NSS Labs Expands Analyst and Business Development Teams

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Sep 10, 2013) -  NSS Labs, Inc., the leader in test-based research and analysis of information security products, today announced several new additions to its fast-growing team.

Joining the NSS team are:

• Mike Spanbauer, Managing Director of Research
• Brian Birkvald, Business Development Vice President
• Rob Ayoub, Research Director

Mike Spanbauer joins NSS as the Managing Director of Research and will manage NSS' research agenda and team of analysts. Prior to joining NSS, Spanbauer was Service Director at Current Analysis, managing the Business Technology and Software group which monitored, analyzed, and advised on application platforms, collaboration platforms, data center technology, enterprise mobility technology, enterprise networking, enterprise security, and unified communications and contact centers. Previously, he spent nearly 15 years at Hewlett-Packard where he established and managed competitive intelligence programs in networking hardware and in network management software. Spanbauer is well respected within the enterprise and carrier communities for his comprehensive insights into the domains and management of cloud, networking, software-defined networking and other areas. He has spoken at multiple industry events as a subject matter expert and as a Track Chair.

Brian Birkvald (MCP, CISM, CRISC) joins NSS as Business Development Vice President and is responsible for NSS' strategic partnerships. With over 24 years in the security industry, Birkvald has long been a leader in the creation of partnerships and information-sharing initiatives among technology vendors, major associations, and security professional organizations, including high-profile organizations such as NATO, NIST, ISF, CERT, ISAC, DI/ITEK, ISSA, ENISA, and various States Intelligence Services. Birkvald joins NSS from Secunia where he served as Security Partner Director. Prior to this role, he held strategic positions with leading companies such as Novo Nordisk and IBM. During Birkvald's 16 years with the Danish military, he served as a supervisory special Security Consultant of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) NATO, Computer Forensic Lab, Computer Crime and Information Warfare Division ACE COMPUSEC. Birkvald has also served as a member of an expert group working with the Danish Board of Technology to create the "IT-Security Beyond Borders" recommendations to the Danish government and the European Union (EU), and in early 2013, he was appointed to the European Multi-Stakeholders Platform on ICT Standardization, an advisory expert group to the EU Commission.

Research Director Rob Ayoub brings over eight years of IT security product marketing and market research experience to the NSS Labs analyst team. Prior to working at NSS, Ayoub was a Solutions Marketing Manager at Fortinet, where he collaborated in the creation of marketing programs around the company's solutions for healthcare, education, and managed security service providers. Ayoub also spent seven years at Frost & Sullivan, managing their information security practice, with focus on the information security landscape, trends, and technology innovation. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and is involved with several information security organizations, including CyberPatriot and ISSA.

"We are continuing to build a world-class team here at NSS and each brings unique skills and expertise to the organization that we need to continue growing at the rapid pace that we have throughout 2013," said Vik Phatak, CEO at NSS Labs. "We are fully committed to building our vision of what a modern analyst firm should be -- real-world security expertise and research backed by hands-on testing -- and continue to add the right strategic team members make that vision a reality."

About NSS Labs, Inc.
NSS Labs, Inc. is the world's leading information security research and advisory company. NSS is both an analyst firm specializing in security technologies and a testing laboratory widely recognized as the "go to" company for research and unbiased reporting. We deliver a unique mix of test-based research and expert analysis to provide our clients with the right information they need to make IT decisions. CIOs, CISOs, and information security professionals from many of the largest and most demanding enterprises rely on NSS. The company is located in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.nsslabs.com.

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