Latest news with #RahulSasi
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
CEO keeps students hooked with cybersecurity lessons in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Clad in a casual tee, chinos and blue sports shoes, Rahul Sasi could have been the coolest CEO these students met on campus. Founder and CEO of CloudSEK, a firm working in the space of cybersecurity, he was on stage at St Francis College, Koramangala, controlling a drone that followed him around as he explained how machines can turn sentinel. Rahul was delivering a talk on cybersecurity at the college on National Librarians' Day, organised by the department of library and information centre of the college and The Times of India as part of the latter's Leaders on Campus initiative. The young CEO engaged the crowd as he broke down the nuances of cybersecurity, offering gift boxes to those with the right answers and announcing a PlayStation 5 for the winner of a test he would give in the coming days. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Rahul explained cybersecurity to the students and how it works using real-time research he did in the past. His early experiments with hacking ranged from changing the TV channel a person is watching to hacking a coffee machine to get free beverages. "When we started the company, one of my first investors said the best money you can make is by helping other people. Cybersecurity is one such thing," Rahul explained. "I come from a middle-class family; my dad was a bus conductor in Kerala State Transport Corporation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Cost of a Virtual Dermatologist Consult Might Surprise You AskLayers Learn More Before travelling abroad, I used to think smart people only existed in the US, Israel or the UK. That's because all the software we were using used to come from there. But later on, I realised there are smart people everywhere. So, that made me think — what is stopping us from building great software here rather than just working in a different country? That's the premise on which we started the company," he said. Commenting that there is a gap between industry requirements and curriculum, Rahul said it is practical knowledge that students should seek, instead of mere theoretical knowledge. The panel discussion was moderated by Nazura Javed, head of the department of MCA, St Francis College. Quote Hanger Expert talks and panel discussions on careers in cybersecurity can provide university students with valuable insights into industry trends, skill requirements and real-world challenges. It also helps students make informed decisions about their career paths — Bro Titus Anto, director, St Francis College BOX Quiz Winners Bhoomika Vijay Navalyal, Ramaiah Polytechnic College Mohammed Hameed Pasha, St Francis College Jayashree VS, St Francis College Mohammed Sameer, St Francis College Aditi Sharma, St Francis College Prajwal T, St Francis College Asfiya Banu A, St Francis College Sanjitha A, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology Bharath Kumar M, St Francis College K Naveen, St Francis College Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Leaders on campus explores careers in cybersecurity for students
Bengaluru: The Times of India's Leaders on Campus is back, launching its first session of the academic year with a deep dive into one of the fastest-growing career domains: Cybersecurity. Mark your calendar for Thursday (Aug 14) at St Francis College, Koramangala, for an engaging session titled, Careers in Cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has emerged as a mission-critical industry, safeguarding everything from personal data to national infrastructure. For today's students, it offers not just lucrative job opportunities but the chance to be at the frontline of protecting the digital world. In a landscape where cyber threats evolve by the hour, the field demands sharp problem-solving skills, adaptability and a passion for staying ahead of malicious actors. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru At the Leaders on Campus event, students will hear from Rahul Sasi, CEO and co-founder of CloudSEK, a Singapore-headquartered contextual AI company that predicts cyber threats before they occur. A self-taught cybersecurity expert who began his journey with Garage4Hackers community in 2006, Rahul went on to work with iSIGHT Partners (later acquired by Google) and Citrix, before founding CloudSEK in 2015. Today, his company serves over 200 top organisations worldwide, including major banks, tech giants and healthcare leaders, offering cutting-edge threat detection, analysis and remediation solutions. Quiz for college students Ahead of the talk, The Times of India is hosting a thematic quiz on cybersecurity exclusively for college students in Bengaluru. The quiz will feature four questions each day for two days, starting today (Tuesday). Students who answer all eight questions correctly will stand a chance to be featured in The Times of India. Quiz questions (Set-1): 1) In networking, what does the abbreviation VPN stand for? 2) What type of malware is designed to demand payment from victim? 3) Which cybersecurity attack involves overwhelming a system with traffic to make it unavailable? 4) What cybersecurity term refers to exploiting a vulnerability before it's publicly known? To participate in this quiz, submit your responses on WhatsApp to 9071112970 in the following format: Your name, your college, Answer 1, Answer 2, Answer 3, Answer 4. Check TOI tomorrow (Wednesday) for the second set of the quiz. Answer questions on both days and stand a chance to get featured in TOI. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
