Diving into Digital Darkness: From Startup Birth to Patent-Proven
By Barrett Lyon, Co-Founder and Chief Architect
Doing something new is terrifying. Embarking on a new venture is akin to cliff diving in pitch darkness — you never know if you will make a splash or go belly-up. The risk feels greater because doing it because you believe in your vision and that it will be the right thing to do. When I pioneered the distributed denial of service (DDoS) defense industry, it was very much that situation. Academics said it was impossible, network operators were confused, and none of the analysts knew how to classify what we were doing.
Fast forward, and I find myself in that same spot with Netography. My co-founder Dan Murphy and I dove into the unknown, believing that security would need to evolve from what it was five years ago. We recognized that we had to be more innovative and grasp not only the culture of networking but also the emerging trends in enterprise design and their relationship with cloud computing.
With data being encrypted and systems spread out, we knew we needed a fresh solution to weave everything together and present a cohesive picture of what a synthetic network could be. Fortunately our CEO, Martin Roesch, was on the same wavelength. The old guard of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Network Detection and Response (NDR) is like sending a pigeon to deliver an 8K video. A new defense platform was needed.
Today, I am proud to announce that Netography has been issued two patents with broad claim coverage in our core focus. These patents secure our view that out-of-band network monitoring is vital to defending today’s network, bound of cloud and on-prem networks. This is like having a security camera that keeps an eye on your network’s traffic without interfering with it. Entitled “Distributed Network and Security Operations Platform” and “Distributed Network Security Service,” these patents fortify our vision that out-of-band network monitoring is the secret sauce to shielding today’s network ecosystem of cloud and on-prem networks. They outline methods for receiving data from edge nodes of private networks, analyzing it, and then automating responses to keep the network more secure and efficient.
One of the claims in the patent that I think is important is:
The method of claim 1, wherein edge nodes of the private network comprise virtual private cloud services. 8. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the external service provides network and security operations for the private network.
We had assumed that networks, in the traditional sense, would follow the progression and cycle of technology, starting from big mainframes and dumb terminals, then transitioning to big computers and no terminals, and again to big networks connected to lots of things with smart terminals. This pattern was evident, and when cloud technology combined with the enterprise, it once again highlighted the need for something to evolve and for tools to improve following that pattern.
To me, software is exactly like painting on a canvas: You are only limited to your imagination to create what you have in your head.
With that ethos, it’s great to announce now that our patent was accepted by the USPTO, and we are officially the leading company in what we now call “Security for the Atomized Network®.” This is our way of saying that we’re securing networks that are broken down into less manageable and scattered pieces. We thought about this from the very beginning, and now it’s a pleasure to see our engineering team have executed on the creation of our system, Netography Fusion®, and to create the magic we have now.
As a serial entrepreneur, my modus operandi is usually to set the sails and then hand over the wheel within three years. However, seeing Netography’s patent come to fruition after a five-year incubation period is both novel and deeply gratifying for me as a founder. Our team’s relentless engineering skills and artistic finesse, and marketing acumen have been the building blocks of this achievement. Beyond our product builders, I owe a debt of gratitude to each team member, who work hard to expand our customer adoption, and our visionary investors, who trusted and supported our technological journey. This milestone stands as a testament to our innovation and commitment.
As we move forward, it’s thrilling to acknowledge the incredible and advanced technologies that others have been forging. Witnessing these innovations intertwine to create enhanced solutions for our customers and partners is inspiring.
As a co-founder, alongside Dan Murphy, and Martin Roesch, I want to offer a word of encouragement to all startup founders: it’s a lengthy and challenging journey, but with perseverance, you’ll eventually reach your goals – and perhaps even exceed them!