Amit Yoran, Tenable CEO, Passes Away

The cybersecurity industry reacted with shock at the loss of Amit Yoran, the renowned cybersecurity executive who helmed several of the biggest cybersecurity companies, including Tenable, RSA Security, and NetWitness. Yoran was also the founding director of the US Department of Homeland Security’s US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) program.

Yoran, 54, died on Jan. 3. He had been in treatment for cancer since March 2024 and took a medical leave of absence on Dec. 5 to pursue additional treatment.

Yoran became the chairman and CEO of Tenable Holdings in 2016 following the retirement of co-founder Ron Gula; he also became the company’s president in 2018. Yoran led the company’s growth and successful $250 million Nasdaq initial public offering (IPO) in 2018. The exposure management company was valued at $2.1 billion at IPO; it is now worth $4.69 billion. In 2022, Tenable launched Tenable One, which combined vulnerability management, external attack surface management, identity management, and cloud security.

“Amit leaves behind an incredible legacy as a visionary, leader, colleague, mentor, brother, father, and friend. He touched the lives of so many within and beyond our company and he will be missed,” Tenable said in a statement. “We understand that this news may come as a shock, and we encourage you to take the time to process this difficult loss.” 

Prior to Tenable, Yoran served as president of RSA Security from 2014 to 2016. He founded threat detection and response platform NetWitness in 2006 and led the company until 2011, when it was acquired by RSA Security. In 1998, Yoran co-founded RIPtech, a managed security services provider that used sensor networks to protect government and corporate computers. RIPtech was acquired by Symantec for $145 million in 2002. Yoran, who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1993, served in Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Division from 2003 to 2004 where he focused on critical infrastructure security and preparedness.

True Leader in Cybersecurity

Yoran helped shape the cybersecurity industry with his expertise, empathy, and leadership. His goal was to make the digital world safer for everyone, and toward that end, he acted as a mentor to many, shared his expertise with industry peers, and sat on a number of boards, including BlackLine and the Center for Internet Security. In a memo to employees, Tenable chief people and culture officer Bidgett Paradise called Yoran “a visionary leader and a guiding force who profoundly impacted our industry, company, culture, and community.” Former colleagues and peers filled social media with acknowledgements of Yoran’s contributions to the cybersecurity field and their personal stories of how Yoran had guided them.

“Amit was one of the true OGs in cybersecurity, and we grew up together in this space,” George Kurtz, founder and CEO of competitor CrowdStrike, wrote on LinkedIn. “He was a brilliant leader who understood the mission of protecting organizations and people at a fundamental level. Beyond his work in the private sector, Amit’s public service with the federal government underscored his dedication to securing the nation at large.”

Yoran’s “open letter to Okta” after the company disclosed a third-party breach had compromised customers in 2022 is a good example of how he called out the industry for its mistakes in a thoughtful and constructive way, while advocating for best practices in a straightforward manner. He wrote a similar note in 2023 after multiple reports of vulnerabilities in Microsoft Azure.

Yoran’s two brothers, Dov and Elad, are both in cybersecurity. “Late last night, we lost a brother, a father, a son, a husband, a veteran, an industry titan and a drinking buddy,” Dov Yoran, former Cisco executive now leading cyber investigation startup Command Zero, wrote on LinkedIn. “Amit Yoran was a force of nature. He was a true hero in how he touched and helped so many people in so many unthinkable ways.”

Editor’s Note: Amit was a leader in the industry who generously shared his time, expertise, and insight with Dark Reading over the years. He was a friend to many of us here at Dark Reading — we will miss his big heart and smile.