Nicole’s expertise in cybersecurity community involvement and unique perspective will help the risk vulnerability management platform bolster its security capabilities and knowledge as it looks toward a seed funding campaign

LONDON, England (October 3, 2021)— AppSec Phoenix, an innovative risk-based vulnerability management software specialized in software and cloud security, has announced the addition of Nicole Becher to its board. Nicole brings almost two decades of experience spanning financial services and technology, including Google, S&P Platts, and NYU and an adjunct professor. Nicole brings domain, industry and technology knowledge to AppSec Phoenix’s advisory group, helping the company remain focused on the core offering of Software security.

Nicole is currently the Security Engineering Manager at Google. Nicole has also held senior positions at S&P Platts, where she saw first-hand how Appsec Phoenix could make her role much more accessible. As Adjunct Instructor at New York University and Yeshiva University, she delivers technical insights to new generations. Nicole teaches offensive and defensive computer security, network security, web application security, and computer forensics courses. She is a project leader for OWASP DevSlop Project (Open Web Application Security Project).

She also worked on various policy initiatives, including cyber and regulatory policy for the New York State Department of Financial Services. At NYSDFS, she helped draft the first-in-nation regulatory framework for assessing the cybersecurity of large and complex financial institutions and draft the first-in-nation regulatory and licensing framework for bitcoin and virtual currency companies.

“We are excited to get such a cybersecurity leader and technology on board,” noted Francesco Cipollone, CEO and founder of AppSec Phoenix. “Nicole’s technical experience, domain knowledge and honest, straightforward talk align with AppSec Phoenix’s principles. We are honoured that such a leader in the industry recognized the value of our product and was eager to join a growing and thriving startup.”

“I am thrilled to join AppSec Phoenix’s advisory board as the company looks to build its expertise and capabilities in the risk vulnerability sector,” said Nicole. “I’m passionate about enabling organizations to secure the environment and remove frictions between engineers, developers and executives, and I see AppSec Phoenix addressing exactly that gap. AppSec Phoenix helps organizations do this by enabling secure delivery quickly, linking application risks to business risks, and empowering developers to take charge of vulnerability management in a proactive way.”

Vandana joins an advisory board that boasts several notable names in the cybersecurity sector, including:

• Kevin Fielder, who has more than 20 years of extensive experience spanning financial services, payments, and online retail, excels in building and leading high-performing teams while effectively engaging boards around cyber risk and resilience. Fielder is currently the Chief Information Security Officer at FNZ Group and has held similar chief security roles at other companies in the UK. Fielder has created and delivered highly successful security strategies aligned to business needs and risk tolerance throughout his career.

• Robert Rodgers brings a wealth of security and IT knowledge to the Phoenix Security board from the client perspective. He has worked in the financial industry since 1995. Rodgers currently serves as an executive of Butterfield Group. His experience includes former deputy CISO of HSBC Bank, security lead of Bank of Scotland, and global head of IT security of Bank of Bermuda. Rodgers brings a straightforward and no-frills perspective to the project with a pragmatic view of cybersecurity from the client-side.

• Xabi Errotabehere has more than 20 years of experience building world-class digital products. He co-founded Cloud Conformity, a Cloud Security Posture Management tool, and took the company in a high-growth mode before Trend Micro acquired it in 2019. Errotabehere brings insight into how to successfully manage a business in its early days and techniques to market and acquire clients effectively. 

• Andrew Peterson, who led Signal Science, a leading cybersecurity product, for five years before it sold to Fastly for $775M. Peterson brings startup knowledge, international support, exposure to the US market, and critical introductions to customers. His insight into the American market and its current trends and his contacts with venture capitalists provide valuable insight to the advisory team. He also advises several companies, and he has been instrumental in delivering Security Phoenix with critical recommendations on how to get a head start in product startup and potential pitfalls.

To learn more about AppSec Phoenix or to schedule a free demo, visit https://www.phoenix.security/request-a-demo/.