EP6 - Danny Jenkins: The Zero Trust Pioneer Who Built a $1.5B Cybersecurity Empire
From Binary to Billions · 34:35
Show by Hosted by Rob Scott
Welcome to Binary to Billions, where we explore the human stories behind technology's greatest success stories. In this episode, host Rob Scott sits down with Danny Jenkins, co-founder and CEO of ThreatLocker, whose extraordinary journey from bullied school dropout to cybersecurity pioneer embodies the power of turning adversity into innovation.Danny's story begins in Telford, where he was bullied and dropped out at age 15, teaching himself to code and writing scripts to delete his bullies' homework files. From those challenging beginnings, he built ThreatLocker into a $1.5 billion company protecting over 50,000 organizations worldwide—from small businesses to major airports like Heathrow.What You'll Discover:The Bootstrap Battle: How Danny maxed out $150,000 in credit cards, splitting grocery bills across three cards to feed his family while building ThreatLocker - until WannaCry proved his technology could stop ransomware cold.The Malware Gambit: The incredible story of how Danny wrote custom malware in two hours (with a box of wine) to demonstrate to skeptical investors that traditional antivirus was useless—securing his first major funding.Zero Trust Revolution: Why Danny's philosophy that "only trusted software runs, everything else is blocked" has gone from being dismissed as impractical to becoming the industry standard, and how it could "dismantle the economics of cybercrime."The AI Arms Race: Danny's candid take on how artificial intelligence is creating millions of new potential cybercriminals overnight, and why traditional security approaches are failing.Leadership Philosophy: The mindset that helped him launch companies after spinal surgeries, his instant decision-making approach, and why ThreatLocker hires based on attitude over credentials—with no degree requirements for any position.This conversation reveals the brutal honesty behind building a unicorn company—from sleepless nights splitting grocery payments to moments of triumph when hospitals are saved from ransomware attacks. Danny shares why success means he can never quit, the weight of protecting 54,000 organizations, and his mission to change cybersecurity forever.Perfect for entrepreneurs, cybersecurity professionals, and anyone who believes the most audacious moves are exactly what your business needs to survive and thrive.Binary to Billions explores the human stories behind technology's greatest success stories. Hosted by Rob Scott, founder of Today Digital and several B2B tech media publications including CX Today and UC Today.
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