The Internet is the world’s global village! The Internet empowers everyone equally and reduces all nature and man-made barriers, making our world a small and connected place. The world of Internet has shaped most of us and changed our lifestyles, while we may or may not realize it’s influence on us. Today the Internet can be reckoned as the invention which has revolutionized our style of working and living. But how often do we hear incidents in which people have lost their money online? While we've all had varied experiences with cyber crime, let us break it down, research says that there's a hacker attack every 39 seconds in the world. The Internet comes with it’s own set of boons and banes and one major drawback is that anyone using the internet is vulnerable to cyber crime. Top enterprises are always in search of the right security as any threat can hijack their growth and success. One such company that bridges the gap and provides innovative new-age cybersecurity solutions is WeSecureApp. They specialize in establishing a secure eco-system for enterprises and keep them safe from cybercrime.
It was a pleasure for Hyderabad Stories to know about WeSecure App from the company’s CEO, Mr. Venu Rao himself.
Tell us about your Startup Inception Story & Founding Members?
I started WeSecureApp four years ago with my cousins, Akhil and Srini. With that deep family history, we knew each other’s strengths and working style in such detail, that it was a no-brainer to work together to offer security consulting services to enterprise customers. Unlike some cyber founders, I was not deeply technical. With an MBA and a keen-eye for business building, my strength is in strategy. In fact, it was my business nous that identified the potential for WeSecureApp when I witnessed Akhil applying his hacker skills to bug bounty programs. Akhil earned amazing respect in the hacker community not just in India but worldwide. Even Akhil had an entrepreneurial mindset and was very excited about the idea of a Cybersecurity start-up. Srini with his two decades of experience with Fortune 500 companies in the US joined us with his incredible product management & operations skills and; I took business strategy and Akhil the technical.
How do you wish to make an impact on society?
With the increase in digital transformation, adoption of new technologies like IoT, Drones, Connected Cars, etc, there has been a rampant surge in cyber-attacks.
We being the guardians of technology, our objective is to provide necessary awareness especially to Indian start-ups that don’t have deep pockets to invest in security. We wish to help them as a Security Advisor and also be a strategic security partner to achieve their security goals that help in enhancing their business and also adhere to global compliances & regulatory frameworks.
How did you face the challenges accompanied by the success and failure in your life?
Success and failure are a part of the entrepreneurial journey and my journey started in 2010 with an objective to disrupt the logistic industry with a GPS based Vehicle Tracking System. Challenges like the 2G network in the cities and limited connectivity in Tier 2,3, and rural areas made live vehicle tracking a very big challenge, and moreover without cloud running a SaaS platform was even worse. Still, we could able to run the business and partnered with large logistics companies. But the dream run couldn’t continue for long due to operational challenges and we had to sell the product & IP to one of our distributors.
Now in 2020, I run a very successful Cybersecurity company that earned global recognition in a short span of 4 years. Today we solve complex cybersecurity challenges with our unique products & solutions.
What is your vision for the future?
Our vision is to establish a secure ecosystem for companies to protect their confidential data, employees, and customer’s information. Our clients are IT start-ups or a large enterprise, we would like to be their extended partner and be a part of their success story by securing their digital assets.
Impacts of the Pandemic and the steps that you have taken to overcome the crisis?
The world has never seen this kind of pandemic in the last 100 years. It’s very different than the Great Depression and the 2008-09 recession. Businesses are not the same, there are new challenges, the economy has taken a great hit, and probably it will take 12-18 months to come back to normalcy.
What we have done:
Increase revenues:
- Generate more business from existing clients especially clients from gaming, OTT platforms, Fintech verticals.
- Let’s support by giving discounts to clients from travel, hospitality, tourism verticals.
- Focus on other geographies – Singapore, Australia, and the USA
- Marketing of high-demand services in the pandemic time – Email Phishing, Device Security and Compliance
What do you think about the Startup culture in Hyderabad and how can it be enhanced?
I am super happy with the way Hyderabad is being developed. We have seen amazing things happening in Hyderabad especially in the last 5 years. Apart from T-Hub, the largest startup incubator in the country, we are home to other major industries that include gaming, 3D, Defence & Aeronautics, etc. In fact, India’s first Cybersecurity Accelerator is in Hyderabad.
If we improve upon the infrastructure like the other global cities, I am sure we would be the hot destination for start-ups in Asia.
Message for budding entrepreneurs?
With the way the startup ecosystem is flourishing in India, I believe this is the time for wantrepreneurs to be entrepreneurs. There are a lot of problems in India that are unsolved and with the help of technology, I am sure we can solve them. My message to budding entrepreneurs is very simple: solve today’s problems by designing the best and affordable solutions, and in the entrepreneurial journey, please continue to have focus and persistence.
Cybercrime is one of the greatest threats to every company in the world, and it is high time we recognise it. The threat is open to anyone who's on the Internet, and it comes without a warning. Hackers across the globe are looking for an opportunity to break through our devices, and it is our responsibility to take preventive measures and secure ourselves. Since the pandemic, the US FBI has reported a 300% increase in reported cybercrimes. As if the pandemic wasn't scary enough, hackers took advantage of the opportunity to attack vulnerable networks as office work moved to personal homes.
Today, organizations of all scales need to make a fundamental change in their approach to cybersecurity and reprioritize budgets in order to align themselves with this newly defined reality of our modern society.