As a short-form entertainment platform that brings joy to millions of people around the world, TikTok makes security and privacy a top priority. This is why our Global Security (GS) organization works hard to build, implement, and maintain next-generation security and privacy controls that protect our global community.
At TikTok, security isn't an end goal — it's a cornerstone of every day and an ongoing process. To continue improving, we're assembling an industry-leading team with a wide range of talents and experiences. Here's an introduction to who they are and what they're about!
Mission and Vision
With TikTok, a few seconds of authentic and creative expression can turn into a trend or much more, moving from the digital world into the physical world and selling out pastas, cheeses, or even books.
In this fast-moving environment, security not only touches every part of our business and community, but also deals with a threat landscape that is constantly shifting. In implementing new security controls and sharing privacy resources across the company, the team must work rapidly and cross-functionally to anticipate threats and resolve issues. This is why we rely on a diversity of skills and experiences within GS to guide our solutions.
Our Global Security Leaders
Our security and privacy leaders come to us from various backgrounds, including IT, technical engineering, military service, and the public sector. In previous roles, they were responsible for safeguarding some of the world's largest corporations, organizations, and even nation states. We're proud to introduce three of these leaders who are doing incredible work: Andy Bonillo, Arushi Sardana, and Katie Stefanich.
Andy Bonillo, Global Head of Threat Management and Incident Response
Andy leads the team responsible for ensuring TikTok can detect, respond, and recover from converged threats and incidents. Before TikTok, Andy gained experience with physical security and transnational cyber crime investigation in the US Secret Service, and built cyber security programs as a Chief Information Security Officer in the private sector.
"It's exciting to wake up every day knowing I get to focus on building a world-class threat management and incident response program that will enable TikTok to grow," Andy says. "New adversaries are always trying to disrupt our fast-growing platform and user experience, so each day brings a new challenge."
Given his past experience protecting world leaders and arresting some of the most prolific cyber criminals in the world, Andy brings a unique perspective to his work at TikTok.
"TikTok is the first private sector security organization that feels as mission-driven as when I was a Secret Service Agent," Andy explains. "We're fun, easygoing, and supportive, and everyone checks their egos at the door to try to accomplish great things together."
Arushi Sardana, Global Security Technical Program Manager
Before joining TikTok, Arushi worked in leadership positions as a Cyber Risk Consultant and Security Strategist for top companies in management consulting and technology. As a Technical Program Manager, she now works with various business teams across TikTok to drive security objectives, like building programs to battle inauthentic engagement and developing user authentication controls.
"My favorite part of working on the team is how we're all thinking about what's best for our users and their privacy at every step of the way," Arushi says. "We're committed to doing things right and working on every aspect of security, whether it's threat intelligence, data defense, bug bounty programs, vulnerability scanning, or risk management."
Having spent over a year at TikTok, Arushi has adjusted to the fast pace of work and enjoyed countless opportunities to grow.
"As a security professional, you have to stay current and and think ten steps ahead. The environment at TikTok has been perfect for me to grow my expertise and leadership, get creative with outside the box solutions, and learn from some of the brightest minds and kindest people I know."
Katie Stefanich, Business Resilience & Crisis Management Lead
Katie has worked in security for nearly 15 years, handling everything from crisis and emergency management to management consulting. She previously worked with global clients across many complex industries, and spent several years supporting cybersecurity awareness and national preparedness programs for the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"I came to TikTok because I knew the team was tight-knit and mission-focused," Katie says. "Security is a competitive field with talent spread all over the place, but at TikTok there's a nexus of talent and great people from all over the world."
Leading our business resilience and crisis management team, Katie anticipates worst-case scenarios that could prevent us from operating and creates strategies to mitigate them and make sure we stay online.
"Working at TikTok is different because we're not just a security team buried in a Security Operations Center. We're building a converged Fusion Center that will align us with our business stakeholders, so when we say security is a shared responsibility, we mean it."
Joining the Team
At TikTok, security is a team sport. Our ability to protect against threats is only as strong as our ability to identify and work together to address them. Thanks to the work of our GS organization -- and the leadership of those like Andy, Arushi, and Katie -- our platform and community around the world is thriving.
If you're excited to make an impact and take your career to new heights at TikTok, browse the latest openings in security here and follow us on LinkedIn for updates.
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