Listen to this articleSaferVPN offers dedicated VPN servers (either hosted in SaferVPN’s secure cloud or within an organization’s custom cloud or on-premise network), single-click apps for all devices, Automatic Wi-Fi Security, unlimited data and bandwidth, and Single Sign-On integration. Moreover, their management portal provides complete visibility, allowing business owners and IT leaders to audit and monitor network traffic, manage server distribution, adjust user and/or group policy settings and more. They can also receive notifications alerting them to unusual network activity – so they can stay ahead of the curve when mitigating attacks. Below is our interview with Karen Mesoznik, Inbound & Content Marketing at SaferVPN:
Q: You’ve recently announced $1 Million in venture funding; could you tell us something more?
A: We’ve recently raised $1m for the launch of our new business service. We plan to launch our beta platform in the coming month.
Unlike traditional corporate VPNs, which haven’t changed much over the last 20 years, our new business offerings eliminate the need for costly hardware installation, tedious manual configuration and mandatory help desk support with a cloud-based, scale-as-you-go infrastructure; easy-to-use, cross platform applications; and a customizable cloud management portal.
For small and medium businesses with more limited IT departments, our Cloud VPN offers the ability to easily secure remote access to cloud services, automatically provide Wi-Fi security, and conduct efficient quality assurance and geo-targeting.
For Enterprises with established IT infrastructures, our Software Defined Perimeter (SDP) solution enables IT Managers to deploy gateways on-premise or over the cloud, securing employees’ remote access to cloud and on-premise applications, all while keeping sensitive data within the organizational network.
We’ve already successfully piloted the service with leading software companies in Silicon Valley and Israel, and interested companies are now able to schedule a demo with us and request early access to the beta platform.
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Q: Tell us something about your history?
A: I founded SaferVPN in 2013 with my college friend, Amit Bareket. We both dreamed of becoming independent business owners and contributing to society in a meaningful way. While studying computer science at university, Amit and I developed an app together, submitted it to a Microsoft competition, and won one of the top prizes.
Afterwards, we began to receive considerable recognition and interest from investors and VCs, and we really started to see the potential of our working relationship and professional synergy. So, following graduation, we decided to build a business together.
We ultimately chose to pursue the VPN space, prompted by the huge demand we saw in the market and today’s fast-changing online world, where we now encounter Internet censorship, privacy breaches, security threats, and geo-restrictions.
Initially, we were working out of the Google Campus Launchpad, where we received a lot of support. While there, we also had the opportunity to enjoy special mentorship and advisory programs.
When we were in the initial stages and evaluating the idea of building a VPN solution, we met the CEO of a big ad company. He was seeking software for ad verification purposes, and we knew a VPN was the solution he needed. He was our first customer, and we were obligated to deliver the product in one month. We managed to stick with the timeline and delivered the first version to him within 30 days. This customer paid our bills for further growth of the product.
At the same time, we started to develop the website, conduct market research, develop our go-to market strategy, identify our target audiences and personas, and gain some clarity about what we could do to differentiate our product in the VPN field.
We bootstrapped the company for 2 years, and in order to sustain ourselves financially we both worked two days a week in large organizations (Siemens and IBM). All the rest of our time was spent working on the baseline infrastructure of the product.
Since then, we’ve lifted our business off the ground and our company is growing very fast.
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Q: Why is now the time for a technology solution like SaferVPN?
A: Accessible cybersecurity is more relevant now than ever before.
On the consumer side, our cross-platform applications help individuals to protect themselves from common Wi-Fi security risks, and secure their valuable online privacy – all with a single click.
On the business side, with all the latest ransomware, DDoS, and Wi-Fi security attacks, plus the rise of BYOD devices and e-commuting, there’s no question that for companies of any size, investing in cybersecurity is an absolute must. We’ve made great strides in the consumer market and now we’re ready to bring our forward-thinking, innovative and user-friendly approach to businesses and their employees.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Our plan for the future is to continue innovating and delivering products that will simplify cybersecurity for consumers – regardless of their technical know-how, and businesses of all industries and sizes.
We also have a very innovative partnership with Movements.org, the crowdsourcing platform for human rights, called #UnblockTheWeb. Through this partnership, we provide VPN access to activists and dissidents living in closed societies, so that they too can experience a private, unrestricted and secure web.
As we continue to develop new technologies, we hope to expand our community-driven efforts to promote online freedom and security, and instill real change.
Last Updated on September 22, 2017
