Karen Bolton, CEO, Nettitude
As the frequency and sophistication of cyber threats continue to increase, cybersecurity is becoming a top priority for governments, organisations, and individuals alike.
Computing's Security Excellence Awards celebrate the achievements of the IT industry's leading security companies, solutions, products and personalities - the ones who are keeping every other part of the industry operating.
This year's winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony on Thursday, 27th April in London.
One of those finalists is Nettitude, which has reached the shortlist for two categories: Security Vendor of the Year - Large Organisations and Security Rising Star Award.
We caught up with Karen Bolton, CEO, Nettitude to ask her more about the company's priorities for the next 12 months.
Karen Bolton was appointed CEO of Nettitude in July 2020. She has worked within the IT industry her entire career. Having joined Nettitude in April 2017, she brought with her extensive experience in developing strategies, driving sales, managing clients and business operations, and developing talent.
Karen received her undergraduate degree at the University of Technology, Sydney, and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of NSW. Her passion centres around helping organisations understand the cyber risks they face, while overseeing the effective implementation of strategies to protect against ongoing cyber-threats, reducing risk impacts to organisations globally.
Computing: Please provide some background on your company for our readers.
Karen Bolton: Founded in 2003, Nettitude is an award-winning global provider of cybersecurity services, bringing innovative thought leadership to the ever-evolving cybersecurity marketplace. Utilising our research and innovation, we provide threat-led services that span technical assurance, consulting and managed detection and response offerings.
What makes you different from other technology companies?
What sets us apart from other technology companies is our threat-led approach, supporting our clients to effectively prioritise and action their cybersecurity risk. We know that effective cybersecurity is not just about technology - it is also about people and processes. We are currently one of only five companies worldwide with a full suite of CREST accreditations and we were the first organisation to be accredited by CREST for our Security Operations Centre (SOC). Our team of consultants has achieved the highest accreditations for Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, Incident Response, and Threat Intelligence.
We take a holistic approach and work closely with our clients to threat-inform their cybersecurity priorities and develop tailored solutions that address their specific needs. Our aim is to be the trusted cyber partner for all our clients.
What one company achievement in the last 12 months are you most proud of?
Over the past 12 months, we have achieved many important milestones. But since being acquired by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as part of LRQA, we have had the opportunity to invest in accelerated growth. The acquisition of CREST-accredited ATvanGarde has definitely been a highlight. It has provided us with the opportunity to bring onboard in-depth local market expertise and experience in South East Asia. This has given our clients access to a wider range of resources and expertise, which we are also leveraging to develop new solutions and services.
What are you working on this year?
Looking ahead, we are working on several exciting initiatives this year. One is the delivery of our Cyber Packages to the market. Through research, we have identified eight main common cybersecurity concerns organisations have, such as ransomware and supply chain security, and built solutions that address these directly.
We have listened to our clients and know they want to use the same provider for all cybersecurity engagements to ensure complete transparency, optimal identification of risks, and a single point of contact and coordination. These Cyber Packages each include a range of our services to tackle a specific problem with our expert solutions.
Why are events like the Security Excellence Awards important to the IT industry?
Events like the Security Excellence Awards are extremely important to the IT industry because they help to recognise and celebrate the achievements, not only of companies, but more importantly, those individuals leading the way in our industry. We are incredibly proud to have Matthew Saunders and Chloe Sharp our team nominated in the Security Rising Star this year.
Awards act as a benchmark of standards that organisations hold and give validation to the hard work that we put in every day. They rightly celebrate the individual talent and highlight the diversity that we currently have in our industry, and by shining a light on this talent, hopefully, encourage others to join the industry.
They also provide an opportunity for companies to share best practices and learn from one another, which is critical in a constantly evolving threat landscape. At Nettitude, we are proud to be part of an industry that is working hard to stay ahead of the latest threats and provide effective cybersecurity solutions. We believe that events like the Security Excellence Awards are an important part of this effort.
Security Excellence Awards will take place on 27th April in London. Click here to view the shortlist and here to book your table.
