IT LIFE: Richard Pursey, SafeToNet CEO

What is your favourite technology of all time?

I remember seeing route-mapping technology for the first time when I was running a Forex trading floor in the City of London. The technology didn’t apply to the business but it opened my eyes to the incredible power of satellite communications and how it wouldn’t be long before everyone in the world would be connected no matter where they were.

It really caught my imagination and especially the way the algorithms must have been built to determine the shortest and fastest routes based upon traffic loads, road works and more. I found any technology that can change the world in such a dramatic way compelling. That is why I love SafeToNet so much.

How will the Internet of Things affect your organisation?

Hugely. We exist to safeguard children from the perils of cyber space. IOT is going to positively invade our lives in so many ways.

Safeguarding us all is going to become even more important as technology gets even deeper into our everyday lives. We intend SafeToNet to be ahead of the wave.

What smartphone do you use?

iPhone 7

What three apps could you not live without?

SafeToNet, Google Maps (because I could easily get lost), and Braingle (it relaxes my mind!)

What new technology are you most excited for a) your business and b) yourself?

From a business perspective, SafeToNet’s machine learning capabilities hold a lot of promise, and could be the answer to the content moderation problems that tech giants like Facebook aren’t solving on their own.

Not only will it prevent the spread of harmful content like cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion, and more – we are learning fascinating things about human behavioural patterns too.

We’re already learning, for example, that cyberbullying tends to happen on a Sunday night, between 8pm and 9pm. Big data analytics has to be the key to the future. Those companies that have mined deep data and are able to analyse it in minute detail hold the key to solving many problems around the world. The more we can pattern the more problems we can fix.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the tech develops and helps people around the world. Winning the best British Mobile Award at this year’s Mobile World Congress gave us a huge drive to keep pursuing this.

From a personal perspective, I am excited about medical tech. I have seen a raft of amazing apps that are going to revolutionise the health industry and certainly from a primary care perspective bringing health care closer to home.

I used to sit on the Board of a National Health Service Primary Care Trust where we managed a budget of over £550 million. Medical tech will save the health industry millions, but moreover it will improve and lengthen the lives of generations to come.

If you weren’t doing the job you do now, what would you be doing?

Either another entrepreneurial role, or probably a Barrister. I really enjoy solving complex issues and following decent and reasoned logic to solve challenges, regardless of their size. In fact, the harder the challenge the better, in my opinion! There is always a solution to everything.

Quiz: What do you know about cyber security in 2017?