If you are familiar with the world of computer and network security, there is a very good chance you are familiar with Stuart McClure. At the very least, the name probably rings a bell.

I have actually known Stuart for over a decade now. We were doing ask-me-anything style chat sessions before Reddit made it cool. When I first began writing as the About.com Guide for the Internet / Network Security blog, I hosted an online chat session with Stuart and George Kurtz back when they were still leading Foundstone to talk about their book Hacking Exposed. That book is now in its seventh edition, and is an icon of the information security world.

A lot has changed since then. Foundstone was acquired by McAfee in 2004. Stuart remained with McAfee for a couple years, and then left for greener pastures. Eventually, he returned to McAfee and was appointed as Chief Technical Officer (CTO). Having worked on computer and network security from just about every angle possible, Stuart recognized that there are some fundamental flaws in the accepted model, so he left to form Cylance.

That brings us up to now. I spent some time recently with McClure, founder and CEO of Cylance, and co-author of Hacking Exposed—one of the seminal bibles of information security—to learn more about the man behind the persona, and see what makes him tick.

About Cylance

Why Cylance? There is a plethora of established security vendors that are already household names. Why start a new company, and try to reinvent the proverbial wheel?

According to Stuart, it boils down to one word: math. “Cylance is the first math-based cybersecurity company to detect and prevent attacks. Mathematical prevention is changing the security paradigm by applying algorithmic science and machine learning to determining good from bad at a rate and accuracy unparalleled today.”

The Cylance vision is pretty simple:  Cylance wants organizations to not have to worry about cyber attacks. Cylance is on a mission to transform security by coupling industry-leading expertise with cutting edge scientific data analytics for faster, more proactive security for customers.

McClure explained, “Our use of math and machine learning eliminates the current security model of trusting the vendor to stay ahead of the threat. Instead you only need to trust the math.“

I asked Stuart what prompted this new journey to reinvent security. He told me that it wasn’t a matter of a single thought or moment, but the culmination of a few different experiences. “The first came in 1989 when I was victimized by a design flaw on a Boeing BA -1.07% 747. I was a passenger on United Flight 811 that blew out the front cargo door in flight. The rapid decompression killed 9 people and the pilot barely saved us all,” relayed McClure. “I realized then how destructive a simple vulnerability can be.”

The second epiphany occurred in 2004 when someone asked Stuart what products he uses to secure his own PC. The honest answer? Nothing. That led him to ponder that question further, and to try and understand why it is that he—and many security professionals—are able to avoid attacks and compromise without using security tools while the general public is constantly under siege. The answer he arrived at is that security professionals rely on their own experiential database to understand how attackers work and the techniques they use. They apply what they know to recognize and avoid threats.

The question McClure asked himself is, “So if we as humans can avoid ever-emerging threats, why can’t computers?”

The founding of Cylance was also partially a product of serendipity. A decade ago, the tools and techniques Cylance utilizes didn’t exist—or at least they weren’t practical. The rise of big data analytics, however, also yields significant benefits for security.

“Math became the obvious choice as it brought all the components together as many other industries have already adopted math to solve their problems: insurance, financial services, pharmaceuticals, genome sequencing, etc.,” explained McClure. “So why couldn’t security?”

Getting to Know Stuart McClure

As a teen, Stuart aspired to be the next Greg Lemond. Lemond was an American cyclist who won the Tour de France three times in the pre-Lance Armstrong era, before the sport was tainted by rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs. His fallback plan was to be an architect.

He had two idols—Greg Lemond and Bill Gates. His admiration for Gates might explain how he ended up in computers and computer security rather than in the Tour de France, or designing structures.

Stuart graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a degree in psychology and philosophy and a minor in computer science applications. Those Denver roots explain why his favorite sports team is the Broncos.

He worked for Ernst & Young before leaving to launch Foundstone. He helped build Foundstone into a respected security company, which was acquired by McAfee. McClure left for a while to work with Kaiser Permanente, but later returned to McAfee, serving as a senior vice president for the security management unit, and then eventually rising to become executive vice president and Global CTO

I asked him the eternal questions: “Star Wars or Star Trek?” and “Marvel or DC?” McClure prefers Star Wars for its cerebral explanation of the power of the universe, but he appreciates Star Trek for its exploration of the unknown, and he respects the leadership style of Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

As for the comic universes? Marvel wins easily in his book. As Stuart puts it, “Wolverine. End of story.”

McClure is fairly agnostic when it comes to technologies and platforms. He has used them all, and has no strong allegiance to any in particular. He does use a Windows-based laptop as his day-to-day PC, and he has an iPad—but he claims he uses it almost exclusively for entertainment purposes.

The scariest thing Stuart has ever experienced was that fateful airline flight. As far as things he had an actual choice in, though, he cites starting Foundstone as the scariest thing he’s ever done. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that he left a comfortable job to start Foundstone one month before his first child was born.

Today, Stuart gets his inspiration from his family. He told me that his wife is the strongest, most loving person he knows, and his children inspire him to be better every day.

The Future of Cylance

According to Stuart, the team around him is crucial to the success of Cylance. “A company designed to change the world requires a culture of skilled, determined, and persistent risk takers in all disciplines that have a similar vision,” explained McClure. “We have one of the strongest technical teams in the world and strengthened it with proven, world-class talent in operations, sales, and marketing to ensure what we create transforms the world.”

I asked Stuart where he envisions the world of technology—or more specifically security—five years from now. “Unfortunately, five years doesn’t change much in the world of threats. We’ve known how the attackers have worked for decades, nothing new has come of it. We just keep solving the same problems with the same horrible reactive solutions.”

Stuart firmly believes that math is the key to transforming the entire model of computer and network security. “Cylance is leading the way in applying math and science to the security field. We look to be both the trailblazer and the solidifier of the technology in the security industry.”

The biggest obstacle between where Cylance is now, and where Stuart wants it to be is simply will. McClure says that pure persistence is a crucial element for getting Cylance where it needs to be. “Too many people and companies fail because they simply give up. It may be too hard or too long or they simply find something more interesting to spend their time. On your path to achieve your vision there will be obstacles of all types, but to achieve them you simply need to never give up.”

Stuart left me with this parting advice for other would-be entrepreneurs. “Find a problem you are passionate about and put everything you have on the line until you achieve it. Read: Never Give Up.”

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