The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Abertay graduate creates new approach to cyber security
Early detection of vulnerabilities could save firms millions
An Abertay University graduate is aiming to save companies millions of pounds with a new approach to cyber security.
Start-up CyberShell Solutions has developed early-stage security analysis technology that alerts software developers to potential vulnerabilities.
Unlike most cybersecurity software, which identifies problems as or after they happen, the Dundee company’s CyberSuite product helps developers address and mitigate issues before their software is commercially deployed.
Company chief executive Tayyaba Nafees, who completed a cybersecurity PhD at Abertay, said she was targeting global firms with the product.
She said: “In 2017 seven out of ten organisations in the UK suffered a cyber-attack, which can have devastating and long-term financial consequences for a company.
“It can result in the loss of huge amounts of income or, worse still, allow the personal details of their customers to be stolen and exploited by cyber criminals.
“The main challenge, however, is that the current approach is reactive. Rather than taking steps to prevent a cyberattack before it happens, companies are responding to, and repairing the effects of, an attack after the event.
“We are effectively bridging the gap between cyber security experts and the software engineers so we can develop secure software systems.
“This saves companies time and potentially a huge amount of money, as well as giving them confidence and peace of mind, knowing that their company is secure.”
Ms Nafees took part in the Accelerator programme run by Elevator at the Centre of Entrepreneurship at Dundee University, which helped develop her business.
She is planning to fully launch by the end of the year and plans to hire four people in the first 12 months.
She added: “There are currently not many women involved in cyber security entrepreneurship in Scotland. I am looking forward to getting going.”