Minim, Inc. (NASDAQ: MINM)
MINM)

In the wake of Covid-19, remote work exploded into homes, but the corporate network did not— introducing massive business security and continuity concerns. Having realized the benefits of remote work, companies are now rethinking long-term investments in office space and hybrid models. According to the 2021 Tech Trends Report by the Future Today Institute, 69% of companies will reduce their real estate footprint. In a large office setting, IT teams typically leverage SD-WAN, WLAN, and firewall technologies to manage trusted and untrusted device policies, network device firmware updates, network segmentation, wireless performance policies, threat detection, and malware blocking.

For a home or small business, these preventive measures may seem excessive. They are not. According to recent studies, smart homes are particularly vulnerable with one report projecting over 12,000 possible cybersecurity attacks per week. As businesses transition to a hub-and-spoke work model, it is much easier for hackers to infiltrate a corporate network, via a home network. For instance, when a corporate laptop is placed behind an insecure router and in the midst of insecure devices, it becomes vulnerable. Many corporations turn to VPN security to protect sensitive corporate information; however, a VPN won’t help a lateral attack on a corporate laptop. It won’t prevent a hacker from eavesdropping on an employee’s access to cloud platforms like Salesforce and ADP. The answer to this problem lies in the consumerization of enterprise-grade security.

Introducing Minim for Work

Built in response to the Mirai botnet attack of 2016 by the former CEO and founder of Dyn, Minim’s AI-driven cloud platform works in conjunction with a Minim-managed router to fingerprint, monitor, optimize, and protect IoT devices for improving business productivity, continuity, and security. “We deliver intelligent networking products and a WiFi as a Service platform that powers applications for businesses, home users, and ISPs,” says Nicole Zheng, the President and CMO of Minim.

In 2020, Minim launched Minim for Work, a solution that transforms at-home and satellite office environments into one distributed, secure corporate network.

“Think of it as SD-LAN. Minim for Work is comprised of three products, available for one simple monthly fee per managed network,” says Zheng.

First is the Minim-powered WiFi systems, which create a Minim-managed network with robust wireless performance and Zero Touch Provisioning. The Minim-powered Motorola MH7020 system boasts expandable AC2200 Tri-Band WiFi to 5,000 ft. of coverage and auto-managed firmware. Second in line is the Minim® Web Portal that can grant IT personnel and MSPs visibility into their Minim networks with insights including network data usage, health scores, mesh system settings management, and threat analysis from an AI-driven IoT firewall. Minim is capable of blocking malware exploits, network intrusions, and rogue access points in their tracks. Minim for Work also includes Minim® Mobile App that gives on-site employees the ability to self-diagnose WiFi performance issues, such as low signal strength or speeds, as well as set policies for security filters, ad blocking, safe search, listening device pausing, and more.

Minim for Work allows remote workers to segment their network into personal and work use, providing privacy and performance benefits for all their connected devices.

Minim for Work allows remote workers to segment their network into personal and work use, providing privacy and performance benefits for all their connected devices. Parents can enjoy parental controls; streamers and gamers can enjoy lag-free performance; and more. “Our customers have pointed out thousands of dollars of savings over traditional enterprise security solutions—and it’s all because we’ve worked hard to make network security and management accessible,” states Zheng. One of Minim’s customers, ANY LAB TEST NOW uses Minim to secure and manage its WiFi and protect confidential patient information at retail lab test sites— which are in high demand. As an example, its cloud platform blocks malware called TrickBot and BazarLoader, a common threat to healthcare facilities. With the Minim security filter turned on, all the ANY LAB TEST NOW sites remain protected from this malware.

Today, Minim primarily serves customers in the U.S. and is actively working on the global expansion of the platform footprint. On its product roadmap ahead, Minim will be launching exciting new Motorola WiFi 6 gateways and mesh and will add features to its applications for automated help, network improvements, and security.