In the world of Web 2.0, it seems mandatory for every startup to have a loveable animal mascot. Twitter has the blue bird. Docker has its cute whale (so did Twitter, although no one misses it). Everyone needs their version of the Linux penguin.

The trend is so inescapable that some startups skip a step and just name themselves after the animal — witness Yik Yak, or travel site Hipmunk.

Security startups are a different breed, however. Unicorns and fuzzy bunnies don't adorn their home pages. Security is serious business that calls for something toothy, venomous, or laser-blasting.

At last week's Black Hat conference, was some fuzzy plushness to be had among the giveaways, to be sure. But most startups went for more aggressive branding. Here's a sampling.

[caption id="attachment_15078" align="alignnone" width="300"] Alien Vault's star bar. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_15079" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Twitter bird doesn't stand a chance against the Crowdstrike bird of prey.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_15083" align="alignnone" width="300"] Some companies just hint at danger. Druva, which raised $25 million last week, takes a more direct approach.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_15082" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lie! Cheat! Deceive! Makes Invotas sound like a fun place to work.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_15080" align="alignnone" width="300"] Norse, of course.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_15084" align="alignnone" width="300"] Strangely, I could see FireEye one day giving out plush versions of its flaming-orb mascot.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_15081" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Veracode robot, as shown by Katie Campbell, is actually kind of cute. But it has enough teeth and pincers to include here.[/caption]