RoboShadow

A start-up offering network scanning and penetration testing software for businesses at free or low cost.

About RoboShadow

RoboShadow is a cyber security company that makes it cheaper and simpler for ordinary businesses to protect themselves. Many small firms cannot afford big security teams, so RoboShadow offers one platform, run from a single lightweight program on each computer, that finds weaknesses and helps fix them, using free or very low-cost software for many users. It serves small and medium businesses, managed service providers (firms that run IT for other companies), larger enterprises, the public sector and not-for-profits, and says it fully funds some charities.

RoboShadow says it was founded in London in 2017, and a business database lists its address in Great Eastern Street, London, and names Terry Lewis as chief executive. We did not find who founded it, so we do not name founders. Its data is held in the EU (Ireland) on Amazon's cloud, with US storage on its roadmap.

Its stated mission is to demystify cyber security by reducing its cost and complexity. The UK government's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) programme, NCSC for Startups, described it as "a cyber security startup aiming to bridge the cyber technology gap for everyone". RoboShadow says it was mentored through the NCSC Cyber Accelerator and lists itself as an NCSC for Startups alumnus.

Its platform has nine tools. In the find group are Device Compliance (checks computers against recognised secure settings), an External Scanner (watches what an attacker can see from the internet), a LAN Scanner (views the inside of a network as an attacker would) and a Dark Web Scanner (alerts you when company logins leak). In the fix and prove group are AI Auto Fix (automatic patching and hardening), Security RMM (remote monitoring and management), AI Pentest Simulation (a simulated penetration test, a safe practice attack), an AI Virtual CSO (a virtual chief security officer adviser) and Microsoft 365 Compliance. It says it holds SOC 2 Type II and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications and has been independently penetration tested.

We did not find information on culture, team size or careers, and the site's About Us page was not read. We found no graduate scheme, internship or apprenticeship. Because the product is about making security understandable for non-experts, roles likely touch software, support and customer success, but that is our inference, so check the RoboShadow website for current openings.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Device compliance, external, LAN and dark web scanning.', 'title': 'Find: scanners'}
• {'desc': 'Automatic patching, simulated penetration tests and a virtual security adviser.', 'title': 'Fix and prove: AI tools'}
• {'desc': 'Remote monitoring and management of devices.', 'title': 'Security RMM'}
• {'desc': 'Checks Microsoft 365 settings against recognised benchmarks.', 'title': 'Microsoft 365 compliance'}

Key facts

• Says it was founded in London in 2017; a database lists Terry Lewis as CEO
• Mission: demystify cyber security by reducing cost and complexity (company website)
• Nine tools on one lightweight agent; free or very low-cost software
• NCSC for Startups alumnus; says it holds SOC 2 Type II and Cyber Essentials Plus

Website: www.roboshadow.com