We Started AppSecAI So You Could Win!

We're not new to application security. In fact, we helped create the modern AppSec landscape, starting at Contrast Security in 2014, where we redefined how organizations approach securing their software. But despite the evolution of security tools, a persistent problem remained: instead of helping security teams, these tools often introduced complexity, increased workloads, and failed to meet the growing demands of modern software development.

Bruce Fram, Michael Cartsonis, and Lori Harmon have worked together for more than 25 years—first at Network General, then as the founding business team at Contrast Security. Over the years, they witnessed how traditional security approaches fell short. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools, though widely used, produced overwhelming false positives, creating inefficiencies and frustration for security teams. The industry needed a breakthrough—one that didn't just promise security but actually delivered it in a way that worked for modern enterprises.

In early 2023, Bruce, now CEO of AppSecAI, and Michael, our VP of Product, saw an opportunity to leverage generative AI to revolutionize application security. They believed Large Language Models (LLMs) had the potential to solve the inefficiencies that had long plagued the industry—eliminating false positives, accelerating remediation, and giving security teams the superpowers they needed to succeed. To validate their vision, they engaged with enterprise leaders across industries. The response was clear: organizations were desperate for a solution that could provide accurate, actionable insights without slowing down development.

To bring this vision to life, Bruce and Michael met Kevin Fealey, an industry veteran with 15 years of experience in building and running security programs at companies such as Aspect Security, EY, BlockOne, and Bullish. As AppSecAI's CTO, Kevin led a small, dedicated team to test the feasibility of AI-driven vulnerability triage and remediation. Through rigorous experimentation, they proved that with the right approach, generative AI could intelligently analyze, prioritize, and even fix vulnerabilities with enterprise-grade reliability—something traditional tools had struggled to achieve.

Over the past year, the team focused on building a novel AI-driven application delivery system that serves as the foundation for an entirely new approach to security. This platform not only identifies vulnerabilities but also provides contextual remediation guidance and automation capabilities that allow security teams to work smarter and faster.

By mid-2024, Lori Harmon, a proven sales leader with experience at Contrast Security, BlackBerry, NetApp, and Cloudflare, joined the team as Head of Sales.

Together, Bruce, Michael, Kevin, and Lori founded AppSecAI with a clear mission: to provide enterprises with the first truly AI-powered security solution—one that enables organizations to secure their applications at speed and scale without sacrificing accuracy or efficiency.