NowSecure: Securing the Mobile World

With the increasing prevalence of BYOD programs, end-user privacy is an overriding concern, even in highly regulated and security conscious organizations. “Enterprises can’t be ‘Big Brother,’ burn people’s batteries, or invade user privacy,” notes Andrew Hoog, CEO of NowSecure. The company takes a novel approach by put¬ting mobile users first. Though primarily a B2B company, NowSecure offers a consumer app—NowSecure Mobile—that educates users on mobile security risks and how to secure their own devices. NowSecure’s approach is radically different from most because they do not focus on anti-virus scanning. “While there is some malware concern, the larger risks are from areas that the mobile security industry has completely ignored,” states Hoog. What makes mobile so different is the combination of systems, configurations, apps and networks that make devices vulnerable to attacks. Called the SCAN principle, NowSecure’s approach involves under¬standing where the attacks are coming from and how to remediate risks at both an individual and enterprise level.

NowSecure brings four capabilities to the table that enable enterprises and individuals to manage mobile security—mobile app testing, threat analytics, end point security and forensics. Focusing originally on mobile forensics gives the company a unique advantage to identifying mobile security is-sues and designing solutions for the user and enterprise.

“Simplicity is built into the DNA of our products,” says Hoog. While detecting vulnerabilities can be complex, NowSecure works to address issues directly impacting end users. “One of the key things we deliver is visibility.” While a CIO of¬ten has complete information concerning desktop computers, they often don’t have the same level of insight when it comes to the mobile devices deployed across their organizations. NowSecure focuses on quantifying and presenting a single number to the C-suite that measures how they are dealing with mobile risks.