Josh Ray is the founder and CEO of Blackwire Labs, bringing over 24 years of expertise in combating superior cyber threats throughout industrial, personal, public, and army sectors. As a U.S. Navy veteran and cybersecurity government, Ray has persistently constructed and led high-performing groups to guard crucial networks and organizations. His profession contains key roles at Accenture Safety, Verisign, Raytheon, and the Workplace of Naval Intelligence, the place he drove innovation and constructed capabilities to defend a few of the world’s largest organizations towards a myriad of superior cyber adversaries.
Josh’s mix of technical experience and enterprise acumen has been instrumental in driving development and innovation within the cybersecurity {industry}. As CEO of Blackwire Labs, Ray leads the corporate’s mission to construct trusted and skilled AI cybersecurity options, leveraging his intensive expertise to navigate the complicated intersection of know-how, safety, and enterprise.
Are you able to share what impressed you to begin Blackwire Labs? What particular challenges in cybersecurity have been you hoping to deal with with this enterprise?
The three of us – myself, Chris Clark CTO, and Andrew Maloney CCO – got here collectively as a result of we noticed organizations combating the identical problem: they want AI to execute towards enterprise targets and defend towards refined threats. Nevertheless, the catch is they can not belief or implement present options successfully. Collectively we now have constructed safety merchandise and capabilities for a few of the world’s largest enterprises, we noticed firsthand how smaller organizations face the identical superior threats however lack entry to the experience they want. We saved occupied with all of the organizations that could not afford massive safety groups however nonetheless wanted safety. We actually need to assist organizations of all sizes however we actually need to construct one thing significant that makes trusted expert-level cybersecurity capabilities accessible, not simply the elite few.
Your profession spans the army, public, and personal sectors in cybersecurity. How did every of those experiences affect your imaginative and prescient for Blackwire?
We’ve got a duty to serve and defend these organizations that type the spine of our society. Every sector actually has taught me one thing very important about what we actually have to construct belief and improve cyber resilience. On the Workplace of Naval Intelligence and supporting JTF-GNO, I discovered firsthand the criticality of getting the fitting set of experience on the proper time, particularly while you’re defending networks that defend our warfighters and nationwide safety.
At Raytheon and later at iDefense, I noticed how the personal sector was grappling with more and more refined threats, lots of the identical sorts that I noticed throughout my time within the DoD. What grew to become clear was that having siloed deep experience wasn’t sufficient – you wanted to have the ability to scale that data successfully throughout a company. This actually hit house after I was main Accenture’s International Cyber Protection Follow, the place we have been defending a few of the world’s most focused networks and the explosion of third social gathering danger and provide chain assaults.
However this is what bothers me: Whereas the biggest organizations may afford to construct sturdy safety operations, numerous others have been left susceptible and the humorous factor is that they sit within the provide chain of these massive organizations. I noticed small companies, healthcare suppliers, and state companies combating the identical superior threats however with out entry to the experience they wanted. That is actually what drove us to begin Blackwire Labs. We wished to take all the pieces we would discovered about constructing capabilities and defending organizations on the highest ranges and make it accessible to organizations that want it most. By combining trusted AI with human experience, we may also help bridge that hole. It isn’t nearly constructing one other safety instrument – it is about delivering at scale the type of expert-level cybersecurity capabilities that I’ve seen make the distinction between a resilient safety posture and a devastating breach.
Blackwire Labs combines expert-vetted AI insights with blockchain integrity via TrustWire. May you stroll us via how this fusion enhances the reliability of your cybersecurity insights?
We took a practical and revolutionary strategy. We have constructed a sequence of belief that begins with our Cybersecurity Neighborhood of Excellence (CCOE) – seasoned professionals who collaborate with us to validate and improve our data base. We use a rigorous three-tier supply analysis framework grounded in intelligence analytical tradecraft. However primarily based on Chris’s expertise within the crypto area we’re in a position to take it to the subsequent stage. That is the place TrustWire is available in – our blockchain-based system that creates an immutable, cryptographically verifiable file of all our sources and AI outputs. Utilizing zero-knowledge proofs, we are able to show the integrity of our insights whereas defending delicate information. Consider it as combining the very best of human experience with cryptographic certainty. One other crucial part of this strategy is our Safety Registry, which captures point-in-time snapshots of all cybersecurity analyses, together with insights, sources, the person desires to avoid wasting. Consider it like a system of file that gives a everlasting, shareable file of your safety decision-making course of – one thing important for explaining to your boss why you probably did one thing in terms of audits, compliance opinions, and the incident response course of.
