In the bustling metropolis of New York City, a group of innovative Chief Technology Officers is leading the charge in fortifying cybersecurity measures. In an era where digital threats loom large, these trailblazers are at the forefront, utilizing cutting-edge technology to protect individuals and organizations alike. Let’s take a closer look at these five CTOs and the remarkable work they are doing to safeguard cybersecurity in NYC.

1.Blackbird.ai

CTO & Co-Founder: Naushad UzZaman 

Blackbird.ai provides AI-driven solutions for detecting disinformation and online threats to Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies. Naushad UzZaman, armed with a Ph.D. in AI and Natural Language Processing from the University of Rochester, has prior experience at Microsoft, Yahoo! Research, and Bosch, with over 30 scientific papers published. He played a key role in launching the world’s first Media Security Center with Weber Shandwick.

2.HUMAN

CTO: Ido Safruti

HUMAN combats bot and digital ad fraud with a team of cybersecurity experts. CTO Ido Safruti, a co-founder of PerimeterX (which merged with HUMAN in 2022), oversees technology and product strategy. His background includes senior roles at Akamai and in the Israeli intelligence services, and he holds a master’s in computer science from Tel Aviv University. 

3.SecurityScorecard

CTO: Christos Kalantzis

SecurityScorecard offers risk management solutions and tools for security posture improvement. CTO Christos Kalantzis, an expert in distributed systems, began his career as a Database Administrator in Montreal before moving to Silicon Valley, where he held significant positions at FireEye, Tenable, Netflix, and YouSendIt. He’s recognized as an Apache Cassandra MVP.

4.Dashlane 

CTO: Frédéric Rivain

Dashlane enhances online security through its password management solutions. CTO Frédéric Rivain, with a diverse background in gaming, gambling, and e-commerce, aims to align Dashlane’s engineering efforts with business objectives. He balances his tech role with being a father of three and enjoys French boxing and trail running.

5.Reality Defender

CTO & Co-Founder: Ali Shahriyari 

Reality Defender fights against deepfake technology and digital manipulation to ensure online content integrity. CTO & Co-Founder Ali Shahriyari, with two decades of software development experience, began as a Software Engineer and Faculty at UCLA. His career has spanned hands-on development to executive leadership, including VP and Director roles at Originate, and he holds degrees in Computer Science from UCLA.

These trailblazing CTOs are instrumental in shaping the cybersecurity landscape in New York City and beyond. With their expertise, innovation, and dedication, they are driving advancements in technology and safeguarding digital ecosystems from evolving threats.