CrowdStrike Intelligence reporting, each scenario is tailored to your organization based on the threats you’re most likely to face.

  • Accuracy

“That can’t happen here” are the worst words to hear during a Tabletop Exercise. The Services team makes sure to understand your controls and processes so that the scenario is accurate as well as realistic.

  • Experience

The Services team comprises seasoned experts, many with over a decade of experience conducting IR investigations. The team brings unmatched, real-world expertise to every Tabletop Exercise.

THE COMMITMENT

CrowdStrike is an organization with strong values of responsibility and integrity. Their Code of Conduct contains general guidelines for conducting business with the highest standards of ethics. CrowdStrike is committed to an environment where open, honest communications are the expectation, not the exception. The team wants their clients to feel comfortable in approaching the supervisor or management in instances where they believe violations of policies or standards have occurred.

In situations where you prefer to place an anonymous report in confidence, you are encouraged to use this hotline, hosted by a third-party hotline provider, EthicsPoint. You are encouraged to submit reports relating to violations stated in their Code of Conduct, as well as ask for guidance related to policies and procedures, and provide positive suggestions and stories.

The information you provide will be sent to the team of CrowdStrike by EthicsPoint on a confidential and anonymous basis if you should choose. You have the guarantee by the authority that your comments will be heard.