Lexi, Blackwire’s AI, provides predictive prompting and customised steerage. How does this characteristic set assist safety groups anticipate threats extra successfully?
Like most issues in life, understanding “what” the fitting query is and “how” to ask it’s key. Our predictive prompting is not nearly suggesting subsequent steps – it is about enhancing human experience. The system understands your function, your group’s context, and your safety targets to information you towards more practical evaluation throughout a strategic, operational or tactical “select your individual journey”, as Andrew calls it, set of prompts. It permits you to get extra detailed insights sooner by with the ability to account for a number of factors of view that may differ relying on the organizational function (Assume CISO/CTO- Strategic, incident responder/danger supervisor Operational, safety engineer/SOC analyst- Tactical). It’s like having a seasoned safety skilled that may put on a number of hats, trying over your shoulder, anticipating what it is advisable contemplate subsequent. However with out the black field selections or sources that may change or result in lifeless hyperlinks.
Blackwire is described as being “safe by design.” Are you able to elaborate on the particular measures that make your platform enterprise-grade?
All the pieces from our structure to our AI strategy is designed with enterprise-grade safety and belief in thoughts. Our CTO Chris has been doing this his total profession and is adamant about this. Let me break this down virtually. At its core, our structure ensures full information isolation between organizations, with strict tenant separation and configurable retention insurance policies. We’re adamant about information privateness – we by no means practice on buyer information or queries, and all the pieces operates on a private-by-default foundation. Consider it like operating your individual safe enclave inside our platform.
For entry management, we have applied enterprise-grade authentication with granular RBAC and MFA assist. Every API key might be scoped exactly to particular permissions, giving organizations full management over how their groups work together with the platform. We have paired this with complete audit logging and safety monitoring, creating immutable data for compliance and safety opinions.
What makes our strategy distinctive is how we have constrained our AI fashions particularly to cybersecurity domains whereas sustaining full transparency. Once you ask Blackwire Labs about baking a cake it is going to say, “I am unable to construct a cake however constructing a SOC requires a layered strategy, would you want to speak about that?” It’s because we have applied very purposeful constraints. Each response should reference validated sources via our three-tier framework, and our Safety Registry creates everlasting, verifiable data of all analyses and selections. This is not nearly “checking a field” security measures – it is about constructing a platform that safety practitioners can belief.
Blackwire Labs locations a robust emphasis on being user-configurable. What particular customizations can purchasers leverage to suit their distinctive safety wants?
Along with what I spoke about earlier with predictive prompting and contextcraft, we’re growing capabilities for organizations to securely leverage their proprietary information alongside our trusted cybersecurity insights. The place customers can incorporate their particular enterprise context – whether or not that is inner insurance policies, structure documentation, or industry-specific necessities whereas sustaining information privateness and belief. This ensures their delicate information by no means leaves their setting whereas nonetheless offering complete, tailor-made solutions. Take into consideration a healthcare supplier needing to align safety practices with HIPAA necessities, or a protection contractor working inside CMMC frameworks. They will combine their compliance documentation and inner insurance policies whereas leveraging our broader cybersecurity experience. The bottom line is that every one of this stays cryptographically verifiable via TrustWire, sustaining our dedication to transparency and belief.
How does Blackwire Labs’ “Service First” philosophy, rooted in your army background, form your strategy to buyer relationships and cybersecurity options?
Our “Service First” philosophy runs deeper than simply buyer relationships – it is rooted in our faith-based ethos of servant management. This implies each resolution we make begins with how we are able to finest serve our neighborhood and defend organizations that want our assist.
