Mike McConnell, Patrick Gorman and Peter Carroll join advisory board of 1Kosmos

Following a $15 million Series A funding from ForgePoint Capital, cybersecurity startup 1Kosmos has assembled an advisory board composed of a dozen cybersecurity leaders – including seasoned consultants Mike McConnell, Patrick Gorman, and Peter Carroll.

Founded in 2016 and based in Somerset, NJ, 1Kosmos provides digital identity proofing and passwordless authentication through advanced biometrics and a private blockchain ecosystem. The company’s family of products – BlockID Verify, Workforce, and Customer – provide security solutions for enterprises and individuals.

Led by an executive team with deep expertise in cybersecurity and experience at firms such as Sun, Oracle, Simeio, and Lehman Brothers, 1Kosmos currently has a team of approximately 40 people, according to LinkedIn.

The company has now secured a $15 million investment from ForgePoint Capital, a venture investor specializing in early-stage cybersecurity firms. The funding will allow 1Kosmos to accelerate its growth and product roadmap.

The company also announced a new advisory board, which includes consulting industry professionals Mike McConnell, Patrick Gorman, and Peter Carroll.

McConnell is a senior executive advisor at management and technology consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton. Between 2012 and 2018, he served as vice chairman at Booz Allen, leading the firm’s cyber business. Before that, he worked on developing the company’s information assurance and intelligence businesses.

Between 2007 and 2009, McConnell served as the US director of national intelligence under Presidents Bush and Obama. He retired from the US Navy in 1996 as a vice admiral.

Gorman is an executive vice president in Booz Allen’s cybersecurity business with more than 30 years of experience across technology strategy, risk management, and cybersecurity. He has spent 14 years at Booz Allen, leading projects in cybersecurity and systems integration for clients in the public and private sector.

Between 2007 and 2009, he served under McConnell as associate director of national intelligence. Gorman was also previously chief security officer at Bridgewater Associates and chief information security officer at Bank of America. He began his career in the US Air Force, where he was a cryptologic linguist.

Carroll is a partner in the retail and business banking practice of Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm. He has worked at Oliver Wyman for 35 years and supported many of the world’s largest financial services organizations, advising on digital initiatives and cybersecurity – including digital identity.

Some of the other advisory board members include Kirstjen Nielsen, former secretary of US homeland security, and Kemp Ensor, former director of security and counterintelligence at the NSA.

“Research has shown that 81% of data breaches are caused by identity and credential compromises,” said Hemen Vimadalal, CEO of 1Kosmos. “With the help of our expert advisory board and investment from ForgePoint, we are able to make this an issue of the past for all – saving companies and individuals the time, money, and hassle associated with outdated security.”