Josh Ray is the founder and CEO of Blackwire Labs, bringing over 24 years of experience in combating advanced cyber threats across business, private, public, and military sectors. As a U.S. Navy veteran and cybersecurity executive, Ray has consistently built and led high-performing teams to guard critical networks and organizations. His profession includes key roles at Accenture Security, Verisign, Raytheon, and the Office of Naval Intelligence, where he drove innovation and built capabilities to defend among the world’s largest organizations against a myriad of advanced cyber adversaries.
Josh’s mix of technical expertise and business acumen has been instrumental in driving growth and innovation within the cybersecurity industry. As CEO of Blackwire Labs, Ray leads the corporate’s mission to construct trusted and expert AI cybersecurity solutions, leveraging his extensive experience to navigate the complex intersection of technology, security, and business.
Are you able to share what inspired you to start out Blackwire Labs? What specific challenges in cybersecurity were you hoping to deal with with this enterprise?
The three of us – myself, Chris Clark CTO, and Andrew Maloney CCO – got here together because we saw organizations scuffling with the identical challenge: they need AI to execute against business objectives and defend against sophisticated threats. Nonetheless, the catch is they can not trust or implement existing solutions effectively. Collectively we have now built security products and capabilities for among the world’s largest enterprises, we saw firsthand how smaller organizations face the identical advanced threats but lack access to the expertise they need. We kept occupied with all of the organizations that couldn’t afford large security teams but still needed protection. We truly wish to help organizations of all sizes but we really need to construct something meaningful that makes trusted expert-level cybersecurity capabilities accessible, not only the elite few.
Your profession spans the military, public, and personal sectors in cybersecurity. How did each of those experiences influence your vision for Blackwire?
We’ve got a responsibility to serve and protect those organizations that form the backbone of our society. Each sector really has taught me something vital about what we actually need to construct trust and enhance cyber resilience. On the Office of Naval Intelligence and supporting JTF-GNO, I learned firsthand the criticality of getting the best set of experience at the best time, especially while you’re defending networks that protect our warfighters and national security.
At Raytheon and later at iDefense, I saw how the private sector was grappling with increasingly sophisticated threats, lots of the same types that I saw during my time within the DoD. What became clear was that having siloed deep expertise wasn’t enough – you needed to have the opportunity to scale that knowledge effectively across a company. This really hit home after I was leading Accenture’s Global Cyber Defense Practice, where we were protecting among the world’s most targeted networks and the explosion of third party risk and provide chain attacks.
But here’s what bothers me: While the most important organizations could afford to construct robust security operations, countless others were left vulnerable and the funny thing is that they sit in the provision chain of those large organizations. I saw small businesses, healthcare providers, and state agencies scuffling with the identical advanced threats but without access to the expertise they needed. That is really what drove us to start out Blackwire Labs. We desired to take all the pieces we might learned about constructing capabilities and defending organizations at the very best levels and make it accessible to organizations that need it most. By combining trusted AI with human expertise, we may help bridge that gap. It is not nearly constructing one other security tool – it’s about delivering at scale the sort of expert-level cybersecurity capabilities that I’ve seen make the difference between a resilient security posture and a devastating breach.
Blackwire Labs combines expert-vetted AI insights with blockchain integrity through TrustWire. Could you walk us through how this fusion enhances the reliability of your cybersecurity insights?
We took a realistic and modern approach. We have built a series of trust that starts with our Cybersecurity Community of Excellence (CCOE) – seasoned professionals who collaborate with us to validate and enhance our knowledge base. We use a rigorous three-tier source evaluation framework grounded in intelligence analytical tradecraft. But based on Chris’s experience within the crypto space we’re capable of take it to the subsequent level. That is where TrustWire is available in – our blockchain-based system that creates an immutable, cryptographically verifiable record of all our sources and AI outputs. Using zero-knowledge proofs, we are able to prove the integrity of our insights while protecting sensitive data. Consider it as combining the very best of human expertise with cryptographic certainty. One other critical component of this approach is our Security Registry, which captures point-in-time snapshots of all cybersecurity analyses, including insights, sources, the user wants to avoid wasting. Consider it like a system of record that gives a everlasting, shareable record of your security decision-making process – something essential for explaining to your boss why you probably did something relating to audits, compliance reviews, and the incident response process.
