Advanced Cyber Defence Systems (ACDS) has today unveiled plans for further global expansion with the establishment of its new French entity. This follows its expansion across APAC last year through partnerships and personnel hires in the region. ACDS France will help organisations across France, as well as mainland Europe, to protect the expanded attack surface that comes with building and running complex, often multi-national, organisations.
The expansion of ACDS into France comes at a time of increasing EU regulation, with the NIS2 directive and Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), for example, both transposed into law in March 2025. Paired with the rapid proliferation of threats and the expansion of attack surfaces due to hybrid working and general organisational expansion, robust cybersecurity is more important than ever for organisations globally. Worryingly, the ACDS Cybersecurity Challenges in 2024 Report revealed that half of security professionals believe that it is likely that there are devices connected to their company’s network that they are not aware of, which leaves organisations vulnerable to threats. Security leaders need to know the full scope of their attack surface to be able to protect it properly.
Reflecting his strong leadership and continued contribution to the region, Franck Chevalier has been promoted to Managing Director of the French entity, while continuing in his role as Group Vice President for France, Benelux, and MEA.
On the expansion, Franck Chevalier, Managing Director, France, at ACDS, said: “I am honored to take on the role of Managing Director of the French entity, in addition to my current responsibilities as Group Vice President for France, Benelux, and MEA. This appointment reflects the strategic importance of France within our regional and global operations. By bringing regional leadership closer to local execution, we aim to accelerate decision-making, drive stronger synergies, and reinforce our commitment to clients and teams in one of our core markets. I look forward to working even more closely with our exceptional team to unlock new opportunities, deliver operational excellence, and support the long-term growth of ACDS business.”
The expansion of ACDS into France comes after a successful 2024 for the organisation. After the official launch of its market-defining attack surface management (ASM) tool, Observatory, ACDS announced its expansion into APAC through a strategic partnership with Thoughtworks, a global technology consultancy. The partnership has helped evolve and transform ACDS’s offerings to help enterprises proactively get ahead of attackers and mitigate cyber exposures.
Additionally, in 2024, ACDS appointed a new global Managing Director, Ed Hume, to lead the next phase of global growth for the organisation. Hume joined ACDS with extensive industry experience, having held the role of Head of Partners and Alliances at Beyond Now, Sigma Systems, and Convergys, where he successfully led strategic partnerships and alliances, delivering growth and value across global regions. Hume will work with Chevalier to bring ACDS to an even wider market internationally.
Ed Hume, Managing Director, Global, at ACDS, said: “Extending our operations into mainland Europe is hugely exciting and reflects our ongoing commitment to deliver our best in class External Attack Surface Management platform – Observatory to Enterprise businesses in the region. I have every confidence in our MD Franck Chevalier, who will lead this next phase with his inimitable blend of energy and panache.”
