Startup Firm Attacks Mobile Security Problem With Network-Based Offering

A startup company today launched a range of new services that attack the enterprise mobile security problem where it lives: in the network.

Mojave Networks, an emerging player in the mobile security space, launched new services, a new name, and a new round of funding on Monday. The company is delivering a cloud-based service that requires no equipment on the enterprise premises and can be set up via the the Mojave website in about 10 minutes, according to the firm.

"The problem with most of the solutions that are out there is they do security at the device level, not at the network level," says Garrett Larsson, co-founder and CEO of Mojave Networks. "We're offering a service that can secure all the devices at the enterprise level -- we can also tell you how people are using their devices, what cloud services they are using, take inventory of the devices that connect to your network, and wipe them clean if they are lost or stolen."

Originally introduced as Clutch Mobile in August 2012, Mojave Networks has received $5 million in funding from Bessemer Venture Partners and changed its name in a more aggressive go-to-market strategy.

Mojave's new services include Web and network security, data loss prevention, mobile application security and access control, and mobile usage reporting and analytics.

A network-based solution could make it easier for enterprises to solve the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) problem, in which employees and contractors bring an increasingly diverse array of devices that must access sensitive corporate data, Larsson says.

"The device-level approach doesn't work well in BYOD because there are so many devices, and each one has its own approach to security," Larsson says. "We're handling it on a network level, and we can enable it on a wide range of devices, so if a user downloads malware or goes to a phishing site, we can respond more quickly."

A network-based approach may also help enterprises respond to more sophisticated attacks that begin at the mobile device, Larsson says. "We can see when mobile malware is being downloaded, and we can see when employees might be uploading data to non-company email addresses," he says.

Mojave's approach will work better than the current base of mobile device management (MDM) products, predicted David Cowan, Bessemer partner and founder of VeriSign and Good Technology, who recently joined the Mojave Networks board.

"MDM really stands for Malware-infected Device Management, because you can't run robust security clients on a smartphone," Cowan says. "[Bessemer] spent a year evaluating cloud-based approaches to securing corporate and BYOD smartphones, and found Mojave's team and technology is best positioned to meet the exploding demand for enterprise-grade mobile security."

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