Howie Koh is the Vice President of Innovation and Emerging Technology at Forescout Technologies Inc. With a career that began as a C developer working with network protocols, Howie brings more than a decade of experience in network stack software development and years of systems engineering to the ongoing challenge of securing modern connectivity. He still has a deep appreciation for the bits and bytes that make communications work—especially when they behave deterministically and do not require guesswork.
As a systems engineer, Howie has helped enterprise customers apply continuous user and device risk context to make smarter authorization decisions with network access control solutions. His work has long centered on the intersection of authentication, policy, and real-world operational demands—particularly in environments where reliability matters just as much as security, and where “close enough” is rarely good enough.
Over the past year, Howie’s focus has expanded into applying AI to cybersecurity and adjacent authentication problems—with an emphasis on safe, practical use. His approach is decidedly unromantic: use deterministic systems where they make sense, use probabilistic models only where they add real value, and keep humans firmly in charge of the decisions that matter.
In his spare time, Howie enjoys creating, tinkering, and learning. Whether he’s automating his smart home with Home Assistant, experimenting with AI, or tinkering with IoT microcontrollers, he is usually building something that probably did not need to be connected to the network—but somehow is. Fortunately, he brings the same curiosity, caution, and respect for consequences to both his hobbies and his day job.