About Frenos
Frenos transforms how critical infrastructure teams assess the cybersecurity posture of mission-critical environments, devices, and applications. Our continuous security assessment platform reduces assessment time from months to minutes, with zero impact on operations. By proactively identifying the most effective risk mitigations at scale, Frenos helps companies save time, money, and resources. Discover more at frenos.io.
Q&A with Brian Proctor, Co-founder and CEO
Q: Tell us about your background.
Brian Proctor’s cybersecurity journey spans over two decades and is deeply rooted in the electric utility sector. At Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), he gained invaluable experience securing operational technology (OT) environments, directly protecting critical infrastructure. After 15 years as an asset owner, Brian transitioned to SecurityMatters, an innovative OT visibility and threat detection startup, becoming their first account manager and where he met Harry Thomas. His leadership and strategic vision contributed to the company’s growth and eventual acquisition by Forescout Technologies. At Forescout, Brian continued to lead OT sales in the Americas, before co-founding Frenos.
Harry Thomas, our Chief Technology Officer, brings over a decade of cutting-edge cybersecurity expertise. His career began with advanced malware development, penetration testing, and reverse engineering, providing a robust technical foundation. At SecurityMatters, Harry was a developer and solution architect, collaborating closely with Brian. He then led research and development at Dragos, guiding the company through multiple successful fundraising rounds. Most recently, at AWS Security, Harry spearheaded AI and machine learning initiatives, implementing sophisticated user behavioral analytics to detect adversaries impersonating employees.
Frenos is the culmination of reuniting a passionate team of cybersecurity technologists dedicated to protecting all sixteen critical infrastructure sectors. By leveraging our deep industry insights and innovative approaches, we are committed to delivering solutions that safeguard the backbone of our society.
Q: Tell us about your business/idea.
Frenos is transforming the cybersecurity landscape for critical infrastructure teams by revolutionizing how they assess the security posture of mission-critical environments, devices, and applications. Our innovative continuous security assessment platform reduces what used to be a time-consuming process—from months down to mere minutes—without causing any disruptions to operations.
We empower organizations to proactively identify and prioritize the most effective risk mitigations at scale. By providing immediate, actionable insights, Frenos enables companies to make informed decisions swiftly, ultimately saving time, money, and resources.
Q: What was the original inspiration for your company/product?
The original inspiration for Frenos emerged from Brian’s firsthand experiences at an SDG&E power plant, where he witnessed how applying traditional IT security assessment practices in operational technology (OT) environments can lead to loss of reliability. While sharing his experiences with asset owners around the country he quickly realized he wasn’t the only one to experience negative impacts to operations because of common cybersecurity practices and tools . This struggle to effectively assess the security posture of sensitive environments at scale, without disrupting operations, highlighted a significant gap in the industry.
At the same time, our CTO, Harry Thomas, was at the forefront of OT cybersecurity technology innovation at Dragos. Harry recognized that enterprises were not fully leveraging their new asset and vulnerability datasets to derive deeper insights and implement proactive risk mitigations to reduce risk today.
Together, Brian and Harry saw an opportunity to bridge this gap by creating a solution that transforms existing visibility and vulnerability data into actionable intelligence. This realization inspired us to develop Frenos—a platform designed to empower asset owners to enhance their security posture proactively while ensuring uninterrupted operations.
Q: What’s your vision for the future … “What will the market you are pursuing look like in 5-10 years?”
Our vision for the future anticipates a critical infrastructure cybersecurity market that is significantly more regulated and advanced than it is today. Over the next 5 to 10 years, we expect emerging and evolving cybersecurity regulations to tighten, driven by the increasing recognition of cyber threats to national security and public safety. Governments and regulatory bodies will implement stricter compliance requirements, compelling organizations to adopt more robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical assets.
Massive investments in critical infrastructure automation, robotics, and advanced technologies will further transform the landscape. As industries integrate these innovations to enhance efficiency and productivity, the complexity and interconnectedness of systems will increase. This evolution will force enterprises and operators to substantially advance their security programs to manage new vulnerabilities and protect against sophisticated cyber threats.
Q: How does your business address pressing cyber and data challenges for the commercial sector?
Frenos addresses the pressing cyber and data challenges facing the commercial sector by transforming how enterprises scale their security assessments in their most critical environments using the data and tools they have. We empower organizations to rapidly understand the most probable attack paths an adversary might exploit, utilizing a reasoning agent trained to external combination of threat intelligence and analysis of their internal control configurations.
By gaining this deep insight, companies can obtain an aggregated and prioritized list of security mitigations that they can act on immediately. This proactive approach enables organizations to strengthen their defenses effectively and efficiently. No longer do they have to rely on third-party consultants who take months to scope, conduct assessments, and produce point-in-time reports. Frenos delivers continuous assessments, reducing this process from months to minutes, and ensures that security postures are always up-to-date.
Moreover, Frenos leverages the existing security datasets that enterprises already have, unlocking additional value and maximizing return on investment. We turn underutilized data into actionable intelligence, driving organizations to make informed decisions swiftly. The data exists—it’s time to drive action.
Q: What attracted you to the DataTribe Foundry? Why did you choose to participate in the DataTribe Challenge?
We were drawn to the DataTribe Foundry because it is one of the few venture capital firms that truly understands the critical importance of cybersecurity for our nation’s infrastructure. DataTribe not only believes in the mission of securing critical infrastructure but also recognizes the significant market potential in building billion-dollar businesses dedicated to this cause. Their impressive track record—including a portfolio of unicorns and successful exits—reflects their vision to lead generational leaps in cybersecurity innovation.
Choosing to participate in the DataTribe Challenge was an easy decision for us. We are confident that the experience will make us better, aligning with our commitment to continuous improvement. Being selected as a finalist already makes us feel like winners, but we also thrive on a bit of healthy competition. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from the DataTribe team who share our passion for making a meaningful impact in cybersecurity.
Q: What’s your long-term vision for your business?
Ultimately, our mission is to build a legacy where Frenos stands as a cornerstone in the protection of global critical infrastructure. We are committed to continuous innovation, staying ahead of emerging threats, and providing unparalleled value to our clients. Through collaboration, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, we strive to create a safer world today and for generations to come.