Ex-X-Force Red Leaders Launch Offensive AI Startup RemoteThreat with $7M
Former IBM X-Force Red leaders have launched RemoteThreat, an offensive cybersecurity startup leveraging AI to simulate nation-state attacks, securing $7 million in pre-seed funding.
Two prominent former leaders of IBM's elite X-Force Red team have unveiled RemoteThreat, a new offensive cybersecurity startup that has secured $7 million in pre-seed funding. CEO Chris Thompson and CTO Shawn Jones, who previously led X-Force Red's efforts in testing critical infrastructure and financial institutions, aim to revolutionize offensive cyber operations.
The core of RemoteThreat's offering is an AI-powered platform designed to plan, execute, and adapt complex offensive cyber operations. Unlike automated penetration testing tools, RemoteThreat's platform is built to simulate sophisticated, nation-state-level attacks, providing enterprises with a more realistic assessment of their defenses. The company's 15-person team comprises seasoned operators, researchers, and developers from leading cybersecurity firms and government agencies.
Thompson highlighted the growing concern that advanced AI models could soon empower adversaries with capabilities previously exclusive to highly skilled state-sponsored groups. "We're looking at how noisy but very capable frontier models are right now, and we started to think: What happens when they can do what we can do as one of the best groups of red-teamers in the world?" Thompson stated, emphasizing the potential for AI to generate custom malware and deploy it at unprecedented speed and scale.
RemoteThreat's platform integrates eight distinct systems, covering mission planning, command and control, implant deployment, initial access, advanced attack capabilities, obfuscation, analysis, and AI-assisted operations. The startup claims its customers already include a major bank, a securities exchange operator, a large US healthcare company, and a leading AI lab, all seeking to better prepare for advanced threats.
Recognizing the inherent risks of such powerful offensive capabilities, RemoteThreat has implemented strict access controls. The platform is exclusively available to vetted enterprises, defense contractors, and US government customers. Customers can utilize purpose-built AI models or integrate their own, including those from OpenAI or Anthropic, alongside a suite of custom tools developed by RemoteThreat.
The startup has also forged strategic partnerships, notably with Talon Defense, a provider of AI and cyber technology for national security clients, and the Nakasone Group, a national security advisory firm founded by former NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, who also serves as a strategic advisor to RemoteThreat.
RemoteThreat's launch aligns with evolving US cybersecurity strategies, which increasingly call for greater private-sector involvement in offensive cyber operations. A recent presidential memorandum encourages vetted companies to conduct cyber operations against foreign cybercrime groups under federal direction. RemoteThreat's participation in the US Special Operations Command's SOF RACER program further positions it to supply advanced cyber capabilities to government entities.
Thompson views the current landscape as a "gold rush" for offensive cyber capabilities, driven by government mandates to collaborate with the commercial sector. RemoteThreat aims to be a key supplier in this burgeoning market, providing the advanced tools necessary for both defensive preparation and offensive targeting.