What if you spend millions to safeguard your web infrastructure, rigorously monitoring your open source supply chains, only to find that the biggest threat isn’t where you’ve been looking? Every day, browsers—powerful gateways to the online world—remain an overlooked battlefield, providing attackers with unmonitored entry points to exploit vulnerabilities outside of your field of vision, on the end user’s device. In an era where online safety feels like a mirage, how secure is your website really?
For Simon Wijckmans, the CEO and Founder of c/side, this question wasn’t just theoretical—it was a challenge that needed solving. Originally from Belgium and now splitting his time between London and San Francisco, Simon’s journey began at Microsoft and later expanded through pivotal roles at Cloudflare and Vercel. While managing client-side security products at Cloudflare, Simon uncovered a glaring gap: many established security vendors treated client-side security as a side feature, unintentionally offering incomplete solutions and creating a false sense of security.
This realization became the catalyst for c/side—a company singularly devoted to solving one of the most pressing yet ignored issues in cybersecurity. With a sharp focus on the blind spots within users’ browsers, Simon and c/side are redefining client-side security, ensuring that businesses don’t just protect their infrastructure but also shield their users from hidden threats.
The Enterprise World Magazine is proud to present the inspiring story of Simon Wijckmans, whose vision and dedication are shaping the future of cybersecurity.
The Genesis of c/side
Simon’s journey began in 2018 during his tenure at Cloudflare, where he encountered a wave of client-side attacks known as “magecart,” (a name originated from these kinds of attacks, specifically on Adobe Magento powered websites and capturing payment information). These attacks underscored a glaring vulnerability: the dynamic nature of third-party JavaScript in browsers. “The difficulty of securing third-party JavaScript running in the browser became apparent immediately,” Simon recalls. After further stints at Vercel and another startup, Simon Wijckmans realized the need for a dedicated solution. In January 2024, c/side was born, with Simon at the helm.
Building the product was no easy feat. “The biggest challenge was creating a comprehensive solution for a problem that’s more prevalent than publicly reported,” he shares. With the backing of investors and a clear mission, c/side successfully built a robust client-side security platform, securing $1.7 million in pre-seed and $6 million in seed funding. Today, Simon’s leadership has positioned c/side as a leader in monitoring and securing third-party JavaScript.
Leadership Rooted in Collaboration and Innovation
Simon’s leadership philosophy is a blend of promoting collaboration, encouraging innovation, and developing talent. He believes in building teams with individuals who are deeply invested in solving real problems, often hiring people he has worked with before. At c/side, the principle of “strong opinions loosely held” is a cornerstone, inspiring employees to share their perspectives while remaining open to new ideas. This approach has cultivated a culture of ownership, passion, and creativity, enabling the team to develop groundbreaking solutions that differentiate c/side in the industry.
Simon’s commitment to innovation is balanced with a focus on stability. For instance, c/side’s use of LLM technology for parsing scripts avoids in-line processing, ensuring speed and reliability. “We’re building a global proxy,” Simon Wijckmans explains.
A strong advocate for talent development, Simon has created an environment where mentorship and opportunities abound. Employees are encouraged to take ownership of their work and step up to new challenges, knowing their contributions will be valued. Reflecting on his leadership approach, Simon shares a piece of advice from his father: “What’s in there will come out, but that requires an environment with opportunities.” At c/side, this philosophy drives both the people and the company toward excellence.
The c/side Advantage
At its core, c/side addresses the vulnerabilities of client-side security, focusing on third-party JavaScript—a significant threat vector. Simon explains, “Malicious actors can exploit almost any third-party services, gaining access to thousands of websites and millions of users.” These attacks often target sensitive data like credit card details, personal information, and session tokens. With c/side’s monitoring and securing capabilities, organizations can proactively mitigate these risks.
Accessibility is a cornerstone of c/side’s product design. Installation takes just a minute, with options for manual or npm-based setups. The platform’s free and affordable business tiers ensure that organizations of all sizes can benefit from advanced security. “We want to stay ahead of attacks by gathering data from wider sources while benefiting everyone,” Simon emphasizes.
| The c/side Mission |
| c/side is revolutionizing web security, making it accessible to all businesses, regardless of size.Security should never be behind an impenetrable paywall. The company starts with the most advanced third-party script proxy, performance, and analysis engine, leveraging AI in innovative ways to eliminate long-standing security obstacles.While established cybersecurity vendors often overlook client-side security, the ongoing threat of browser-side supply chain attacks demands more attention. Frustrated with the status quo, c/side developed a solution that delivers comprehensive, elegant security, allowing security teams to confidently ensure this crucial aspect of their stack is fully protected. |
Driving Growth and Innovation
The company’s growth has been fueled by regulatory changes, such as the PCI DSS mandate for monitoring third-party scripts on payment pages. The trigger in March points to the 2 articles in the updated PCI DSS v4.0.1 which aligns with the company’s product: Requirement 6.4.3 and 11.6.1. PCI DSS as a whole has been around for ages, and different articles have different compliance dates.
