A Cybersecurity Company Founded by Experts to Tackle Remote Working Risks
Founded by cyber-security experts Ali Simsek and Kaan Dolgun in November 2022, Shift Red has dedicated its resources to facilitating a more secure digital environment for large and small companies alike. As digital transformations occur and change how companies operate, traditional security measures are insufficient. A shift towards remote working, cloud adoption, mobile device and internet of things (IoT), bring your own device policies, and the use of AI and machine learning have introduced new security risks and challenges. With these changes, there is a dire need for cyber-security experts to safely integrate updated systems with modern security measures.
In the cybersecurity industry, the buzzword term “shift left” is used to describe the importance of paying attention to the security levels of a product prior to the coding process even commencing. Red, as Ali noted, is a “nice colour in cyber-security that signifies threat and draws attention to it.” As the name suggests, Shift Red’s mission is to minimise the potential danger of security threats by ensuring the proper safety mechanisms are in place before any risks have a chance to occur. To achieve this, Shift Red has devised its own model to address the challenges brought along by the societal shift towards digital transformation and remote work. When providing access to a company’s internal application, access management (verifying users that attempt to use the platforms) is critical. “The first step we take is based on the principle of Zero Trust Architecture. Don’t trust anyone, verify everyone”, Ali explained. Secondly, the principle of SDLC, or Secure Software Development Lifecycle is utilised. Kaan elaborated, “when you develop a software as a company, you must ensure it’s being done securely throughout the complete lifecycle of a product. It is not an option to ignore vulnerabilities within an organisation. The longer companies wait with a proper vulnerability management strategy to address vulnerabilities, the longer attackers can exploit them against the company and cause data leakages and financial loss.” Kaan emphasised the need to gather measurements and set the correct prioritisation on a consistent basis, all while being scalable as all vulnerabilities are important including ones that are not exploited through the internet. Kaan continued by adding that “Shift Red provides companies insight in their security posture and suggests not the best product, but the right product for a company. Sometimes a [lower] score in the Gartner Quadrant can be a better [choice] for a company than a higher ranked one.” A Gartner Quadrant is an evaluation tool by which companies can see the interaction between their ability to execute and their completeness of vision.
Since its inception, the company has aided numerous organisations and established itself as a rising regional cyber-security force. Apart from its services, the founders attribute a great deal of their success and growth to being a part of HSD. Without access to the thriving ecosystem of The Hague and the Randstad area, new companies often have a hard time establishing themselves. The success of a cyber-security company is dependent on a number of variables besides the product itself, including networking opportunities, access to resources, expertise, talent, and more. “HSD provides more opportunities. This is the gateway to providing services to large and small companies alike,” Kaan explained while Ali added that “we can attend seminars twice a month. Here, a company presents their added value. We also have the option to participate, indicate what we are doing, and present our business case.” The seminars also present themselves as an opportunity to talk to vendors directly rather than attending conferences which can be time-consuming and hard to get access to, especially for newly established organisations. HSD’s focus on cyber-security also makes it easier to collaborate with other prominent actors in the industry, and networking opportunities present themselves around every corner. “Every time we have lunch or drink a cup of coffee, we talk to representatives of other companies and kick around ideas. This has led to multiple collaborations so far, including one with an insurance company,” Ali highlighted.
With Shift Red’s services entering the market rapidly, along with support from the HSD, the company aims to establish itself further in the coming year. They aim to host their own seminar, find more collaborations, and scale up their in-house facilities. Shift Red finds itself in a prime position to help even more companies through their proactive approach, expertise, and dedication to reducing the rising dangers and consequences of cyber-crime.
