Recorded Future arms you with real-time threat intelligence so you can proactively defend your organization against cyber attacks.
We connected with Lacey Maddalena, Recruiter, of Recorded Future's team to get an inside look at the company's day-to-day operations.
Interested in working here? Check out all of the job openings at Recorded Future on the list to the right!
Quick Hit Company Details
- Founded: 2009
- Number of employees/number of employees: 450
- Industry: Cybersecurity
Can you share the details on what Recorded Future does?
Recorded Future collects, processes, and analyzes vast amounts of data from across the open, deep, and dark web, in order to deliver comprehensive threat intelligence to cybersecurity teams. This in turn amplifies the effectiveness of security and IT teams by uncovering threats and empowering users to make better decisions, faster. Working to provide a more focused view of digital, brand, and third party risk, the Recorded Future platform provides intelligence ready for machine automation as well as deeper human analysis, helping global organizations understand their security posture and more effectively manage risk at the speed and scale of the internet.
Recorded Future arms threat analysts, vulnerability management teams, security operations centers, and incident responders with context-rich, actionable intelligence in real-time that’s ready for integration across the security ecosystem.
Who are some of your customers?
Over 90% of Fortune 100 companies rely on Recorded Future intelligence, including GAP, Raytheon, Verizon, and Accenture, to name a few.
We arm 40,000 security professionals across 22 industries and six continents to help them more effectively understand and manage cyber risk.
Recorded Future’s unique approach to delivering threat intelligence makes our products and services a valuable resource for our clients’ security. A recent independent survey revealed that more than 90 percent of our user base would recommend us.
What are the company values and how would you best describe the culture and working environment at Recorded Future?
Our values start with how we develop and maintain our own culture. That starts with how we treat our employees, or as we call them, our “Futurists.” They are our greatest assets. Being a global company, with offices in six countries and remote employees around the world, respect for each individual is at the forefront of our values. We love to collaborate and believe that our strengths come from one another as we work to solve tough problems, like securing important operations online. Every team at Recorded Future is full of good, smart, creative people who take ownership and responsibility to get the job done.
Although we just celebrated our 10-year anniversary, there’s still a start-up vibe -- from the cold brew keg and endless snacks to the casual dress code, open-office seating plan, and flexible work schedules. Adding to this feeling is the fact that our HQ in Somerville used to be a laundromat!
Check out our Instagram highlighting some of the fun at our Somerville offices!
Is there anything that you’d like to share in terms of promoting diversity across your company and hiring practices?
With Futurists representing over 40 nationalities, we understand the importance of diverse backgrounds and thought. As we continue to grow, our recruiting team is focused on ensuring managers have a diverse pool of candidates to hire from.
Not only are we looking at the current talent pool, we are also investing in programs that help develop underrepresented groups so they have the opportunity to get involved in cybersecurity and tech.
Additionally, we have employee resource groups for women and veterans created by employees. These groups meet regularly and cover a wide variety of topics. Our women's group recently visited a girls’ high school in Massachusetts to talk about the importance of security and why it’s an interesting career path. We are looking forward to adding more ERGs in 2020!
From a big picture point of view, what traits do you typically look for when interviewing and hiring new employees into Recorded Future?
During each interview, we ask the hiring team to focus on several key “success factors” that describe the types of people who succeed at Recorded Future.
A few of those are:
Accountable - Futurists take ownership of their actions. We celebrate our wins and learn from mistakes. We seek individuals who are self-aware, don’t place blame, and take responsibility.
Curious - Futurists have an innate desire to learn and understand the why and how behind the what. We seek individuals who are inquisitive, have a passion to continuously develop their skills, and see the learning potential in every opportunity.
Driven - Futurists challenge the status quo and go above and beyond. We seek individuals who are self-starters, can take initiative, and are motivated to succeed.
Fearless - Futurists take challenges head on and resolute in our approach. We seek individuals who are excited at the prospect of a new challenge, creative in approach, and understands the value of working outside their comfort zone.
Our VP of Sales says he’s looking for people who are, “humble, hungry, smart, and self-aware.”
What’s the best way to get a job at Recorded Future?
The best way is to know someone or to reach out personally to a member of our team -- about 40% of our hires come from internal referrals! But if you don’t know someone, apply! We look at every resume to vet for the best match. To make it through the resume stage be concise, list specific achievements, and keep it simple.
Keep an eye out on our Careers page as we are hiring over 300 people in 2020!
What can people expect over the course of their career at Recorded Future?
Come ready to learn! You’ll be surrounded by super smart, driven people - with lots of interests in and outside of security. Plus, because cybersecurity and security intelligence are rapidly developing and expanding, employees are encouraged to stay up to date on the latest trends, news, and solutions.
What types of activities are employees involved in at or outside the office?
All sorts of stuff and our slack channels really prove this. The #pets channel is the office favorite, it’s mainly photos of dogs and cats, but recently our colleague posted a photo of her two guinea pigs in hats with Santa! A few Futurists have sustainable farms (obviously they don’t live in Boston), but they post some of their crops and tips in the #homesteading channel. #running-connoisseurs brings together the runners (ultramarathoners and 5K-ers alike) and a few times a year 1RF (our culture club) sponsors 5K runs.
Share one or more random fun facts - the slate is open here… we’re looking for something interesting or random. It could be a story about the company… or one of your employees.
Recorded Future participated in the annual Boston Pride Parade for the third year and in 2019 was runner-up for “best float”.
Here’s a link for some insight into Christopher Ahlberg, CEO and Founder. He came up with his “Principles of Execution” after being asked about what he thinks it takes to be successful in our last all-hands meeting. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/principles-execution-christopher-ahlberg/
Rapid Fire Questions
What’s on tap?
Cold brew, beer is in the fridge -- the latest local microbrews, mich ultra, hard seltzers, and cider
iPhone or Android?
Both. Macs, Windows, and Linux users too! Futurists get to choose the laptop they work on
Coffee - hot or iced?
Coffee = iced, Espresso (two machines) = hot
Employee Testimonials
Alli Myers, BDR Manager
“I moved to Boston with no job almost three years ago and knew next to no one in the area, but was ready to completely change my path from teaching. During my interview with Recorded Future, I fell in love with the relaxed vibe, open-space office, the chance to work with companies in the Fortune 100, and our impressive product's capabilities (unbeatable...I'm not biased :) ). None of that has changed, and the number one reason why I've stayed is because of the people. I came to Boston knowing no one and found fast friends and mentors that believed in me enough to help my career become what it is today.”
Amanda McKeon, Senior Customer Success Manager
“When I first interviewed with Recorded Future more than four years ago, one aspect of the company really stood out — the people. I interviewed with incredibly intelligent employees with Ivy league degrees and experience working at three-letter government agencies, and even though I had no experience in the industry and a state school diploma, they spoke to me as a peer. This culture of inclusiveness and teamwork has stuck even though we've quadrupled in size. Beyond employing the very best people, the company encourages its employees to challenge themselves and try new roles. I've taken advantage of this mindset and have had three separate job titles, built multiple new programs, and acquired skills I wouldn't have thought I was capable of mastering.”
Brian Guessetto, Partner Marketing Manager
“Recorded Future has clear goals and encourages all employees to step outside their comfort zone and embrace new challenges to help achieve them. This has allowed me to grow and develop new skills as a marketing professional. The supportive, inclusive and welcoming culture makes coming to work fun everyday.”
Want to learn more about Recorded Future? Check out their BIZZPage.
