Hive Systems is a cybersecurity company that specializes in tailored solutions that unify risk assessments, IT, security awareness, and cybersecurity operations for businesses of all sizes. Pulse 2.0 interviewed CEO and Co-Founder Alex Nette to learn more about the company.
Alex Nette’s Background
Nette has provided cybersecurity consulting and in-house support for over a decade to the public sector for federal, state, and local agencies, and in the private sector for a wide variety of industry segments.
“My work has reduced the cybersecurity risk for Fortune 500 tech, financial, healthcare, consumer goods, defense contractors, and energy companies; in addition to the US Department of Justice, Peace Corps, US Federal Aviation Administration, and US House of Representatives,” said Nette.
Formation Of Hive Systems
How did the idea for Hive Systems come together? ”We founded Hive Systems because we believe that large consulting firms and cybersecurity companies offer services and products that don’t actually reduce risk, and even worse, don’t educate the companies that are their customers. By making cybersecurity approachable, Hive Systems helps teams reduce risk today while making them more resilient in the future,” Nette replied.
Favorite Memory
What has been Nette’s favorite memory working for Hive Systems so far? “Getting that first feedback from a client where they said ‘Wow, this has been night and day from the company we were working with before on this issue.’ That feels good and validates that we are making an impact and delivering value,” Nette reflected.
Challenges Faced Building The Company
What are some of the challenges Nette faced in building the company and has the current macroeconomic climate had any effect on the company? “The hardest part about running a business is actually running the business. I think a lot of business owners and founders don’t take the scale of that impact into account when starting a company. We’ve adjusted over the years and gotten better, but it takes just as much time and effort for sales, marketing, and balancing the books, as delivering on the services we’ve sold to our clients – especially when the economic markets and demand for our services and products changes,” Nette acknowledged.
Core Products
What are Hive Systems’ core products and features? Hive Systems offers cybersecurity services and products that help organizations reduce risk. And in the digital age, risk management is no longer just financial or in the boardroom, it needs to be everywhere because technology is everywhere.
“We’ve listened to our clients and our peer firms and helped deliver three innovative products – Derive, Audora, and ePHISHiency – that complement our suite of services from our experts. Derive helps organizations create defensible, data-driven cybersecurity investments. Audora helps auditors deliver the best experience for cybersecurity audits with better efficiency and at a lower cost to their clients. ePHISHiency is a leading phishing simulation tool that reduces employee susceptibility and reduces the time spent by companies to run them,” Nette explained. “We also just released our latest research into how fast hackers can brute force your passwords. With websites still struggling to secure passwords, and computers only getting faster, the numbers aren’t good. You can see our viral Password Table, and the accompanying research at www.hivesystems.io/password.”
Most Significant Milestones
What have been some of Hive Systems’ most significant milestones? “Starting the company of course, but from there it’s been about exploring new directions that we didn’t think about on day one. Like launching our products, creating partnerships with our fellow cybersecurity professionals to support each other, establishing our Executive Advisory Council to receive guidance and outside inputs, and putting out industry-leading research on cybersecurity. All of these have been equally valuable and have been the foundational elements we have built Hive Systems on top of since their inception,” Nette replied.
Customer Success Stories
What have been some of the company’s success stories? “Some of my favorite success stories are from our pro-bono work through Hive Helps. We offer free services and training to qualifying non profits so that resources don’t stand in the way of their continued success. It’s satisfying to know we’ve had a direct impact on keeping organizations that do important work on our communities safe,” noted Nette.
Funding/Revenue
Hive Systems is privately held by its founders. The company generates revenue by delivering approachable cybersecurity services and products to its rapidly expanding client and customer base from organizations of all sizes and all industries.
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is Hive Systems pursuing? “A: It sounds too good to be true, but the TAM for our services is nearly unlimited. Any company doing business has information to protect. Our services and products always scale to the size and industries of those companies, but we are steadfast in our core beliefs when we deliver – Passion for what we do, Precision in our work, Equity for everyone, and Trust in who we are. We know that in order to consistently deliver on our mission of ‘Cybersecurity that’s approachable’ we need to grow at a controlled and calculated pace,” Nette shared.
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates Hive Systems from its competition? “Our focus on approachability. We really want our clients and customers to understand cybersecurity so they can succeed long after we stop working with them. That’s beneficial for them so they can continue to reduce risk, but also beneficial for us so we can continue to stay on top of the latest cybersecurity threats and risks,” Nette pointed out.
Future Company Goals
What are some of Hive Systems’ future company goals? “The company will continue to innovate in the cybersecurity space, educate our community about risks in the digital age, and grow our team of industry-leading experts,” Nette concluded.
