Innovation is a vital crux of the software development industry. It is one of the supreme driving factors that have propelled the industry to greater heights. Moreover, it also leads to higher productivity as it encourages employees and leaders to research and develop new technologies. Simultaneously, innovation has also opened gates for advanced cybersecurity threats. Technological advancements and software developments have collectively made it easier for hackers to invent advanced data breaching methods.
It is, therefore, essential for leaders in the software industry to be aware of the latest innovations and their potentials within the industry. Leaders must essentially keep track of the inventive trends and incorporate them into their organizational operations. When George Egri ventured into the software development industry, he sensed the lack of the latest server security solutions. By leveraging the potentials of innovation, he has successfully established two companies—BitNinja and Webserver Ltd.—in the industry.
Sensing Lacuna and Ideating Future
George began building his first company—Webserver—during his university years with a few of his classmates during the mid-2000s. Although the team fell short on servers during that time, George continued ideating the next step.
George felt that cloud systems were the future. With sheer enthusiasm, he embarked on several projects—more than he should have—and developed a newsletter application, billing software for businesses, and a CRM system for opticians all simultaneously.
Several years ago, George and his team noticed the increasing cases of cybersecurity issues and the lack of a satisfactory solution in the market for protecting shared hosting servers. Therefore, they developed an in-house solution. The team validated BitNinja in the market and realized a huge demand for a tool as such. The team further commenced the business and BitNinja developed over Webserver.
BitNinja was established in 2016 to help people with the latest server security technologies combined in one easy-to-use security suite. The platform is a result of the inspiration to build an all-in-one security solution designed for hosting providers. Presently, George is spearheading BitNinja as the CEO and is propelling the company towards success.
Compatible Server Security Technology
With a mission to make the internet a safer place, BitNinja provides the latest server security technologies. It is compatible with other tools and is resource-friendly. BitNinja avoids false positivities and takes about a few seconds for installation.
BitNinja has provided server protection for several servers—with hundreds of new servers signing up for the platform per month. Moreover, it is also trusted by over thousands of data-driven CTOs and their sysadmins. The platform has recieved various accolades for its services and solutions. BitNinja was awarded the gold medal in the 17th Annual 2021 Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards.
Besides offering robust server security solutions, BitNinja also focuses on educating people on issues and areas related to cybersecurity. The company organizes various events to raise awareness of cybersecurity. In addition, it also publishes blogs on its website regarding several aspects of cybersecurity.
An Anti-Malware Module
Currently, BitNinja is investing tremendous efforts into improving the anti-malware module.
- Source Code Structure Analysis
Firstly, the company invented a new, patent-pending technique—source code structure analysis. It creates a special structure-based signature from the source code and then conducts the matching on the structure.
- Malware Signature Database
The company further started building a huge malware signature database. It is presently progressing well as the MD-5 malware signatures have significantly increased since 2020. They have successfully added 700,000 MD-5 malware signatures to the existing 30,000. George mentions that a single MD-5 malware signature is equivalent to thousands of traditional malware signatures.
- PHP Simulator
The next step was building a PHP simulator. It’s a safe environment that allows partial or complete running of PHP files on the server. It also enables the running of all types of behavior analysis. Using this feature, one can quickly analyze old PHP files on the servers and discover the most recent zero-day malware, even if they are obfuscated.
George believes that although the team is still iterating the anti-malware module, the company will have one of the best anti-malware software in the world at the end of the year.
Assessing Latest Adoptions
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adaptation of digital platforms for businesses and organizations. It resulted in an increase in the level of cyber risks due to the use of newer, less tested processes and technologies.
George asserts that information technology has become one of the few growing industries due to the pandemic. Moreover, the growth of the online business has also affected network security. He adds, “As website owners face increased threats, the need to protect websites and servers has increased.”
Potentials of Innovation in Software Realm
Tech innovations pave new gateways for hackers to connect and explore the realms of servers and their users. Without extensive layers of security, users’ data remains an open book for attackers. With every new advent within the software industry, cyber attackers simultaneously identify innovative methods to break into servers without being detected.
Regarding the growing concerns, George quotes that innovation is particularly important in the field of server security. He substantiates that hackers are continuously inventing new methods. The industrials must stay updated and remain one step ahead of cyber attackers. “In the world of information technology, things change week by week,” mentions George.
Leveraging Welcoming Niche of the Industry
George adds that the software development sector has become a welcoming niche for entrepreneurs. “This industry is not too old, and the entry barriers are not too high,” he mentions. He cites an example of his experience when he started his first business—the Webserver Ltd web hosting company—using his student loan. The industry remains in the middle of growth status as per figures.
However, the bigger problem is that the demand is higher than the supply in terms of available professionals. Although it is hard to find good developers, George encourages people to start a business in the software development sector.
Conveying Wisdom to Aspirants
George believes that one can convert a difficult situation to their advantage if they make good use of available resources during such a situation. He recommends several books to aspiring entrepreneurs. These include every book by Robert Kiyosaki—such as Rich Dad Poor Dad, E-myth from Michael E. Gerber, and The 4-Hour Workweek from Tim Ferris. Speaking of movies, he suggests watching Pirates of Silicon Valley.
