As organizations shift to the cloud, there is a paradigm shift in the way security teams are constructed, with added requirements for experts with knowledge of cloud security. Workforce deficits in security talent still remain globally, although organizations are competing to get the best in-house security talent. To fit the exact requirement list of these organizations is not easy.
Considering all these factors, Paul Hadjy, the CEO and Co-founder of Horangi Cyber Security foresees technology to come in the spotlight and help mitigate this talent deficit. He believes that the earlier organizations can take advantage of automated tools, the faster these organizations can reap the efficiency benefits of integrating security into their processes. He adds, “Especially as regulatory compliance pushes security standards forward, organizations need to leverage RegTech and security software to secure their crown jewels.”
Founded by ex-Palantir cybersecurity experts Paul Hadjy and Lee Sult in 2016, Horangi Cyber Security offers the latest in product innovation and technology to protect organizations. Some security vendors rely primarily on software and others on technical services. Distinctive from these approaches Horangi aims for a more holistic approach towards cybersecurity by offering both products and services to the customers. This innovative approach allows the company to tailor a customized solution that suits the customers’ unique requirements.
Holistic Leadership At Horangi
The technology and security landscapes are constantly evolving and Paul being on the forefront has to constantly be updated with the latest security events and technology that affect the landscape. From a young age, testing computers to their breaking points was Paul’s passion. He naturally was fascinated by cybersecurity and eventually, security was the thing he excelled at. While studying network communications in college, his passion for cybersecurity intensified. His professional cybersecurity journey started in Palantir, where he worked alongside the U.S government in Afghanistan and was instrumental in expanding Palantir’s footprint in the Asia Pacific.
Paul believes in a holistic leadership approach, as he believes that his role is not just to ensure how much money the company is making and securing funding from investors, rather he is deeply involved in shaping the performance culture of the company and the way Horangi hires its talent.
As a leader, Paul stays up to date with the gamut of disciplines in the cybersecurity field, from network security to AppSec and even security policy, not just the areas that Horangi’s solutions focus on. In many ways, events that happen on one end have ramifications on how another discipline protects data.
Managing a leading company is no easy task, but doing it seemingly effortlessly, Paul is always up to the challenge. He is thankful to be put in a position to help people grow and secure their businesses. Paul on his favorite part of the job: “I love to help people and their businesses. This has always been a passion of mine, from understanding different businesses, learning their unique requirements, and devising tailored solutions to help meet those requirements.”
Work Hard, Play Hard
At Horangi, the team promotes extreme ownership in decisions and all other tasks, with every employee being an equity holder in the company. The team altogether are strong believers in working and playing hard.
The company is currently in the fast growth stage so Paul believes that it is important for everyone has the GTD (“Getting Things Done”) attitude. Paul describes the team members as passionate and dedicated employees who have been helping the company to innovate without fear and are always eager to solve the latest and toughest security problems.
“We are poised to help organizations make the shift to the cloud securely, with a team specialized in meeting the challenges of organizations both in and out of the cloud, as well as dedicated software to support organizations as they continue to innovate,” said Paul.
Charging Ahead With Horangi Warden
Gartner predicts that by 2025, 99% of the cloud security failures will be the customer’s fault. Horangi is aware of the growing migration of workloads to the cloud as a significant risk moving forward. Paul believes that misconfigurations are already the largest cause of cloud data breaches.
The company aims to be focused on developing its software in 2020, and along with that increase its market penetration rate. Paul said, “Already, we are seeing some traction around Warden and with the feedback we get, I believe it will be a useful tool that any organization in the cloud can leverage.”
Cybersecurity is a Human Problem
A security veteran, Paul believes that a product works 0% of the time and cybersecurity is — and will always be — a human problem. People who lack security discipline and awareness remain an organization’s biggest security risk. Moreover, without the right processes to get security into an organization’s DNA, there will always be security gaps.
As people are conditioned through stringent processes and empowered with the right cybersecurity technology, organizations grow more resilient. “For organizations to get ahead of threat actors and drive permanent, long-term change in their cybersecurity culture, I believe in the continuous protection of all three disciplines—people, processes, and technology. Our solution offerings are built to make that a reality,” said Paul.
