In a world driven by information, cybercrimes are constantly rising with the growing digitalization in every field. Cyber attackers are prepared to exploit even slight complacency. Being equipped against these attackers with solid cybersecurity defenses is a critical strategy. onShore Security is exclusively focused on ensuring the safety of the precious information of its clients, aiming to enhance the clients’ freedom by strengthening cybersecurity defenses. Stel Valavanis founded onShore Networks in 1991, elevating and maintaining the cybersecurity defenses of every organization.
Focus Exclusively On Security
Stel’s journey as an entrepreneur in the online space started when he was a sole proprietor, working for banks and other clients. He expanded and created onShore Networks (former name of onShore Security), and then the company continued to grow as needed to best serve its clients. That was the driver for a lot of the growth of onShore. Many of onShore’s clients were facing the sudden loss of their internet service as their provider shut down. Therefore, the company built its ISP almost overnight to ensure its clients could continue doing their work.
In 2015, the company shifted its approach to focus exclusively on security when cybersecurity had become the most important thing for its clients. onShore Security knew that it would be the most significant part of the tech industry, where the company could have the most impact and continue to expand its capabilities and service.
Security is A Process
A core belief at onShore is that “Security is a process, not a product.” A security operation is like a living thing, evolving, growing, and learning. A policy is tuned and refined using automation and human analysis, recursively becoming more robust with each cycle. The biggest challenge, and the core mission in cybersecurity, is to stay ahead of known threats, strategize for unknown threats, and prepare for the dangers that exist slightly beyond the event horizon of current technology. It’s a constant struggle against bad actors. Anyone downplaying that is probably trying to sell you a product; Security without the work of the process. onShore Security is constantly challenging the notion that security can be purchased as a product off the shelf.
Leading by Example
Another impact that onShore Security had in the industry is the processes and policies that developed its Panoptic Cyberdefense. onShore Security hopes to lead by example and take cybersecurity beyond perimeterbased defense in its offering.
onShore Security believes that all the traffic on the network needs to be analyzed, and its emphasis on detection is starting to manifest as more security operations focus on MDR and XDR.
Speeding Up Processes
A significant recent technological advance for onShore Security is introducing a new machine learning cluster into its stack. It will augment the ability of its expert analysts to correlate data to inform tuning, model larger data sets, more precisely ingest data streams, and speed up many of its processes. onShore Security is already seeing better outcomes with more speed.
Identifying the Source of Threats
Accelerating attacks perpetrated by state-funded organizations is a significant change in the cybersecurity field, and onShore Security is already seeing this happen. These attacks are both parts of a cyber arm of military force and civilian groups, sponsored and funded by nation-states.
Stel says, “Cybercrime will continue to grow, but it will be increasingly clear that we are not merely headed for a world full of cyberwar, but we are already living in it. The motivations and tactics of these cyber attackers will challenge a lot of ideas and practices that are central to the current common cyber defense strategy. On the other side, governments will expand regulation, and compliance with such laws will be a much more visible effort for businesses and organizations.” Stel also believes that there is a change in cybersecurity insurance coming. He says, “Providers will be more discerning, requiring companies to qualify for coverage. Cyber insurance premiums and other costs will grow, but it will hopefully become more evident to more companies that insurance is not protection.”
Changing the Misconceptions
The misinformed presumption that a company need not worry about cyberattacks because they have insurance is part of a more considerable misunderstanding of cybersecurity. Stel would love to see this presumption change. Many companies Stel has talked to misbelieve that they are inherently more secure if they move part of their operation to the cloud or believe they can pass on responsibility by engaging with third-party vendors. Stel doesn’t expect every leader or member of a board of directors to have a high-level understanding of cybersecurity processes and practices. Still, there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings out there that inform security strategy and posture that Stel would love to see debunked.
Elevating Defenses
Stel believes that cybersecurity threats will continue to grow in the coming years. Attacks will continue to evolve to include disruptions that are felt offline, in real life, by people outside the scope of a business or organization. State-funded attacks on supply chains will cause issues and shortages that will range from inconvenient to deadly. He states that there have already been attacks on medical facilities that resulted in care being delayed or refused. There have been fatalities due to this, and he wants to elevate and strengthen defenses.
Protecting Clients and the Community with Security
Stel’s advice to people looking to enter the cybersecurity space as entrepreneurs are to make sure they want to do it. Starting a business, especially in cybersecurity, will mean much time away from family, friends, and life outside the industry. It will mean spending a lot of time and effort on projects that may ultimately fail and seeing that as part of the ongoing improvement process. Stel says, “However, if you have the commitment and ambition to do amazing things, this is the place. Cybersecurity is an ever-changing and exciting field, and I feel that protecting our clients and the community is a just and worthwhile goal. At onShore, we believe that security gives us freedom, and it is very satisfying to see that in action, as our clients do what they do best without fear of cyberthreat.”
