Attila Security finds bigger pipeline for cybersecurity hardware with shift to remote work

During the pandemic, Columbia-based Attila Security is seeing increased business from the federal government for its device that helps to secure data when using an internet connection outside of a primary office.

Prior to March, the company’s technology offering was already focused around helping enterprises and government secure data for remote work and travel. When COVID-19 came to the U.S. earlier this year, CEO Gregg Smith said the company heard of the need in the federal government for solutions that would help workers remain secure while working from home.

“A lot of their workers, when they’re confined to the office, are working on desktop computers that aren’t portable,” Smith said. “When all of a sudden you’ve got to use the personal computer from home, they don’t have the IT staff to go to everyone’s home and put in place the appropriate security measures to connect to the network.”

And like with many workplaces, it appears remote work is extending into 2021 among federal employees. Even the Pentagon is keeping its virtual work environment in place through 2021.

Called the GoSilent cube, Attila’s product is a standalone device, known as a hardware VPN. Having been initially designed to protect government leaders, Smith said it can secure a device up to the standards of the government. It also has a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot that essentially allows multiple devices to connect. Smith has described the size as “smaller than a wallet, and slightly bigger than a tic tac container.”

The company also makes a server product that allows for access to a network from beyond those office walls. In May, it also released a file sharing and collaboration workspace that allows organizations with sensitive data to share info with third parties in a secure fashion.

With the shift to remote work, Smith said the company has seen a six-time increase in its business pipeline.

“We’ve seen a really nice increase in demand this year for the product, and our pipeline is massive,” said Smith, an experienced local cybersecurity CEO who also chairs the board of the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland.

The company has grown from about 10 employees in 2018 at the time of its seed round to more than 25 employees. It also moved its headquarters from Fulton cyber foundry DataTribe, where it worked alongside startup experts and received investment, to an office in a development at downtown Columbia’s Merriweather District. This year, Attila received a $750,000 investment from TEDCO’s Maryland Venture Fund in March, the agency reported.