Synack

Synack is an American technology company based in Redwood City, California, United States. The company uses a software-as-a-service platform to connect customers with freelance security researchers who conduct penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.

Overview

Established in 2013 by former NSA agents Jay Kaplan and Mark Kuhr, Synack retains a network of security analysts, or white-hat hackers, in over 80 countries to identify software security issues, including flaws in generative artificial intelligence systems. The company calls its approach “Penetration Testing as a Service,” a model similar to running bug bounty programs with added platform-based features like control of testing traffic.
Synack customers include the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Department of Defense, other government agencies and businesses in retail, finance, healthcare and manufacturing. The company has also conducted security testing on military hardware, isolated networks in the Pentagon and U.S. election systems ahead of the presidential votes in 2020 and 2024.

Synack is funded by 21 investors. In April 2014, the company announced it had secured Series A funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Google Ventures, Allegis Capital, and Derek Smith of Shape Security. In February 2015, the company raised US$25 million in Series B funding.
In April 2017, it raised $21M from Microsoft Ventures, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Singtel and prior investors.
In May 2020, Synack announced it had raised $52M from investors led by C5 Capital and B Capital Group.