THE former chief information security officer (CISO) of Gemini, Jim Rouse, has joined cybersecurity startup Horangi's ranks as its vice-president of cyber operations.

Gemini is one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins and regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services.

Mr Rouse, who has also worked for Sony, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will help Horangi build a "world-class cybersecurity team and help customers to tackle their most complex and challenging cybersecurity problems", the startup said in a press release on Wednesday.

On his new appointment, Mr Rouse said: "I am very excited to be joining the team at Horangi. At its core, security, whether it is information security or physical security, is a people problem. As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, we will be better placed to protect our clients and organisations from threats if we understand people and their behaviour better."

"He (Mr Rouse) is a highly respected CISO who has built and led multiple professional teams in the world's largest organisations... I am confident that with his leadership and multidisciplinary experience, our customers will be able to streamline and shed years off their organisational and capabilities development," said Paul Hadjy, co-founder and chief executive of Horangi.

Founded in 2016 by Lee Sult and Mr Hadjy, who are both former employees of Silicon Valley data-mining company Palantir, Horangi provides security support required by enterprises in Asia against cyberattacks through its suite of products and professional advisory services. In 2017, the startup raised US$3.1 million in its Series A funding round led by Monk's Hill Ventures.

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