Cyber Cert Labs: AI-driven software for supply chain security
Cyber Cert Labs, a cybersecurity start-up in Dublin, aims to enhance supply chain security and ensure SMEs' compliance with EU regulations. Their AI-driven software is designed to provide advanced security solutions. The company is dedicated to safeguarding businesses from cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Cyber Cert Labs is committed to helping organizations protect sensitive data and prevent potential breaches. Their innovative approach focuses on enhancing cybersecurity measures for businesses of all sizes.
This Dublin-based cybersecurity start-up wants to secure supply chains and ensure that SMEs are compliant with EU regulations. When it comes to organisational cybersecurity, a major concern for modern enterprises lies in the supply chain. Supply chain vulnerabilities can severely impact a business’ cyber resilience and can be a significant cause of frustration for IT decision-makers. A report from December highlighted some of this frustration, with 34% of IT leaders revealing that one of their device suppliers failed a cybersecurity audit in the last five years, with 18% saying the failure was so serious that they terminated their contract with the supplier.
About Cyber Cert Labs
One company that aims to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the supply chain is our latest Start-up of the Week, Cyber Cert Labs. Cyber Cert Labs is an Irish cybersecurity start-up that wants to revolutionize the way organizations approach cybersecurity by addressing end-to-end supply chain vulnerabilities, as well as ensuring EU regulation compliance. Co-founder and CTO Conor McGoveran explains, “We develop software for digital product manufacturers, enabling them to embed cybersecurity into their development life cycle. Our solutions also support businesses that purchase these products (e.g. internet of things, operational technology, and software), ensuring secure operation as defined by the manufacturer.”
Dublin-based Cyber Cert Labs was founded in 2022 by McGoveran and CEO Patricia Shields, who both have extensive experience in the cybersecurity industry. McGoveran has worked in cybersecurity across numerous sectors including financial services, telecoms, logistics, and digital services, while Shields has 28 years of experience in cybersecurity, software development, and technology companies.
Focus on the European Market
As well as industry expertise, the two co-founders also have previous entrepreneurial experience. After noticing evolving trends in the EU tech landscape, including an increased focus on security, technology sovereignty, and the increasing need for cybersecurity capabilities, Shields and McGoveran joined together again to establish Cyber Cert Labs. The company focuses on the European market and aims to become part of the European ecosystem, aligning with EU regulations such as the Cyber Resilience Act and the Cybersecurity Act. These regulations require manufacturers and operators of critical services to have verifiable, certified cybersecurity levels.
Innovative Approach
With a primary focus on European SMEs, Cyber Cert Labs uses AI to increase cyber resilience in security for digital products and operational environments. The start-up embeds AI into its software to replace work currently performed by consultants, automating tasks such as document analysis, knowledge extraction, assessments, and conformity review to ensure cybersecurity by design and by default.
The company is also using graph database technologies to develop digital twins of products and operational environments to perform vulnerability analysis and control testing in a virtual environment. This capability allows for rapid testing of cybersecurity controls.
Recent Developments
Since its establishment three years ago, Cyber Cert Labs has made significant progress. The company recently kicked off a two-year EU co-funded project called Cyber Resilience Act Artificial Intelligence, aimed at creating a highly automated AI-based software platform to support SMEs and micro-enterprises with product security and ensuring conformity with the provisions of the Cyber Resilience Act. The company also released its first product last month – an online readiness assessment for businesses in scope for the CRA.
Additionally, the company hired its head of product development and plans to expand its team further this year. While Cyber Cert Labs has achieved considerable success, the co-founders believe that Ireland’s cybersecurity scene could benefit from tailored supports. They note the lack of cyber-specific accelerator programs in Ireland as an area that could be improved.