Acronis names Gerald Caron as their new CISO for expansion

Acronis has appointed Gerald Caron as Chief Information Security Officer as it expands its managed detection and response business.

Caron joins the cybersecurity company with more than 20 years of experience across government and the private sector. He will lead Acronis' global security strategy and operations, overseeing product security, internal security processes, governance, compliance, incident response and recovery.

The appointment follows growth in Acronis' managed detection and response, or MDR, service, which the company said has been growing by more than 50% quarter on quarter.

In the role, Caron will work with Acronis' research and development teams and its threat research unit. His remit also includes employee security awareness, data protection and privacy, business continuity and disaster recovery.

Before joining Acronis, Caron was Program Management Director at SAIC and Vice President of Cybersecurity at RIVA Solutions.

Earlier in his career, he held Chief Information Officer posts at the US Departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services. He also worked in technical roles at the State Department and was a member of the Senior Executive Service.

Acronis has been expanding its security portfolio as it seeks to widen its reach among managed service providers and IT departments. Recent launches include Acronis MDR by Acronis TRU, a service for around-the-clock threat monitoring and incident response, and Acronis GenAI Protection, which is designed to monitor and govern generative AI use.

Its Threat Research Unit analyses emerging threats and provides intelligence intended to improve defences for partners and customers. Acronis works with more than 21,000 service providers, which in turn support more than 750,000 businesses across 150 countries.

Jan-Jaap Jager, Chief Executive Officer of Acronis, said: "Gerald's cybersecurity leadership across the federal and private sectors will be an important addition to our leadership team. Security is fundamental to how we build, operate, and protect Acronis products and services. Gerald will work closely with our R&D teams to further strengthen security throughout the product lifecycle, while driving a consistent approach to internal security and compliance. His leadership will help us continue to innovate securely as we expand the solutions partners rely on to protect, manage and automate their customers' environments. This includes advancing Acronis MDR by Acronis TRU to help partners strengthen threat detection, incident response and recovery."

Caron said: "Acronis has built a strong cybersecurity foundation that combines security expertise, threat intelligence, and continuous innovation. I'm excited to build on that foundation alongside our security, research, and engineering teams. My focus is on ensuring security remains central to how we build, innovate, and operate as we expand and enhance protection for Acronis partners and customers."

The appointment places security leadership at the centre of Acronis' efforts to support its growing customer base. As cyber threats become more complex, managed service providers face increasing pressure to detect attacks quickly and limit their impact on business operations.

Acronis' MDR offering is intended to help partners address these challenges through continuous monitoring and coordinated incident response. Caron's experience in government cybersecurity and private-sector leadership could also support the company's approach to risk management and regulatory compliance. His responsibilities will span both the protection of Acronis' own systems and the security capabilities built into the products and services it delivers to customers.