North Korean hackers suspected in Bengaluru's biggest crypto heist
Bengaluru: Can the money that was stolen be recovered or has it gone forever? This is the question cyber sleuths are being bombarded with after Bengaluru-based Neblio Technologies Private Limited, which runs CoinDCX, reported that $44 million theft – the biggest crypto heist the city has seen so far. While CoinDCX maintained that all customer funds were 100% secure in cold wallets and announced a recovery bounty programme, cyber police sources point to the involvement of hackers associated with North Korean cartels. "The crypto asset recovery process is going to be a challenge," a police officer said while explaining that the hacker had moved cryptocurrency out of the company to six different wallets. Subsequently, the stolen cryptocurrencies were moved to a single wallet, apparently controlled by a North Korean ring. " The officer added that North Korean hackers were behind most of the attacks on crypto exchanges in recent times. The investigators are also trying to ascertain if Rahul Agarwal, the techie through whose login credentials the hackers reportedly breached the company's security protocols, had colluded with the hackers or if he became the bait. Cyber sleuths said hacking operations also involved infiltrating employee hardware. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pune: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru CoinDCX told TOI that it is cooperating with authorities and has reinforced its security framework. "Security has always been a top priority at CoinDCX. We benchmark ourselves against global best practices and have invested significantly in strengthening our infrastructure," a spokesperson said, adding that the company has partnered with global cybersecurity firms such as Sygnia and Seal911 to bolster asset tracing and rapid freezing protocols. Cyber security expert Rahul Sasi, founder of startup CloudSEK, told TOI: "There is still a lot left to be investigated. This person (Rahul Agarwal) got Rs 15 lakh in his account, whereas the fraudsters funnelled around Rs 380 crore. Compromised laptop credentials can be purchased for $10-15 on the dark web. There is no way to be sure of the intent of such computer users in such cases". Avinash Shekhar, founder of crypto exchange Pi42 and former CEO of ZebPay, said the recovery prospects depend largely on the nature of the stolen assets and whether state-backed actors are involved. "If the stolen funds are in USDT, there is at least a theoretical chance of freezing them because it's issued by a centralized entity. But if they are in Ethereum or other decentralised tokens, recovery is significantly harder," he said. Shekhar added that if North Korean hackers are to be involved, as has been speculated in similar cases globally, "the odds of retrieval become near impossible given the lack of jurisdiction." He noted that tracing the stolen funds could still be an ongoing process for years. "Because blockchain records are permanent, there are cases where stolen funds have been identified and frozen even after five or 10 years," Shekhar said.
Entrepreneur
21-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Breach Blocker
"Think of it as a weather forecast for cyber threats. We don't just tell you it's raining hackers, we tell you where the lightning will strike next," says Rahul Sasi, Co-Founder and CEO, CloudSEK Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. When it comes to cybersecurity threats, Rahul Sasi believes in being one step ahead, always. "We like to think of ourselves as a digital immune system for enterprises. Instead of reacting to cyberattacks after the damage is done, we predict where the first punch will land and help you dodge it," says the co-founder and CEO of CloudSEK. Founded in 2015 by Sasi, a cybersecurity researcher turned entrepreneur—CloudSEK was built on the ethos of prevention over cure. The company has since evolved into a trusted cybersecurity partner for over 250 enterprises, including Fortune 500 companies and digital-first unicorns across banking, healthcare, and tech. "While most tools detect attacks after the fact, we identify Indicators of Attack (IOAs), signals from the reconnaissance phase so customers can act before the breach happens." He adds, "Think of it as a weather forecast for cyber threats. We don't just tell you it's raining hackers, we tell you where the lightning will strike next." This proactive approach has earned CloudSEK a 4.8-star rating on Gartner Peer Insights across nearly 200 