Aviva Zacks of Safety Detective had the honor of sitting down with Yaniv Avidan, Co-Founder and CEO of MinerEye, and asked him about his company’s DataTracker.
Safety Detective: Have you always liked cybersecurity and what drew you to it?
Yaniv Avidan: In 2009, I joined Intel and created their program that analyzed data points from various sources around the network environment in order to identify patterns of a cyberattack. And this was the first time that anybody in the industry utilized the data approach to identify if something was wrong in terms of cybersecurity.
I founded MinerEye three years later, with the idea that instead of chasing the bad guys and the breadcrumbs they leave behind, the only way to be ahead of these bad guys is to identify what they are after, which is the data.
SD: Can you tell me about MinerEye’s DataTracker?
YA: Our DataTracker is the implementation of our vision, where every organization can identify its data assets better. As well as continuously track those data assets in terms of how they change, how they are being shared, and who is accessing them. Organizations that eventually implement the ability to classify, locate, and continuously track the data will be taking a significant step towards data-centric protection. I think being more data-oriented and data-centric is the key to success in cybersecurity.
DataTracker can be installed in the cloud or on-premise. It implements a unique technology that is totally format and platform agnostic. First, it helps get a grip on your data support problems. The DataTracker provides an immediate view of the data you have, who is using your data, and how. It also helps you contextually understand what kind of compliance status you have.
SD: What kind of businesses use your products?
YA: Every business can benefit from using this product. A financial organization has the same problem as industry, a food chain, or retail because they hold customers’ information. They use CRM, ERP, or platform to hold this information, and the cloud to share that information, either via email or other sharing functionality.
It’s true that some verticals like financial companies, insurance companies, and banks are more sensitive to the implications of data sprawl and, specifically, personal information. So, we see more advanced data protection approaches implemented, and new innovative technologies are easily embraced in this sector. But that doesn’t mean that this sector suffers the most from this problem. For example, healthcare is number one in terms of exposure and risk when it comes to personal information.
SD: What do you feel are some of the worst cyberthreats today?
YA: I think people are getting exposed to new technologies like cloud sharing, which provide exciting opportunities in accelerating business or overcoming some limitation. But, as companies embrace new technologies, more cybersecurity threats emerge. Since early 2010, we have been experiencing exponential growth in the number of new platforms and technologies, especially around the cloud. The ability to share and process information quickly creates more exposure and less awareness as to how data is being shared, exposed, and secured.
The opportunities for hackers or malicious insiders are rising as new functions and new platforms introduce new vulnerabilities.
SD: How do you feel that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the cybersecurity landscape for the future?
YA: I think COVID-19 exposed the breadth of usage of new technologies, new vendors, and new platforms. Most of the companies that haven’t taken the step of going to the cloud in a compliant and secure way are now rushing to the cloud to meet remote working needs. In doing so, they are setting themselves up for data exposure and other problems. To provide business continuity organizations need a viable security plan to meet the challenges of their growing remote workforce.
In contract, there are organizations that have embraced the cloud. For them, although COVID-19 is an issue, they have been able to run their business in a secure way. This is a wake-up call for the cross-industry in terms of how companies utilize the cloud to manage their business and to stay secure. I’m sure that in the aftermath of COVID-19 for most organizations will include fully embracing the cloud and its capabilities. I think that is one positive effect of COVID-19.