Chris Peterson (Radicl) // Building Military-Grade Cybersecurity for SMBs
Summary:
In today’s episode, Les speaks with Chris Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Radicl, and a pioneer in cybersecurity innovation. Chris shares his inspiring journey from early days at Price Waterhouse to co-founding LogRhythm, and now leading Radicl - a company on a mission to bring military-grade cybersecurity to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), especially those in the defense industrial base (DIB). With humility, vision, and deep industry experience, Chris talks about the challenges of cybersecurity for SMBs, the promise of AI in threat detection, and the principles that drive Radicl’s product and culture.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
1. Chris’s Cybersecurity Roots
- Grew up curious and mischievous - early hacking instincts emerged from pushing boundaries.
- First tech job at Price Waterhouse, where he was inspired by early internet penetration testing.
- Mentored by pioneers like George Kurtz (founder of CrowdStrike) and Ron Gula.
- Early work included database security assessments and automated audit tools.
2. Building LogRhythm
- Co-founded LogRhythm after stints at Counterpane and Tenable.
- Bootstrapped early development by selling his home and self-funding the venture.
- Partnered with Phil Villella (nuclear physicist) and Andy Grolnick (CEO) to scale the company.
- Lessons from early days: founder commitment, frugality, focus on product-market fit.
- LogRhythm grew to 500 employees before exiting via private equity in 2018.
3. The Genesis of Radicl
- Founded Radicl to address cybersecurity gaps in SMBs within the defense supply chain.
- Inspired by the SolarWinds hack and national security threats.
- Assembled a founding team including his brother Matt and a former fighter pilot.
- Mission: protect under-defended SMBs in DIB against industrial espionage.
4. The Opportunity and Market Need
- DIB SMBs are often unable to afford or operate traditional cybersecurity solutions.
- Barriers include tight margins, complex compliance (e.g. CMMC), and lack of in-house talent.
- Advances in cloud, automation, and AI now make affordable, scalable solutions viable.
- Radicl addresses both compliance operations and 24/7 security operations via software + human hybrid model.
5. Radicl’s Product and Platform
- Delivers “virtual SOC” capabilities—blending human expertise with AI and automation.
- Handles CMMC readiness, threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management.
- Designed for transparency: customers can engage with Radicl’s ops team in-platform.
- AI-driven agents are increasingly being introduced to reduce cost and improve response times.
6. Looking Ahead
- Preparing for a Series A raise in the next 4–6 months to accelerate R&D investment.
- Focused on doubling down on AI innovation and expanding platform features.
- Vision: democratize advanced cybersecurity for SMBs while delivering elite protection to the DIB.
- Chris aims to balance company building with family, health, and meditation—striving for better life integration as a second-time founder.
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