"We've broken into countless networks, all for the right purposes," says Mike Viscuso, CEO of computer security startup
Carbon Black. The hackers for good are moving headquarters to Philadelphia. "We think we are building a foundation to change the internet."
Viscuso was born in the Philadelphia area and attended Villanova University, but moved to Virginia and co-founded
Kyrus, a computer security company that specializes in discovering vulnerability to attacks. "We never once failed to break a network," says Viscuso, who breached computer systems of both government and commercial clients to discover and fix virtual unlocked doors and windows.
After doing a huge amount of forensics work following an attack, a flash of inspiration struck. "We needed the digital equivalent of a surveillance camera for your computer. We decided to build one. If there is an incident, you can roll back the tape."
Building on the success of Kyrus, which began with $50,000 in funding and reported $3 million in revenue last year, Carbon Black is seeking a Series A round of funding.
Carbon Black partner and CTO Ben Johnson is now based in Chicago. Viscuso cites several reasons for the move to Philadelphia. He's got family in the area, it's convenient to both DC and New York, and unlike Kyrus, which has a focus on government contracts, Carbon Black seeks to target large enterprises.
The white-hat hackers stumble upon untoward stuff all the time, reports Viscuso, but maintains an integrity that clients can trust. "It's been a fun job. It's easy for me to wake up. I'm excited every day. Hacking is so in vogue now. People who hack for fun tend to publicize their crimes," says Viscuso, who prefers to remain silent, but deadly against the black hats of the world.
Source: Mike Viscuso, Carbon Black
Writer: Sue Spolan