CloudPassage

CloudPassage was founded by Carson Sweet, Talli Somekh, and Vitaliy Geraymovych in 2010.[6][7] The company used cloud computing and big data analytics to implement security monitoring and control in a platform called Halo.[8] CloudPassage spent a year in stealth developing the Halo technology, coming out of stealth mode to a closed beta in January 2011. In June 2012, the company launched the commercial product that included configuration security monitoring, network microsegmentation, and two-factor authentication for privileged access management.[9] By 2013, CloudPassage expanded Halo to support large enterprises with advanced security and compliance requirements with a product called Halo Enterprise.[10][11]

The first round of venture funding for the company raised $6.5 million.[7] In April 2012, CloudPassage raised $14 million.[12] The financing round was led by Tenaya Capital.[12] In February 2014, CloudPassage announced that it had raised $25.5 million in funding led by Shasta Ventures.[13][14] In total, the company has invested over $30 million in its technology and raised approximately $88 million in capital.

The CloudPassage platform provides cloud workload security[15] and compliance for systems hosted in public or private cloud infrastructure environments, including hybrid cloud and multi-cloud workload hosting models.[16] The flagship product the company offers is called Halo.[17][18] Halo secures virtual servers in public, private, and hybrid cloud infrastructures and provides file integrity monitoring (FIM)[18][19] while also administering firewall automation, vulnerability monitoring, network access control, security event alerting, and assessment.[20][16][21] The Halo platform also provides security applications such as privileged access management, software vulnerability scanning, multifactor authentication, and log-based IDS.[21]

In December 2013, CloudPassage set up six servers with Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems and combinations of popular programs and invited hackers to attempt to hack into the servers.[22] The top prize was $5,000 and the winning hacker was a novice that completed the task in four hours.[22] CloudPassage programmed the servers to use basic default security settings to show how vulnerable cloud computing programs can be to security threats.[22]

In May 2011, Gigaom named CloudPassage in its list of the Top 50 Cloud Innovators.[3] That same month, eWeek recognized CloudPassage as one of 16 Hot Startup Companies Flying Under the Radar.[23]

SC Magazine named CloudPassage an Industry Innovator in the Virtualization and Cloud Security category in 2012.[17] Also in 2012, The Wall Street Journal named CloudPassage a runner up in the Information Security category of its Technology Innovation Awards.[2]

The CloudPassage large-scale security program, Halo, won Best Security Solution in 2014 at the SIIA Codie awards.[24]