The two companies have partnered to provide a unique cyber incident preparation and training program for organisations of all sizes. As part of the enhanced collaboration, Phronesis Security works closely with client business, security, and IT stakeholders to develop actionable plans and playbooks in addition to providing targeted training. Retrospect Labs then lead cyber incident response teams through simulations of real-world cyber incident scenarios using the company’s cutting-edge cyber security exercise platform, Gauntlet.
The partnership stems from the shared experience and history of Phronesis Security chief realist CEO Elliot Dellys and Retrospect Labs chief operating officer Ryan Janosevic—both alumni of the Australian Signals Directorate. They have seen first-hand the scale and sophistication of cyber threats facing Australian organisations and have established disruptive start-ups to help tackle the challenge.
“We are excited to offer not just a leading incident readiness program, but to work hand-in-glove so that those preparations can truly be put to the test. By partnering with Retrospect Labs, we provide a sovereign capability that is greater than the sum of its parts. Ryan, Jason, and I have all transitioned from government to the private sector before launching cyber start-ups in Australia. Together we bring insights derived from countering national threats to simply helping organisations manage the day-to-day,” says Phronesis Security chief realist CEO Elliot Dellys.
Retrospect chief operating officer Ryan Janosevic said of the partnership, “One of the earliest decisions we made was that we wanted to be known as specialists, delivering only the highest possible quality exercises. Being an expert in one thing is great because it allows us to focus and to develop unique skills and knowledge, but it means we only address our specific part of the problem – so we couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to work closely with Phronesis Security (who are also experts in what they do) to bring extra value to our customers. Having worked together for ten years and started down the start-up journey almost simultaneously, there’s an intrinsic trust between us. Shared knowledge, shared problems, but different skills and a different perspective means that together, we are uniquely placed help our customers in a meaningful way.”
Collaboration between the businesses will be a core component of the service offering. This is fuelled by a shared belief that technical and non-technical stakeholders alike need clear and pragmatic guidance that is aligned to broader business objectives.
For Phronesis Security, the partnership with Retrospect labs comes after a year of strong growth in which the company achieved B Corp certification and became a PCI DSS Qualified Security Assessor Company. Recently, the company further bolstered its strategic reach with the hiring of veteran cybersecurity expert Barry Grek as director of governance, risk, and compliance.
