We're excited to announce that CloudFlare has acquired the Trusted Computing and virtual private network (VPN) as a service company CryptoSeal. CryptoSeal was founded by Ryan Lackey, a well-known engineer in the security community whom we've admired for some time. The company was funded by Y Combinator and angel investors from the security community.
At CloudFlare, our mission is to build a better Internet. Today, we provide a best-in-class service to ensure that our customers' websites and services are fast, safe, and reliable. We do this through a massive global network that acts as a reverse proxy, filtering traffic from attackers while accelerating traffic for legitimate visitors.
CryptoSeal's service was, effectively, CloudFlare in reverse. Rather than acting as a reverse proxy, the CryptoSeal VPN functions as a forward proxy. Where CloudFlare's customers are websites, CryptoSeal's are web surfers. By joining forces, we believe there are exciting opportunities to help build a better Internet end-to-end.
Beyond the company’s work in VPNs, CryptoSeal applied Trusted Computing technology to commodity servers, protecting them from compromise by outsider attackers or insider subversion, and guaranteeing the integrity of server-side applications to remote end users. This technology has clear application at CloudFlare as we build a secure edge for the Internet.
“I’m really excited to work with CloudFlare to bring secure, easy-to-use networking to a huge number of sites and users,” Ryan told me when we were working on the deal. “CloudFlare really is the perfect company to deploy security technologies like Trusted Computing, robust cryptography, and secure networks to make the Internet a better place.”
We began the process of shutting down CryptoSeal's service last week, shortly after the acquisition was finalized. We've notified current customers and expect the service to be retired completely by June 30, 2014. Ryan Lackey is joining CloudFlare's team as a product manager focused on new security products. In the months to come, expect new product extensions that take advantage of CryptoSeal's technology combined with our rapidly expanding network.