reviews, and recognition as the number one threat intelligence provider in APAC. "We've been recognised as a Customer First Vendor—proof that we're solving real problems, not just ticking compliance boxes," adds Sasi. With USD 40 million in total funding and a presence in five countries, CloudSEK is now doubling down on global expansion, particularly in the U.S., India, and UAE. The recent Series A2 and B1 rounds brought in USD 19 million, which will be used to further refine its AI models and deepen platform integration. "In cybersecurity, the moment you stand still, you're already behind," says Sasi. To stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape, CloudSEK has embraced a culture of relentless innovation. "We treat innovation like a Formula 1 pit crew—constantly tuning, upgrading, and pushing the limits," he says. The company is leveraging generative AI, crowdsourced threat intelligence, and real-time analytics to reduce response times and enhance threat visibility. CloudSEK's R&D and threat research teams work closely together to anticipate threat patterns and shape new detection models. "We're not just reacting to trends, we're setting them," Sasi adds. Despite strong tech and traction, Sasi admits the hardest challenge isn't technological, it's behavioural. "Getting organisations to shift from reactive to proactive security. Most teams still wait for a breach to happen before they act. It's like using GPS after you're already lost," he says. To change this mindset, CloudSEK builds intelligence frameworks that guide CISOs to ask the right questions first. "If we can help a company move from 'prevent' to 'predict,' they're not just more secure, they're ahead of the curve." On the business front, CloudSEK is inching closer to profitability. The company has grown 3x in the last two years and currently operates on an 81% gross margin, with positive cash flow expected in the next quarter. "We're built on a recurring revenue model. Think of it like a snowball rolling downhill—our base is expanding, and the platform is becoming stickier, so growth becomes more predictable and more profitable," Sasi notes. While headquartered in Singapore, CloudSEK's operations span India, the U.S., UK, and Brazil. With over 60 per cent of its new revenue coming from international markets, the U.S. has emerged as the fastest-growing region.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CloudSEK secures $19m to advance AI-driven cyber threat intelligence
CloudSEK, an AI-powered cyber threat prediction and intelligence company, has secured $19m through its Series A2 and B1 funding rounds. The funding round saw contributions from India and US-based investors, including MassMutual Ventures, Inflexor Ventures, Prana Ventures, Tenacity Ventures, and strategic investors such as Commvault. CloudSEK's earlier backers, including Meeran Family (founders of Eastern Group), StartupXSeed, Neon Fund, and Exfinity Ventures, continue to lend their support to the company's vision. The company was established in 2015 by cybersecurity researcher-turned-entrepreneur Rahul Sasi, with a vision to build a safer digital future by predicting and mitigating cyber threats proactively. The company is claimed to have evolved into a trusted threat intelligence platform, serving over 250 enterprises across various sectors including banking, technology, and the public sector. The newly secured capital will facilitate CloudSEK's continued product innovation and global expansion. The company focuses on advancing its AI models and platform integrations to enhance its threat prediction capabilities. Unlike traditional tools, CloudSEK identifies initial attack vectors, such as leaked credentials and exposed APIs, to prevent breaches. CloudSEK co-founder & CEO Rahul Sasi said: 'We built CloudSEK to predict the initial attack vector and stop threats before they hit the headlines with the goal of preventing threats before they escalate.' 'Unlike conventional threat intelligence that focuses on indicators of compromise after an attack, our platform detects the earliest signals—leaked credentials, exposed APIs, compromised vendors—weeks before an incident unfolds. That's our version of threat intelligence: predictive, not forensic. 'Today, over 60% of our net new revenue comes from international markets, with the U.S. emerging as our fastest-growing region. We've achieved this scale while staying cash flow positive. This round—backed by top financial and strategic investors—not only validates our vision but reinforces what we've believed from day one: cybersecurity must be proactive, not reactive.' CloudSEK VP of Finance Kalyan Kumar Vattipalli said: 'CloudSEK has grown 3x in ARR over the last 24 months and continues to grow well above industry standards.' 'The round attracted significant interest from global financial investors, and we will soon be announcing Series B2 as an extension of B1, both to onboard new investors and to facilitate partial exits for some of our early backers.' "CloudSEK secures $19m to advance AI-driven cyber threat intelligence" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
