Exclusive: Secureworks riding cybersecurity leadership wave

The CEO of Secureworks, Wendy Thomas, has been with the company since 2008 and has served as its CEO for nearly three years.

In an exclusive interview with TechDay, she shared insights into Secureworks' operations, challenges, and strategies in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity.

"Secureworks has been a leader in cybersecurity for over 25 years with customers in over 60 countries," Thomas said. "Our team of security experts leverages our cloud-native platform, Taegis,  to protect thousands of customers globally from all types of cyber attacks, including ransomware."

Secureworks operates worldwide, with significant operations centers in North America, Europe, Bucharest, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand.

"We are in India, Japan, Singapore, so we have quite a great footprint," Thomas noted, highlighting the company's extensive global reach.

Founded in 1999 in Atlanta, Secureworks has been active in the Asia Pacific region for just over a decade, employing over 250 'teammates' in the area.

When discussing market trends, Thomas emphasized the holistic approach Secureworks takes to cybersecurity.

"We don't sell a single product or service to protect a certain part of a customer's network," she said. "We provide holistic coverage across their estate for customers of all sizes, whether they're NGOs, businesses, or universities."

This approach ensures comprehensive protection and fosters a partnership rather than a vendor-customer relationship.

One of the key challenges for Secureworks' customers is future-proofing their security as they undergo digital transformation. Thomas explained, "There's no organization that's not looking at adopting the latest technology tools and trends. AI is certainly one of the important ones right now. We help organizations mature their technology and digitize their business for growth while ensuring security each step of the way."

Secureworks' customer base spans various industries and sizes. Thomas shared examples, including a global mining and manufacturing organization and a small financial institution in rural America. "Whether it's large or small, no matter what industry, we provide the same outcome of protecting their digital assets, information, and customers," she said.

In terms of customer success stories, Thomas highlighted the importance of addressing the cybersecurity talent gap.

"Our customers need an extraordinary expert in particular areas. Perhaps they're a government entity being attacked by certain nation-state threat actor groups. We provide deep expertise in specialty areas of cybersecurity," she explained.

Secureworks' mean time to detect is less than a minute, and its mean time to contain is less than 30 minutes - which Thomas believes is "crucial for preventing significant damage from cyber attacks".

"There's a concept of dwell time, the time an adversary finds their way into a network and looks for something valuable to exfiltrate or lock down with ransomware. That dwell time has been shortening, so the time to contain is crucial for keeping an organization from getting damaged," Thomas emphasized.

Australian organizations can leverage AI while protecting against emerging threats. "AI is used to make old attacks harder to detect and introduce new threats like deep fakes," said Thomas. Secureworks helps organizations detect AI-driven cyber attacks, ensuring robust protection against these evolving risks.

When discussing the top cyber priorities for Australian businesses, Thomas highlighted the importance of defense in depth. "Using multiple layers of technology to protect the organization and maintain visibility and protection is crucial. Secureworks helps integrate various technology configurations and provides native security controls," she noted.

Thomas believes Secureworks' holistic approach to security sets it apart from competitors. "We focus on outcomes. We use technology and our team of experts to ensure our customers stay completely secure and resilient," she said.

Secureworks boasts a loyal customer base, including a large non-governmental organization providing global disaster relief.

"Protecting an organization operating in remote, infrastructure-challenged areas requires secure communications and location protection," Thomas explained. About 10% of Secureworks' customers are state and local government entities, with the rest being large NGOs or businesses.

"Our mission is to secure human progress by outpacing and outmaneuvering adversaries," Thomas said.

Secureworks has grown significantly since its inception, with an annual recurring revenue of over $300 million and a return to profitability last year after significant technology investments. "We've demonstrated our ability and vision to constantly transform how we do security," she stated.

The company's comprehensive approach to cybersecurity provides customers peace of mind.

"We want to make cybersecurity something they don't have to wake up in the middle of the night worrying about," Thomas expressed.

Secureworks continues to lead the charge in cybersecurity, adapting to new threats and ensuring their customers remain protected in an increasingly digital world.