RiskIQ

RiskIQ, established in 2009, operates as a pivotal entity in the cybersecurity sector, specializing in attack surface management. The company was founded in San Francisco by Elias Manousos (Lou Manousos), Chris Kiernan, and David Pon. Manousos, with a background that includes developing enterprise protection technologies and co-chairing the Online Trust Alliance's Anti-Malvertising Working Group, brought extensive experience in internet security and fraud prevention to his role as CEO. His journey into cybersecurity began at Argonne National Laboratory, which eventually led him into the startup world. David Pon served as a Co-founder and developer, having previously worked as a Senior Engineer at Crossing.com. Chris Kiernan took on the role of Co-founder & CTO.

The firm provides cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) designed to give organizations a comprehensive view of their digital presence and associated threats that exist outside the firewall. The business model is centered on subscriptions to its suite of security intelligence products. RiskIQ serves a broad client base, including major corporations like Facebook, BMW, and American Express, as well as government agencies, by helping them discover, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats across web, social, and mobile channels.

RiskIQ's core offering is its Attack Surface Management platform, which uses advanced internet reconnaissance to map an organization's entire digital footprint, including websites, mobile apps, and third-party code. Key products include 'Digital Footprint,' which inventories all externally-facing digital assets, and 'PassiveTotal,' a threat analysis platform that aggregates internet data to speed up investigations. The company employs a global network of crawlers and virtual users that interact with the web to detect threats like phishing, malware, and brand infringement in real-time. This methodology allows security teams to identify and remediate vulnerable assets before they can be exploited. A significant milestone for the company occurred in July 2021, when Microsoft announced its acquisition of RiskIQ for a reported sum exceeding $500 million, integrating its capabilities into Microsoft's security portfolio to enhance threat intelligence and attack surface visibility for customers.

Keywords: attack surface management, threat intelligence, cybersecurity, digital footprint mapping, external threat detection, SaaS, internet reconnaissance, brand protection, malware detection, mobile security