# Ian Swanson

> Ian Swanson is a Seattle-area technology founder and VP of AI Security Products at Palo Alto Networks. He co-founded and led Protect AI, acquired by Palo Alto Networks in July 2025, after founding DataScience.com, acquired by Oracle in 2018, and Sometrics, acquired by American Express in 2011. His work focuses on securing AI throughout development and deployment.

- **Role:** VP, AI Security Products at Palo Alto Networks
- **Organizations:** Palo Alto Networks, Prisma AIRS, Protect AI, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, DataScience.com, American Express, Sometrics, Sprint, Launchpad.LA, Amplify.LA
- **Education:** University of California, Santa Barbara
- **Known for:** Founded or co-founded three companies subsequently acquired by American Express, Oracle and Palo Alto Networks., Received the 2013 American Express Chairman’s Award., Testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection in December 2023.

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Founded Sometrics, a virtual currency and gaming payments business.
- **2011** — American Express acquired Sometrics.
- **2013** — Received the American Express Chairman’s Award.
- **2014** — Founded DataScience.com in January.
- **2018** — Oracle acquired DataScience.com; subsequently served as VP of Machine Learning.
- **2020–2021** — Led worldwide AI/ML business activity at Amazon Web Services; exact dates vary among public biographies.
- **2022** — Protect AI emerged publicly with Swanson as co-founder and CEO, alongside Badar Ahmed and Daryan Dehghanpisheh.
- **2023** — Testified at a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on December 12.
- **2024** — Protect AI raised a $60 million Series B, bringing total funding to $108.5 million.
- **2025** — Palo Alto Networks completed its Protect AI acquisition July 22; Swanson joined as VP, Product, Prisma AIRS.
- **2026** — Continued as VP of AI Security Products and co-authored IBM research on securing AI at scale.

## Achievements

- Founded or co-founded three companies subsequently acquired by American Express, Oracle and Palo Alto Networks.
- Received the 2013 American Express Chairman’s Award.
- Testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection in December 2023.
- Led Protect AI through a $60 million Series B announced in August 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Published a July 9 employer blog post on Palo Alto Networks’ recognition in AI security.
- **2026-03** — Listed as co-author of IBM Institute for Business Value research on securing AI at scale, published March 22.
- **2026-01** — Appeared on Threat Vector to discuss the AI supply chain and AI agent security.
- **2025-11** — Co-authored a CIO guide to securing AI by design with Hitendar Sethi.
- **2025-07** — Joined Palo Alto Networks as VP, Product, Prisma AIRS when its acquisition of Protect AI closed.

## Links

- Website: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/perspectives/author/ian-swanson/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianswanson/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/ianrswanson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iswanson

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ian-swanson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26