Lexi, Blackwire’s AI, offers predictive prompting and customised guidance. How does this feature set help security teams anticipate threats more effectively?
Like most things in life, knowing “what” the best query is and “how” to ask it is vital. Our predictive prompting is not only about suggesting next steps – it’s about enhancing human expertise. The system understands your role, your organization’s context, and your security objectives to guide you toward more practical evaluation across a strategic, operational or tactical “select your individual adventure”, as Andrew calls it, set of prompts. It lets you get more detailed insights faster by with the ability to account for multiple points of view that may differ depending on the organizational role (Think CISO/CTO- Strategic, incident responder/risk manager Operational, security engineer/SOC analyst- Tactical). It’s like having a seasoned security expert that may wear multiple hats, looking over your shoulder, anticipating what you want to consider next. But without the black box decisions or sources that may change or result in dead links.
Blackwire is described as being “secure by design.” Are you able to elaborate on the precise measures that make your platform enterprise-grade?
Every part from our architecture to our AI approach is designed with enterprise-grade security and trust in mind. Our CTO Chris has been doing this his entire profession and is adamant about this. Let me break this down practically. At its core, our architecture ensures complete data isolation between organizations, with strict tenant separation and configurable retention policies. We’re adamant about data privacy – we never train on customer data or queries, and all the pieces operates on a private-by-default basis. Consider it like running your individual secure enclave inside our platform.
For access control, we have implemented enterprise-grade authentication with granular RBAC and MFA support. Each API key will be scoped precisely to specific permissions, giving organizations complete control over how their teams interact with the platform. We have paired this with comprehensive audit logging and security monitoring, creating immutable records for compliance and security reviews.
What makes our approach unique is how we have constrained our AI models specifically to cybersecurity domains while maintaining complete transparency. Whenever you ask Blackwire Labs about baking a cake it can say, “I can not construct a cake but constructing a SOC requires a layered approach, would you wish to speak about that?” It is because we have implemented very purposeful constraints. Every response must reference validated sources through our three-tier framework, and our Security Registry creates everlasting, verifiable records of all analyses and decisions. This is not only about “checking a box” security measures – it’s about constructing a platform that security practitioners can trust.
Blackwire Labs places a robust emphasis on being user-configurable. What specific customizations can clients leverage to suit their unique security needs?
Along with what I spoke about earlier with predictive prompting and contextcraft, we’re developing capabilities for organizations to securely leverage their proprietary data alongside our trusted cybersecurity insights. Where users can incorporate their specific business context – whether that is internal policies, architecture documentation, or industry-specific requirements while maintaining data privacy and trust. This ensures their sensitive data never leaves their environment while still providing comprehensive, tailored answers. Take into consideration a healthcare provider needing to align security practices with HIPAA requirements, or a defense contractor working inside CMMC frameworks. They’ll integrate their compliance documentation and internal policies while leveraging our broader cybersecurity expertise. The hot button is that every one of this stays cryptographically verifiable through TrustWire, maintaining our commitment to transparency and trust.
How does Blackwire Labs’ “Service First” philosophy, rooted in your military background, shape your approach to customer relationships and cybersecurity solutions?
Our “Service First” philosophy runs deeper than simply customer relationships – it’s rooted in our faith-based ethos of servant leadership. This implies every decision we make starts with how we are able to best serve our community and protect organizations that need our help.
