Prague, Czech Republic & Redwood City, California, July 12, 2019 – Avast (LSE:AVST) announced it has appointed Jaya Baloo to the position of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), effective October 1, 2019. Jaya Baloo joins Avast from KPN, the largest telecommunications carrier in the Netherlands, where she held the position of CISO. Ms. Baloo  has been formally recognized in the list of the top 100 CISOs globally and ranks among the top 100 security influencers worldwide.

Ms. Baloo has been working in the field of information security for 20 years with a focus on secure network architecture, and is a faculty member of the Singularity University, and also sits on a number of infosecurity boards. She has spoken widely at high profile conferences such as RSA, TEDx and Codemotion on topics including Lawful Interception, VoIP & Mobile Security, Cryptography, and Quantum Communications networks.

Ondrej Vlcek, Avast Chief Executive Officer, said, “Jaya really is a rock star of the CISO world and will be an incredible addition to our leadership team. She has an impressive breadth and depth of experience on the risks facing consumers and businesses today, and is personally passionate about improving cybersecurity on a global scale through industry and academia collaboration.”

Jaya Baloo said, “I am really looking forward to working together with the team at Avast where they positively impact millions of people's lives daily through information security. The products, the wonderful company and the enormous potential to make a difference through security innovation are all the reasons I can’t wait to get started.’’

Prior to KPN, Ms. Baloo held the position of Practice Lead Lawful Interception at Verizon. She previously worked at France Telecom as a Technical Security Specialist.