Meet Bob Lewis MBE - Senior Advisor at NetClean

Could you share your background and what led you to NetClean, especially considering your roles at Barclays Bank and Lloyd's Bank?

I have always been an advocate for child protection, ever since I joined the police. On leaving law enforcement I joined the banking sector, and given the level of cyber-security controls in place, I was surprised to discover that individuals could access CSAM materials at work.

This led me to seek out a CSAM reporting tool with 100% accuracy. NetClean was then, and remains now, the only tool that can identify an image, report its findings, without the investigator viewing a single image. Moreover, NetClean builds on its strong technology foundations and has developed from its founding CSAM identification purpose into an insider threat detection tool.

Reflecting on your extensive experience, how have you seen the security landscape evolve, and how does NetClean fit into addressing current challenges?

Over the past two decades alone, the cyber security landscape has undergone significant transformations in technology, automation, and threats. Today’s threat landscape varies from AI, fake news, nation-states, and automated attacks to persistent threats.

Surpassing even these issues are the daily technological advances in artificial intelligence, whose capabilities I anticipate will exponentially grow. These threats and opportunities, combined with automation, will significantly accelerate how security threats and defenses evolve. NetClean’s focus on detecting CSAM will help organizations identify insiders who are placing themselves and their employers at risk.

As NetClean’s Senior Advisor, how do you plan to engage with the UK market, and what unique value do you see NetClean bringing to partners and customers?

I am committed to fostering collaboration within the United Kingdom (UK) market and educating UK companies on cybersecurity risks posed by staff who view Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on corporate-issued digital devices. This combined with NetClean’s fact-based searches, zero false positive approach and strategic partnerships with Microsoft, VMware, Splunk, and IBM. This will allow NetClean to leverage existing customers and drive growth across the UK and Ireland.

And finally, what motivated you to join NetClean, and how do its mission and solutions align with your professional goals and values?

Joining NetClean was quite unexpected, considering my initial plans for retirement. However, my journey with NetClean spans over 12 years, starting from purchasing and implementing their solutions at Barclays Bank. Along the way, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with their dedicated team.

From a professional standpoint, NetClean embodies everything one could desire in a company: a distinctive product that safeguards businesses while making a tangible societal impact while staying true to its values. This experience prompted me to reconsider my retirement plans, and now I eagerly anticipate each workday. It’s clear that NetClean’s approach to software development significantly contributes to both organizational security and the protection of exploited children.