Lacework named only security company in top-10 of Forbes’ Best Startup Employers

Lacework named only security company in top-10 of Forbes’ Best Startup EmployersLike many values-driven companies, Lacework has noble beginnings.

The company was founded at a time when the world of work was moving into the cloud, and organizations were experiencing a fundamental shift in how business was getting done. The cloud offered never-before-experienced benefits, while adding unique challenges for companies of all sizes. And for Lacework, this meant an opportunity to help customers shine a new light on security.

This week, Lacework was named as the only security company in the top-10 of Forbes’ Top Startup Employers to work for in 2022. From its humble beginnings seven years ago, Lacework has since grown to more than 1,000 employees worldwide; continues to attract customers of all sizes with its innovative Polygraph Data Platform®; and recently announced an investment in the company that represents the largest funding round in security industry history.

“It’s about creating a culture of transparency and openness and teamwork,” Lacework Co-CEO David ‘Hat’ Hatfield told Forbes. “People have become much more enlightened in making sure that what they’re doing everyday is with people that they respect . . . Creating an environment that celebrates that is really fundamental to attracting people in and certainly to retaining them and enabling them to be really productive.”

As with most companies, Lacework has also been tested during the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, 85% of Lacework’s staff were hired since the first lockdowns and have never stepped foot in the office. But by maintaining a flat organizational structure and shared sense of purpose – including making sure all new hires give feedback on their employee experience after a month on the job – Lacework has not only survived, but thrived.

According to Forbes, the number of security startups on the list more than doubled year-over-year to 43, making it the fastest-growing sector. Lacework rose to the top 10, however, after ranking No. 98 just a year ago, thanks in part to the company’s unique position to help drive business value for organizations embracing remote and hybrid work models.

“Companies are getting all this benefit during the pandemic of delivering new services quicker and easier without having to manage all of the infrastructure themselves, so that created a lot of demand for companies like ours,” Hatfield told Forbes.

Across the industry, companies also are expected to expand their overall cloud security spending — and teams across most organizations (from executive to security to development) are looking for ways to ensure security is a key part of strategic business planning. According to the inaugural 2022 Cloud Security Outlook, for example, 88% of companies believe cloud security will become more important over the next year, most notably because of the growth of new threats and shortage of skilled security talent. The research conducted by ClearPath Strategies, in partnership with Lacework, also found the majority of respondents (76%) are specifically investing in automation and machine learning to help them manage the increasing activity.
To be named as one of Forbes’ Best Startup Employers is a strong validation of Lacework’s mission to rethink the traditional approach to security, and help customers navigate the complexities of the cloud era.

Interested to learn more about Lacework and how you can be a part of securing the future of business? Check out our careers page for more information. You can also find the full listing of Forbes’ Best Startup Employers 2022 here. #WeAreLacework