A photograph of Imperva's newly appointed chief security strategist, Brian Contos.
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Application data security provider Imperva (www.imperva.com) announced on Tuesday that it has appointed Brian Contos as its chief security strategist.
Imperva’s announcement describes Contos as “a noted information security speaker and author with over a decade of experience.” He previously worked as chief security officer at ArcSight (www.arcsight.com), a provider of security and compliance management solutions. At ArcSight, Contos advised government organizations on security strategy, and helped position the company for a successful 2008 IPO.
Contos has, according to Imperva, spent more than 12 years in “various leadership positions within the information security industry including IT, consulting, professional services, sales, and marketing.” And he is frequently asked to speak on security topics.
While the announcement doesn’t provide a specific list of speaking engagements, there is a record of Contos’s work online. He has appeared on the CERT podcast series and presented to the Wall Street Technology Association.
There is a video interview with Contos available at Forbes.com, in which he discusses the security threat posed by internal workers, one of his apparent areas of expertise.
Along with his speaking work, Contos has published two books, “Enemy at the Water Cooler” and “Physical and Logistical Security Convergence,” which he co-authored with William Crowell, former deputy director of the NSA.
The chief security strategist role at Imperva will, according to the press release, have a marketing element.
“Brian Contos is a leading strategist and speaker on information security and compliance issues. He has a proven track record for helping technology vendors communicate their vision and influence markets,” says Mark Kraynak, vice president of marketing for Imperva, quoted in the press release. “Brian will play a strategic role on Imperva’s marketing team and help us extend our leadership position atop the data security industry.”
Imperva’s solutions deal directly with application data security, providing activity monitoring, real-time protection and risk management solutions for business applications and data. The company says it supplies more than 4,500 enterprises and government organizations in more than 35 countries.
The company’s website includes much information on both Imperva’s products specifically and web application security in general, such as this video demonstrating how the Imperva SecureSphere Web Application Firewall integrates with application vulnerability scanners.