We’ve all grown up on this mission area, we perceive the challenges safety groups face as a result of we have lived them. We have walked in our customers’ footwear. We’re constructing options we might have wished ourselves. The safety neighborhood is small – everybody’s about one diploma separated from one another and status issues rather a lot. That is why we took a practitioner-to-practitioner strategy, bringing in design companions, advisors and beta customers (which ultimately was the CCOE) early to check our assumptions. We wished numerous of us within the boat with us early and infrequently. “This product is constructed for you, assist us make it actually helpful.”
We additionally understand how safety professionals are skeptical of distributors and in lots of instances rightfully so. That is why we give attention to fixing actual issues relatively than advertising hype. When our customers inform us one thing wants to vary, we pay attention and act. This tight suggestions loop with our neighborhood, mixed with our dedication to service, helps us keep grounded and targeted on what actually issues.
Cybersecurity is a fast-evolving subject. What methods does Blackwire Labs use to remain on the forefront of {industry} tendencies and threats?
Our strategy attracts from confirmed methodologies, notably ones our CTO Chris Clark applied at Palo Alto Networks in establishing their world menace R&D functionality. Slightly than making an attempt to gather large quantities of probably unreliable information, we have developed a scalable, environment friendly system for data administration and menace intelligence.
We have applied a complicated triage system the place queries that do not meet our standards for being absolutely answered or sourced undergo each automated and guide evaluate processes. This creates a robust community impact the place gaps are addressed and data turns into obtainable to all customers. If our system cannot present a passable reply, it mechanically triggers an inner evaluate.
What makes this strategy distinctive is our give attention to high quality over amount. Our CCOE members, who characterize varied industries and roles from CISOs to vulnerability researchers, assist validate our data base and fill experience gaps. By protecting common areas comprehensively, we are able to give attention to edge instances and rising challenges that really require specialised data.
The bottom line is transparency – as I discussed earlier than our system is designed to confess when it does not have a solution, which then prompts our group to fill that data hole. Usually, it is merely a matter of rephrasing the query (or utilizing the Lexi sensible prompting to mechanically create a extra nuanced immediate that the person may not have the power to create), which we are able to shortly tackle. This strategy permits us to scale whereas sustaining excessive requirements for accuracy and reliability.
With the rise of Web3, quantum, and area applied sciences, how is Blackwire positioning itself to deal with cybersecurity in these rising domains?
We discuss to and get recommendation from quite a lot of of us smarter than us. We’re blessed to have advisors who’re luminaries within the know-how and safety area like Matt Devost and Bob Gourley from OODA. They’ve shared insights and evaluation with us on these subjects and lots of others. We’re additionally lucky to collaborate intently with of us like Rick Howard and his Cyber Cannon venture – these are of us that many in the neighborhood look to with a purpose to perceive what’s subsequent. These are of us who’re members of our CCOE but additionally mentors to me. The truth that we have all been doing this for a very long time and nonetheless have a really robust skilled community, many who I contemplate shut pals, are safety executives that assist us tackle each the right here and now issues and what’s subsequent. What makes this strategy highly effective is the way it informs our platform’s evolution. Whereas Web3, quantum, and area applied sciences are thrilling frontiers, we’re targeted on constructing a basis of belief that may adapt to those rising domains. Our TrustWire know-how, as an illustration, already leverages blockchain and zero-knowledge proofs – core Web3 applied sciences – to make sure information integrity and privateness.
However extra importantly, we have constructed our platform to be adaptable. We constantly combine new insights and experience as these applied sciences evolve. It isn’t about chasing each new development – it is about having the fitting experience and trusted framework to guage and reply to rising threats throughout any area after which assist our purchasers operationalize the fitting answer.
What are your long-term targets for Blackwire Labs, and the way do you envision its function in the way forward for AI-driven cybersecurity?
Our long-term imaginative and prescient goes past simply constructing a profitable firm – we need to basically change how organizations strategy cybersecurity within the AI period. We need to do good and champion reality. We’re working to democratize entry to expert-level cybersecurity capabilities whereas guaranteeing that AI adoption does not compromise safety or belief. We consider the way forward for cybersecurity lies in combining human experience with reliable AI, and we’re positioning Blackwire Labs to steer that transformation. However we’ll do it thoughtfully, staying true to our ideas of transparency, humility, belief, and repair to our clients.
Thanks for the nice interview, readers who want to be taught extra ought to go to Blackwire Labs.
