Amit Yoran
1970 – 2025
A life with a mission
With boundless gratitude, we remember the life and contributions of Amit Yoran, Tenable’s beloved Chairman and CEO. He was a scholar, soldier and public servant; a leader, visionary and entrepreneur in the field of cybersecurity; a loyal friend, colleague and mentor to so many; and a father, brother and son to his family.
He charted his own course and had an independent spirit that shone through often in the form of a mischievous grin, an easy laugh, or a well-timed joke. No moment was too big for him, and he was never out of place in any circumstance. He cared about people, supported all those in his orbit and had a personal story about everyone. Above all else, he was a truth teller and his name will forever be synonymous with integrity and transparency.
Amit's enduring legacy will live on as we continue his life’s mission to create a more secure digital future.
Timeline
Dec 1970
Amit Yoran is born in the U.S. to Israeli parents who immigrated to the United States.
1993
Amit graduates from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor’s in computer science. He’d go on to earn his master’s from The George Washington University, also in computer science.
1997
Combining his commitment to serving his country with his passion for cybersecurity, Amit becomes one of the founding members of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Computer Emergency Response Team (DoD-CERT).
1998
Amit co-founds Riptech with his brother Elad and Tim Belcher. It’s the first of many organizations he would found and lead, helping to shape the cybersecurity industry for decades.
2002
Riptech is acquired by Symantec for $145 million.
2003
Returning to public service, Amit becomes National Cybersecurity Director for the Department of Homeland Security. His time there was defined by the creation of the first-ever national alert system for viruses and cyberattacks.
2006
Amit founds NetWitness to bring deep, real-time network analysis to enterprises globally. The company’s 2010 discovery of a massive botnet attack–the Kneber ZeuS botnet–really put it on the map. By 2011, EMC Corporation acquired NetWitness, selling its products under the RSA Security Division
2014
RSA Security appoints Amit president.
2017
Amit joins Tenable as chairman and CEO. He led the company’s public offering in 2018 and helped to grow Tenable from an underdog into a nearly $5 billion exposure management leader, with approximately 44,000 customers globally. An impatient and unrelenting visionary, Amit was singularly focused on making our world a safer place through better cybersecurity.
Jan 2025
After a brave battle with cancer, Amit passes away at home, surrounded by family.
The memory wall
The Yoran family invites you to share your favorite stories about Amit (and pictures, too) on this memory wall.