About avantguard cyber security
Founded on August 10, 2021, avantguard cyber security offers technical security audits such as penetration tests, red teaming, and client audits. Thanks to our specialization and numerous certifications in this field, we are able to provide our services with the highest quality and have been privileged to count reputable companies among our clients since our inception. All services are carried out by our certified experts either at our location in Rapperswil SG or on-site at our clients' premises. We stand for proactive security in line with our motto: STRIKE BEFORE HACKERS.
Our Team

Pascal Sommer
CEO & Founder
BSc ETH CS, OSEP, OSCP, CRTL, CRTO, CRTP, CARTP, CRTS, OPST, CAPE
Pascal leads the execution of attack simulations and red teaming activities of all kinds to assess the situation and proactively improve the security of our customers. He places particular emphasis on protection against realistic threats and practicable security, supported by his sound and in-depth knowledge of attack techniques. Additionally, he leads the further development of software solutions for our clients.
Specialties: Red Teaming, Attack Simulation, MITRE ATT&CK®

Jann Lemm
CTO & Founder
BSc FH ST, OSCP, CRTP, CARTP, OPST
Jann supports our customers through every step of their cybersecurity transformation. This includes prioritizing and planning projects, scoping and executing them. Through his work on mandates over several years, he has also gained valuable knowledge of customer-internal tracking and reporting of results. In addition to project work, he continues to further enhance our payloads and tools and leads the research.
Specialties: Windows Internals, EDR Evasion, Android Mobile Tests

Lorella Sommer
Project Coordinator & Office Management
Commercial Employee EFZ, Leadership SVF
Lorella completed her apprenticeship as a Commercial Employee EFZ (Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training) in a leading Swiss manufacturing and trading company. She then worked for several years as a back office manager for a leading cyber security service provider in Switzerland. Based on her performance, she was promoted to Deputy Team Leader Backoffice and was entrusted with the management of the backoffice for over a year. As part of this promotion, Lorella successfully completed the Leadership SVF course and is certified accordingly.
Specialties: Resource Management, Planning

Rinaldo Erens
Penetration Tester
System Engineer EFZ, OSCP
As a penetration tester, Rinaldo explores our customers' systems and checks them for vulnerabilities. Driven by curiosity, he gets involved with the individual target system. He is convinced that complexity increases the attack surface. In his seek after knowledge, he is able to uncover risks and thus reduce the existing attack surface. He also has over 10 years of experience as a technical consultant.
Specialties: GNU/Linux, Physical Penetration Testing, giving presentations and conducting trainings

Andrei Herasimau
Penetration Tester
MSc ETH CS, OSCP
As a penetration tester, Andrei explores our customers' systems and checks them for vulnerabilities. During his studies at ETH Zurich, he was able to gain knowledge about secure software development, which he now uses in practice. With his experience in formal modeling of cryptographic protocols, as well as in software development, he can analyze the underlying causes of a vulnerability.
Specialties: Cryptography, Secure Development, AI & LLM Penetration Testing

András Tarlós
Software Engineer
Informatiker EFZ
As a software engineer, András develops software solutions for our customers. After successfully completing the Informatikmittelschule (IMS) and obtaining the Informatiker EFZ certification, he began studying computer science part-time at the Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, specializing in cyber security. András' goal is to overcome challenges as efficiently and straightforwardly as possible.
Specialties: Python Development, GNU/Linux

Sandro Ackermann
Penetration Tester
CAS Cyber Security, HF Informatik, OSCP
Sandro combines passion with expertise. He lives and breathes IT security, and checks customer systems for vulnerabilities. Thanks to his varied work in different roles, combined with the successful completion of the CAS Cyber Security, he knows how to effectively uncover the weaknesses of systems and develop targeted security strategies.
Specialties: IT infrastructure, Azure, Citrix

Michael Russo
Advisor & Member BoD
MAS IT Network Manager, CISSP, CISM, ISMS Security Officer, CCNA, CCNP, CCSA, CSSA, ITILv3
Michael supports avantguard as an advisor and member of the Board of Directors. Together with the management, he uses his strategic thinking to shape the future direction of the company and develop it further. Michael has many years of experience and in-depth knowledge from various management positions in the cybersecurity sector. He also possesses strong leadership qualities and a valuable network.
Specialties:
Strategy, Risk Management, Networking

Andreas Staub
Penetration Tester
Cyber Security Specialist FA, CAS Cyber Investigation & Digital Forensics
With over 20 years of experience in ICT, including many years as a system administrator in the SME environment and a degree as a Cyber Security Specialist FA, Andy now works as a penetration tester, checking our customers' systems for vulnerabilities. Based on his experience, he is convinced that many tasks in the ICT environment can be solved efficiently with existing standard tools – in line with the principle of 'less is more'.
Specialties:
Windows Environments, System Hardening

Mino Pedrizzo
Penetration Testing Intern
Informatiker EFZ, BSc CS
Mino supports us as an intern in penetration testing in analysing and evaluating vulnerabilities and applies his knowledge in a targeted manner in practice. His training began at a secondary school specialising in IT, during which he also worked as a web developer for a year. He then completed a bachelor's degree in computer science with a specialisation in cyber security and network & cloud infrastructures at OST.
Specialties: Network- & Cloud-Infrastructure, Web Development

Jonas Friedli
Penetration Tester
BSc CS, OSCP, BSCP, OSWP, OPST, PSM I
Jonas conducts penetration tests on our clients' systems and identifies vulnerabilities. Information security for him is not only a professional focus but also a personal commitment. With many years of experience as a Software Engineer and Penetration Tester, he understands the demands of complex systems and knows how to view them from both a developer's and an attacker's perspective.
Specialties:
Secure Development, Web Application Security, Code & Architecture Review