We’ve all grown up on this mission space, we understand the challenges security teams face because we have lived them. We have walked in our users’ shoes. We’re constructing solutions we’d have wanted ourselves. The safety community is small – everyone’s about one degree separated from one another and fame matters loads. That is why we took a practitioner-to-practitioner approach, bringing in design partners, advisors and beta users (which eventually become the CCOE) early to check our assumptions. We wanted plenty of folks within the boat with us early and infrequently. “This product is built for you, help us make it really useful.”
We also understand how security professionals are skeptical of vendors and in lots of cases rightfully so. That is why we give attention to solving real problems fairly than marketing hype. When our users tell us something needs to vary, we listen and act. This tight feedback loop with our community, combined with our commitment to service, helps us stay grounded and focused on what truly matters.
Cybersecurity is a fast-evolving field. What strategies does Blackwire Labs use to remain on the forefront of industry trends and threats?
Our approach draws from proven methodologies, particularly ones our CTO Chris Clark implemented at Palo Alto Networks in establishing their global threat R&D capability. Relatively than attempting to collect massive amounts of doubtless unreliable data, we have developed a scalable, efficient system for knowledge management and threat intelligence.
We have implemented a complicated triage system where queries that do not meet our criteria for being fully answered or sourced undergo each automated and manual review processes. This creates a robust network effect where gaps are addressed and knowledge becomes available to all users. If our system cannot provide a satisfactory answer, it mechanically triggers an internal review.
What makes this approach unique is our give attention to quality over quantity. Our CCOE members, who represent various industries and roles from CISOs to vulnerability researchers, help validate our knowledge base and fill expertise gaps. By covering general areas comprehensively, we are able to give attention to edge cases and emerging challenges that really require specialized knowledge.
The hot button is transparency – as I discussed before our system is designed to confess when it doesn’t have a solution, which then prompts our team to fill that knowledge gap. Often, it’s simply a matter of rephrasing the query (or using the Lexi smart prompting to mechanically create a more nuanced prompt that the user may not have the power to create), which we are able to quickly address. This approach allows us to scale while maintaining high standards for accuracy and reliability.
With the rise of Web3, quantum, and space technologies, how is Blackwire positioning itself to deal with cybersecurity in these emerging domains?
We seek advice from and get advice from plenty of folks smarter than us. We’re blessed to have advisors who’re luminaries within the technology and security space like Matt Devost and Bob Gourley from OODA. They’ve shared insights and evaluation with us on these topics and plenty of others. We’re also fortunate to collaborate closely with folks like Rick Howard and his Cyber Cannon project – these are folks that many in the neighborhood look to with a view to understand what’s next. These are folks who’re members of our CCOE but in addition mentors to me. The proven fact that we have all been doing this for a very long time and still have a really strong skilled network, many who I consider close friends, are security executives that help us address each the here and now problems and what’s next. What makes this approach powerful is the way it informs our platform’s evolution. While Web3, quantum, and space technologies are exciting frontiers, we’re focused on constructing a foundation of trust that may adapt to those emerging domains. Our TrustWire technology, for example, already leverages blockchain and zero-knowledge proofs – core Web3 technologies – to make sure data integrity and privacy.
But more importantly, we have built our platform to be adaptable. We repeatedly integrate recent insights and expertise as these technologies evolve. It is not about chasing every recent trend – it’s about having the best expertise and trusted framework to guage and reply to emerging threats across any domain after which help our clients operationalize the best solution.
What are your long-term goals for Blackwire Labs, and the way do you envision its role in the longer term of AI-driven cybersecurity?
Our long-term vision goes beyond just constructing a successful company – we would like to fundamentally change how organizations approach cybersecurity within the AI era. We would like to do good and champion truth. We’re working to democratize access to expert-level cybersecurity capabilities while ensuring that AI adoption doesn’t compromise security or trust. We imagine the longer term of cybersecurity lies in combining human expertise with trustworthy AI, and we’re positioning Blackwire Labs to steer that transformation. But we’ll do it thoughtfully, staying true to our principles of transparency, humility, trust, and repair to our customers.
