Cyan Forensics – the Edinburgh-based company aspiring and working towards a world where there is no place that harmful digital content can be easily hidden or shared – today announced that Paul Brennan is taking over as chair to guide through its next level of growth.
Cyan Forensics’ digital forensic analysis tools finds child sexual abuse images on devices within minutes and their product is currently being rolled out to police forces across the UK. Its products can also be applied in the field of counter terrorism and by social media and cloud companies to find and remove harmful content online.
Brennan offers a wealth of commercial experience helping to steer technology organisations into the international arena, with particular focus on the US and Europe. Former chair Simon Hardy will remain on the board continuing to bring with him experience from more than a decade of providing high technology solutions to law enforcement worldwide. Hugh Lennie, Cyan Forensics’ Chief Finance Officer (CFO), also joins the expanded board line up to bring his extensive experience of building, growing and exiting businesses.
Paul Brennan, new Chair of Cyan Forensics, comments: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to help shape Cyan Forensics’ forward momentum. Cyan Forensics’ technology has multiple applications to offer solutions that can make a real difference to protect people from online harms. The company has seen much success in its first three years’ of business and I look forward to supporting their expansion following a recent contract with the UK Home Office and into new markets in Northern Europe and the US.”
Ian Stevenson, CEO of Cyan Forensics, said: “We welcome Paul Brennan and Hugh Lennie onto our board, and are fortunate to retain the experience of our former Chair Simon Hardy. We are at an exciting stage of growth where our product is going into many police forces across the UK to help catch paedophiles much faster, and we are now in a strong position to enter the European market, as well as making greater in-roads in helping law enforcement in its fight against counter terrorism.”
Cyan Forensics was founded in 2016 by Bruce Ramsay, a former police forensic analyst and now the company’s CTO, and CEO Ian Stevenson. Last month the business confirmed a successful new round of funding from Triplepoint, Mercia, Social Investment Scotland Ventures, the Scottish Investment Bank and private investors, bringing the total raised by the company to £2.8m.
Last year Cyan Forensics announced partnerships with America’s National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the UK Home Office’s Child Abuse Image Database (CAID).
Cyan Forensics is addressing a huge and growing problem for society. At the end of 2019 the WeProtect Global Alliance Threat Assessment report announced that there are 750,000 individuals estimated to be attempting to connect with children across the globe for sexual purposes online at any one time. Technology companies also reported a record 45 million online photos and videos of child abuse last year, that number was less than a million just five years ago, and is more than double what was reported the previous year, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).