Cobalt Welcomes Cybersecurity Visionary Gunter Ollmann as Chief Technology Officer

Former Microsoft CSO to Lead R&D, Security Research and Offensive Security Services

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cobalt, the pioneer of the Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) industry and leading provider of offensive security services, today announced the appointment of Gunter Ollmann as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With rich and diverse experience in cybersecurity innovation, Ollmann will lead Cobalt’s technology and services strategy, delivering AI-enabled offensive security solutions coupled with unmatched human ingenuity.

Gunter Ollmann brings over 30 years of cybersecurity, risk management, and advanced threat intelligence expertise. Before joining Cobalt, he held prominent leadership roles at renowned organizations, including his work as the chief security officer at Vectra Networks and the Chief Technology Officer at IOActive. Prior to IOActive, he led product innovation and strategy for Devo as their CTO and served as CSO for Microsoft Cloud and AI Security division - incubating and driving multiple commercial products and services whilst protecting the world’s largest cloud applications and infrastructure. His career has been marked by groundbreaking contributions to cybersecurity, such as spearheading global initiatives to counter advanced cyber threats and developing forward-thinking strategies that safeguard governments and enterprises across diverse industries.

Ollmann also contributed to developing the first commercial training courses in Ethical Hacking (2000) and Web Application Hacking (2003) and defined many global penetration testing and security assessment methodologies incorporated into industry certification programs such as CISSP.

“We are thrilled to have Gunter join the Cobalt team as our Chief Technology Officer,” said Sonali Shah, CEO of Cobalt. “Gunter’s unparalleled expertise and visionary approach will be instrumental in advancing our mission to empower businesses with continuous offensive security solutions that reduce risk. His leadership will enable us to push the boundaries of offensive security and set new standards in cybersecurity.”

As CTO, Ollmann will oversee the evolution of Cobalt’s technology platform, including its industry-leading Cobalt Core community of pentesters and cybersecurity experts. His focus will include scaling AI capabilities and threat intelligence to become a distinctive asset in comprehensive offensive security programs for organizations, enhancing platform capabilities, and addressing the ever-evolving threat landscape to meet customers’ dynamic needs.

“Cobalt has redefined how organizations approach penetration testing and application security,” said Gunter Ollmann. “I am excited to join a company that is transforming the way we think about cybersecurity. I look forward to contributing to Cobalt’s innovative vision and working alongside this talented team to deliver cutting-edge solutions that protect and empower businesses worldwide.”

Cobalt continues to lead the way in delivering reliable, efficient, and accessible security testing through its PTaaS model. The addition of Gunter Ollmann to the executive team underscores the company’s commitment to innovation and excellence in cybersecurity.

For more information about Cobalt Labs and its solutions, visit www.cobalt.io.

About Cobalt Labs

Cobalt combines talent and technology with speed, scalability and resilience. Our award-winning Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) model empowers organizations to keep pace with their evolving attack surface and agile software development lifecycles. Thousands of customers and hundreds of partners rely on Cobalt’s modern SaaS platform and exclusive community of more than 400 trusted security experts to secure applications, networks, and devices. We deliver security testing that supports business drivers, maximizes internal resources, and creates stronger security programs so that organizations can operate fearlessly and innovate securely.