Our Story

The team behind secure software

Founded

January 2024

Locations

Saarbrücken & Bochum

Mission

High-quality cybersecurity software

Who We Are

secforge GmbH is a software development lab with offices in Saarbrücken and Bochum, Germany. Our team is made up of former developers from Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity, a leading European cybersecurity software development company. We are passionate about applying our collective expertise to new projects.

As seasoned software developers, we have built and maintained a wide range of security-focused products. These include desktop applications, robust and scalable management systems, client-server applications, and dynamic networking solutions used by enterprises and public authorities across Germany and Europe.

Our Journey

Jan 2024

secforge Founded

Eight experienced developers from Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity joined forces to create secforge GmbH, starting as a fully remote team.

Aug 2024

Saarbrücken Office

Opened our first physical office at the Starterzentrum on Campus A1.1 in Saarbrücken.

2025

Network Memberships

Joined de:hub Digital Hub Initiative and East Side Fab innovation network.

Our Values

We are passionate about cybersecurity, data protection, and customer-centricity. We prioritize maintainability, sustainability, and software quality. Our holistic approach covers the full lifecycle: requirements engineering and technical product ownership through design, architecture, implementation, DevOps, testing, quality assurance, customer support, and security analysis.

We embrace continuous growth and learning as part of our professional journey. We are open to new technologies and tools, choosing the most effective solutions to meet customer requirements with efficient development and operations.

Our Team

8 Developers

70+ Years Combined Experience

10+ Years Working Together

Meet the people behind secforge:

Steffen Heil

Director / Development Engineer

Java TypeScript Network Protocols Concurrency Functional Programming

"Any given problem can be solved with the tools at hand."

I begin with a comprehensive analysis of the problem and offer pragmatic, robust, and secure solutions. Working in an agile manner, I continuously refine results until they meet all customer requirements. I ensure a balance between simplicity and maintainability, scalable architecture, correctness, and efficiency.

With 25 years of commercial software development experience, I have tackled diverse challenges across domains, including:

Content management systems and management tools for public administration and authorities
Custom software solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises
cybersecurity product development for the German classified market and international clients at a leading global technology company

I am passionate about protocol design, product interfaces, security, scalable deployments, and efficient implementations. My primary technical strengths lie in Java, network protocols, and concurrency. Additionally, I have proficiency in functional programming, assembly, hardware design, prototyping, and administration.

Dr.-Ing. Mikhail Kovalev

Director / Development Engineer

Python C++ Java VirtualBox/VMware/Hyper-V Linux VMs DevOps

With over 10 years in software engineering and leading development teams, I specialize in creating secure software systems. I build Windows desktop applications in Python/C++ and server applications in Java. I have hands-on experience with VirtualBox, VMware, and Hyper-V APIs and with hardened Linux VMs.

I thrive on addressing challenges, prototyping new ideas, and working with legacy code. My experience spans requirements engineering and technical product ownership through design, architecture, implementation, testing, and quality assurance. I'm also proficient in DevOps tasks, customer support, CVE analysis, and on-site investigations. With an academic background in formal software verification, I place significant emphasis on software correctness and quality. I value open communication, fair and actionable feedback, and collaborative teamwork. I'm driven to deliver lasting value for both products and customers.

Hasan-Ali Dinç

Senior Development Engineer

Java IPv6 C# .NET Windows Services COM Objects

After roughly 12 years in cybersecurity focused on Java development, testing, and build systems, I expanded my expertise to areas such as IPv6. Additionally, I worked as a research assistant in the field of X-ray technology, contributing to the development and enhancement of CT scanners. During this time, I had the opportunity to write Windows MFC applications. My skill set also includes developing Windows services with COM objects and building UIs in C# and the .NET Framework.

I find great enjoyment in participating in new innovative projects and remain open and adaptable to emerging technologies. I prioritize offering solutions that are secure, user-friendly, maintainable, and easily extensible.

Gennadij Puschkaschow

Senior Development Engineer

Java Python C++ Android CI/CD Unit Testing

Pragmatic software developer with a master's degree and over 7 years of experience in creating and maintaining software applications. I care deeply about clean code and unit testing while recognizing the challenges of applying these principles across all stages of development. A generalist in programming languages, I am currently most effective in Java, Python, and C++, but have no strong preference. If a language fits the problem, I'm happy to work with it.

Over the years I have been involved in a variety of projects in all stages from design, implementation, documentation, and testing. These include full native Android applications including the backend, legacy applications, small to mid-size utility libraries, tooling scripts, and CI/CD integrations. So while it's fair to say I've seen a lot, I'm always open to more.

Philipp Weber

Senior Development Engineer

C++ C# .NET Windows Kernel UEFI Smart Cards Cryptography

My passion for building software began long before my university studies and continues to fuel my interest in software development.

While I accumulated over 11 years of C++ experience in my day-to-day work, I have also gained extensive knowledge in C# and .NET, using every iteration of the .NET Framework and .NET for personal projects over the last 15 years.

For more than a decade, I have designed and implemented security-critical software solutions certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to process VS-NfD classified data, giving me a deep understanding of IT security and applied cryptography.

My primary expertise lies in system-level development for Windows, including kernel drivers, services, and applications with a focus on security.

I have specialized knowledge in developing UEFI drivers and applications. Furthermore, I possess in-depth expertise in smart card standards.

Leon A. Becker

Development Engineer

Python Scala TypeScript Vue IT-Security Functional Programming GitLab Jenkins

My master's degree in IT security, combined with proficiency in Python and Scala, enables me to create a wide range of software solutions. With a focus on functional programming and unit testing, I strive to construct correct, efficient, and maintainable software.

Previous experience includes Python-based desktop applications, full-stack Scala websites, and DevOps work centered on GitLab and Jenkins pipelines.

Yassir Kozha

Development Engineer

Java JavaScript TypeScript Vue Python Linux IPv6 DevOps CI/CD

Development engineer with a master's degree in computer science, specializing in Java development. I also have strong skills in JavaScript, Python, Linux, and bash scripting. I have extensive experience configuring and securing IPv6 networks. With extensive experience in pipeline tooling and DevOps tasks, I'm committed to continuous delivery and release management. I highly value clean code principles and thrive in collaborative team environments.

Viktor Kokott

Junior Development Engineer

Java JavaScript Python C++ Selenium Web Applications

Junior software developer with four years of hands-on experience specializing in Java-based web applications. Most of my experience has been maintaining, enhancing, and extending legacy codebases to ensure continued efficiency and reliability while integrating modern best practices wherever possible. Experienced in JavaScript, Python, and C++, I bring a versatile skill set to every project and am eager to expand it when other technologies are a better fit. I also have solid experience creating and maintaining automated integration test suites with Selenium to ensure high-quality, reliable delivery.