This compliance trigger has driven significant inbound interest. c/side’s participation in organizations like W3C and PCI SSC further highlights its commitment to long-term improvements in the cybersecurity landscape. However c/side was not built because of PCI DSS: “We noticed a lot of small vendors started popping up purely because of PCI DSS requirements. We’re focused on client-side security in the broad sense, not just the specific checkboxes PCI DSS highlights. However, to a startup it is great to have compliance needs align with the company’s vision.
Simon Wijckmans’ team’s expertise ensures continuous product evolution. “Our engineers are experts in client-side security, and their insights, combined with customer feedback, guide our development roadmap,” he explains. This customer-centric approach has been instrumental in launching new features and adapting to market demands.
c/side’s innovative approach has disrupted traditional client-side security methods. Simon critiques existing solutions, stating, “They don’t ensure 100% coverage or effectively address malicious actors.” By contrast, c/side’s platform offers unparalleled protection, emphasizing comprehensive and proactive measures. Using its proxy man-in-the-middle service, Simon and his team can see the payload of all third- party scripts on every request. Allowing them to ensure and detect the code the visitor also gets served. This created an opportunity to see all traffic, hence spot even the slightest strange or malicious activity.
The team’s dedication to tackling the dynamic nature of client-side scripts has earned them the trust of early adopters and enterprise customers alike.
A Vision for the Future
As c/side continues to grow, Simon remains focused on making security accessible to all. “Security should be accessible to small and large operations alike,” he asserts. This philosophy drives c/side’s efforts to democratize advanced cybersecurity, ensuring that organizations of all sizes can protect their users.
Risk-taking is an inherent part of Simon’s decision-making process. However, he takes a measured approach. “Where there is a gain for our customers, we take risks,” he states, citing strategic investments in testing new technologies like LLMs. At the same time, c/side minimizes unnecessary expenses, focusing resources on what truly matters to its mission.
A Bright Horizon
From its humble beginnings to a fast rise to become the leader in client-side security, c/side’s journey is a testament to Simon’s vision and leadership. By addressing a critical gap in cybersecurity, c/side has set a new standard for protecting users and organizations from client-side attacks. As the company continues to innovate and expand, its impact on healthcare technology and beyond will undoubtedly grow.
Simon’s journey is an inspiration to innovators everywhere, proving that with the right vision, dedication, and team, even the most complex challenges can be transformed into groundbreaking solutions. Under his leadership, c/side is not just a company—it’s a movement reshaping the future of cybersecurity.
Key Takeaways from Simon Wijckmans’ Journey with c/side
1. Filling the Cybersecurity Gap
Simon Wijckmans identified a critical oversight in the cybersecurity industry—client-side vulnerabilities in browsers. This realization became the foundation of c/side, addressing a largely ignored but pressing threat vector, mostly including third-party JavaScript exploits.
2. Innovation and Leadership
With a leadership philosophy rooted in collaboration and innovation, Simon built a team driven by ownership and creativity. This culture has enabled c/side to create groundbreaking solutions, leveraging technologies like LLMs for secure and reliable script parsing while ensuring unmatched performance.
3. Democratizing Security
c/side emphasizes accessibility, offering quick installations and affordable pricing tiers. Simon Wijckmans’ mission is to make advanced cybersecurity solutions available to businesses of all sizes, removing the financial barriers traditionally associated with robust security.
4. Driving Growth Through Compliance and Expertise
Regulatory mandates like PCI DSS have spurred c/side’s growth, while participation in W3C and PCI SSC reflects its commitment to shaping the cybersecurity landscape. The company’s customer-centric approach ensures continuous product evolution and alignment with market needs.
5. Visionary Impact on Cybersecurity
By challenging the status quo, c/side has redefined client-side security standards, earning the trust of enterprises and early adopters. Simon’s strategic risk-taking and focus on meaningful innovation ensure that c/side is not only protecting users today but also paving the way for a more secure digital future.
