The CIA’s former Chief Technology Officer – Bob Flores – has joined startup Acreto IoT Security’s advisory board.

Flores is working closely with Acreto’s management team to build an advanced security platform for the world’s most vulnerable systems. Blockchain and IoT technologies represent the fastest growing segments. They are vulnerable, and current security technologies are struggling to cope.

Flores spent 31 years serving six Presidents from Carter to Obama in a variety of roles at the Directorate of Intelligence, the National Clandestine Service, and the CIA’s Office of the CIO.

“Throughout my career at the CIA, we solved complex challenges by applying reliable and effective approaches and technologies – even if it meant creating them ourselves,” Flores says.

“Though Crypto-IoT addresses several problems, it also creates completely new challenges. Today, Crypto-IoT has globally distributed exposure points numbering in the billions and growing. A complete rethinking of cyber security is needed for IoTs, and Acreto’s innovative rethinking of security for this new challenge is nothing short of impressive. I’m very much looking forward to contributing to a great team.”

“Bob is experienced at the toughest security job on the planet – defending the US from the world’s most motivated and well-funded bad actors,” says Babak Pasdar, Acreto’s CEO and CTO.

“He brings the same critical thinking and leadership he applied to global challenges like the cold war and war on terror, to Acreto, and it is our great honour and privilege to welcome Bob to the Acreto team.”