The Market is Calling for Simple 360° Cybersecurity for Consumers
Four years ago, I swore I would never work in cybersecurity again. After completing a PhD in mathematics and statistics, my passion for innovation led me out of the ivory tower and into cybersecurity. I spent 15 wonderful years developing enterprise security solutions at Cyota, RSA and Cisco. The data-driven solutions these groundbreaking companies were developing were the perfect place to put my academic background to use solving real-world problems. I was fascinated by how data analysis could be used to understand network behavior with such nuance and accuracy that it could detect nefarious behavior in seconds. I got to work with some of the greatest minds and be a part of developing solutions that successfully protect large organizations and financial institutions around the world. But after dedicating so much of my career to solving problems for businesses, my academic roots began calling me back to basic research. I yearned to do the kind of research that could fundamentally change the lives of all people. So, I said goodbye to my hi-tech world and set off to build a human clinical-genome national database.
I have always been passionate about data and helping people. This genome database initiative was a chance to work on a big problem using big data – what’s not to love? But instead of being a fulfilling challenge, I eventually realized the bureaucratic reality of working for the government was far more frustrating than I had imagined. So, as Marie Condo says, “if something doesn’t bring you joy”, it’s time to say goodbye. It was then that I received a call from Allot CEO Erez Antebi telling me about his vision for how the network solutions company with deep DPI roots was going to provide cybersecurity to the mass consumer market.
Not Just Another Cybersecurity Company
Though I had sworn off cybersecurity forever, the Allot approach captured my imagination. The prospect of protecting end users, as opposed to enterprises, appealed to the humanitarian scientist in me. Until now, successful cybersecurity companies always focused on B2B because that was the only business model they could make work. Their solutions are sophisticated, but also labor and knowledge intensive to implement and manage, therefore not well suited for end users and SMBs. So much technology had been developed, but so many people are still extremely vulnerable to cybercrime.
With most enterprises well defensed, cybercriminals are turning to the ‘easy targets’. Today, private users are being targeted more than ever. Phishing scams rose 2500% during the first wave of Covid-19 in April 2020. The Covid-19 crisis has increased everyone’s vulnerability to cyberthreats. In April 2020, at the height of the first wave of infection, Phishing rose 728%. People spent more time online and their worried state of mind made them perfect targets for Phishing scams. Ransomware is also now aimed at private citizens and small businesses. Blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis report that Ransomware gangs received $350,000,000 in ransom payments in 2020. The stories are heartbreaking; a small carpentry business with 35 employees was forced to pay $150,000 ransom to continue operations. A senior in Arizona paid $30,000 to cybercriminals after his PC was infected with Adware used to launch a tech support scam. These users have been left out in the cold, unprotected by an industry that has focused instead on enterprises. Finding a way to protect them is an exciting challenge, so I jumped on the opportunity to head up the Allot Secure Business Unit.
CSPs Perfect Partners for Mass Market Cybersecurity
I believe Allot has found the perfect approach to finally provide reliable protection to the billions of consumers and small businesses. They already partner with CSPs around the world to deliver reliable, efficient network connectivity with their proven portfolio of network intelligence and traffic management solutions. CSPs are also the perfect partner to deliver simple, no-touch cybersecurity protection to the mass market. They already provide internet connectivity, making it a frictionless process to add security at the network level. In addition, broadband providers have routers and modems in place on premise at the customers home or business. This existing customer relationship and access to CPE are ideal to extend existing service to include cybersecurity protection. Consumers themselves don’t have to do anything. No installation, not updates, just say ‘yes’ to security and the CSP takes care of the rest.
A Business Model for Consumer Cybersecurity that Works
Perhaps most important, the Allot business model works. Consumers pay a small additional monthly fee and their CSP flips the switch to turn on the protection service. No new brand, no new service provider. Allot Secure gives CSPs the ability to instantly protect billions of subscribers, from the network, router or device. This winning concept delivers the effective cybersecurity protection wherever, whenever an end user connects to the internet and a business model that will help CSPs continue to grow revenues in an increasingly difficult market. Where the cybersecurity industry has failed, Allot and CSPs can partner to succeed.
Want to learn how CSPs can gain double-digit growth and substantial revenues, by delivering cybersecurity to consumers the right way? Join or on-demand webinar:
