Anurag Lal Of NetSfere On The Future of Communication Technology

…Since the pandemic, popular messaging platforms like Slack, Skype and WhatsApp have set the standard for mobile communications features; unfortunately, they were not built with security and control in mind. Secure collaboration is a top concern for IT decision-makers because today’s cyber environment is increasingly being hacked into as organizations digitize. It’s vital to know if your workplace communication is regulated and up to date, ensuring the safety and security of your collaboration tools. Instantaneous collaboration is important to keep productivity high and personalization intact…

The telephone totally revolutionized the way we could communicate with people all over the world. But then came email and took it to the next level. And then came text messaging. And then came video calls. And so on…What’s next? What’s just around the corner?

In this interview series, called ‘The Future Of Communication Technology’ we are interviewing leaders of tech or telecom companies who are helping to develop emerging communication technologies and the next generation of how we communicate and connect with each other. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anurag Lal. Anurag is the President and CEO of NetSfere. With more than 25 years of experience in technology, cybersecurity, ransomware, broadband and mobile security services, Lal leads a team of talented innovators who are creating secure and trusted enterprise-grade workplace communication technology to equip the enterprise with world-class secure communication solutions. Lal is an expert on global cybersecurity innovations, policies, and risks.

Previously Lal was appointed by the Obama administration to serve as Director of the U.S. National Broadband Task Force. His resume includes time at Meru, iPass, British Telecom and Sprint in leadership positions. Lal has received various industry accolades including recognition by the Wireless Broadband Industry Alliance in the U.K. Lal holds a B.A. in Economics from Delhi University and is based in Washington, D.C.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

My career started back in the 90s when I worked with a few different companies. I previously served as Senior Vice President at Meru Networks and Chief Business Development and Sales Officer at iPass Inc. I have also served as Vice President of Internet and Multimedia Services for British Telecom (Worldwide) and held senior management roles at Sprint International. In 2008, I had the honor of working under the Obama Administration as the Director of the U.S. National Broadband Task Force for the FCC. Following that in 2011, I joined Infinite Convergence to bring elite security to enterprises and build out a robust lineup of enterprise communication solutions for its subsidiary, NetSfere. I now serve as the President and CEO.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting thing is just watching how drastically cybersecurity has changed over the past 25 years I’ve been doing this. It has truly evolved and become more sophisticated, bringing more challenges and areas of improvement to me and my team all the time. Cybersecurity used to be the sole responsibility of an IT manager or CISO, but now everyone, consumers included, is affected by its growing threat landscape. Secure enterprise mobile messaging technology is now playing a central role in securing business communication and protecting data and privacy

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

My team and I bring goodness to the world by protecting enterprises, employees and consumers from the cyber threats that loom. When we can keep someone’s personal healthcare or bank account information secure from these hackers by means of deploying secure and compliant communication solutions, that satisfies me. We are only successful when we can stop attacks from happening. End-to-end encrypted and compliant communication tools and the education on cybersecurity risks will bring this success to more people around the world.

Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about the cutting-edge communication tech that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

NetSfere is a next-generation and award-winning secure and compliant messaging platform for the enterprise. With NetSfere, businesses are ensured with industry-leading security and message delivery capabilities, including global cloud-based service availability, device-to-device encryption, location-based features and administrative controls. The platform offerings include encrypted video and voice calling, text messaging, broadcasting, and screen sharing, which are designed to enhance team collaboration and drive workplace productivity through a more contextual, seamless communication experience that allows the enterprise to maintain control and regulatory compliance. NetSfere is HIPAA and GDPR compliant and just this year was recognized by two top-tier research firms, 451 Research and Frost & Sullivan, for its safe and secure messaging platform for enterprises. The latest S&P Global Market Intelligence analyst report suggests nearly two-thirds of organizations have outdated workplace communication security policies, leading to a myriad of data breaches and hefty fines from the SEC. The report lists NetSfere as the leading, compliant, and secure communication platform, saving companies billions of dollars in fines and protecting sensitive information.

As enterprises continue to utilize digital workplaces, priorities have shifted and many businesses are facing the negative effects of using unsafe messaging platforms. According to a 2021 survey by NetScout, 72% of organizations surveyed supported between three and nine collaboration tools, while one in five companies reported using more than 10 collaboration tools. In an increasingly digital world, companies need to implement a zero-trust strategy in the workplace. Adopting safe and compliant messaging platforms like NetSfere stops hackers in their tracks and saves companies billions in compliance violation fines. Today, fines for HIPAA violations range from $127 per violation to $50,000 per violation depending on the nature of the violation. Deploying such enterprise communication tactics can also protect businesses from ransomware fees. In fact, data breaches today are costing organizations in the U.S. an eye-popping average of $9.44 million.

How do you think this might change the world?

Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and heavily impacting industries like financial services, healthcare, legal institutions, and more. They were up 38% compared to 2021. In the healthcare industry specifically, this past May was the second worst-ever month for data breaches with 75 breaches occurring that exposed 500 or more healthcare records. The problem is more than vulnerabilities in software. At their core, hackers hack humans, not software. CISOs can mitigate threats by having proper plans in place.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

There are no drawbacks to implementing secure and compliant technology solutions. It is designed specifically for the benefit and security of the users. Aside from technology, people should deeply consider what information they provide to anyone that is not a trusted source. Likewise, in the workplace, employees need to be careful about who they share files with or what files they download, etc.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?

There’s been a major shift to digital work in recent years, which has led to an increase in data breaches and attacks. As I said earlier, organizations are using multiple different collaboration tools, each coming with their own set of risks. With all those collaboration tools, there’s a lot of room for hackers to gain access. After the pandemic and everyone moving to remote work, that’s when we saw an increase in breaches and so that’s when we also enhanced our services to meet those growing needs.

What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

NetSfere is a world-class rated tool being used by enterprises across the globe. The service delivers mobility solutions to tier-one mobile operators globally and the technology supports more than 500 million subscribers and over one trillion messages annually. We’re continuing to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities enterprises face so they can be cognizant of the solutions that are available to help.

The pandemic has changed so many things about the way we behave. One of them of course is how we work and how we communicate in our work. How do you think your innovation might be able to address the new needs that have arisen as a result of the pandemic?

Since the pandemic, popular messaging platforms like Slack, Skype and WhatsApp have set the standard for mobile communications features; unfortunately, they were not built with security and control in mind. Secure collaboration is a top concern for IT decision-makers because today’s cyber environment is increasingly being hacked into as organizations digitize. It’s vital to know if your workplace communication is regulated and up to date, ensuring the safety and security of your collaboration tools. Instantaneous collaboration is important to keep productivity high and personalization intact.

NetSfere was built from the ground up for the enterprise with the pillars of security, control, compliance and collaboration in mind. It is equipped with global cloud-based service availability, device-to-device encryption, location-based features and administrative controls. Following the pandemic, we released SecureMeet, a new virtual meeting platform where users can safely host virtual meetings with both NetSfere users and external guests, allowing different organizations to communicate productively while maintaining the security and control NetSfere brings across its existing encrypted communication platform. This eliminates any worry of “Zoom bombing” and other phishing risks associated with virtual meetings that have risen in popularity since 2020.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

All information can be found on NetSfere.com. I’m also on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.