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The journey of Quick Heal began 30 years ago with the Katkar brothers, Kailash and Sanjay, who were then involved in a computer business. Faced with a rising tide of malware affecting their customers, the younger brother, Sanjay, began devising scripts and routines to eliminate viruses. This initial success in creating value for their customers laid the foundation for what would become Quick Heal Technologies.
Quick Heal was officially launched as a product, marking the company's shift from hardware to software, specifically in the antivirus domain. “The company and the brothers have been deeply innovative, staying relevant through 30 years and many changes in the antivirus industry,” Vishal Salvi, the current CEO, tells us.
New Age Threats & Remedies
Originally, virus detection relied heavily on signature-based methods, which involved identifying and neutralising known virus patterns. However, as cyber threats have grown more sophisticated, Quick Heal had to incorporate behaviour-based detection. This method analyses the behaviour of files and processes to identify anomalies, adding a crucial layer of security beyond traditional signature matching.
This behaviour-based detection model uses AI to automate and enhance its virus detection processes. “AI handles up to 97% of our virus assessments,” Vishal explains to us that trying to identify a bad activity in a huge ocean of logs is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Well before AI became a buzzword, the company had already begun deploying it to find and treat vulnerabilities.
They also developed an Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) for enterprise users. EPP offers manageability, visibility and control over large networks of endpoints. “Around 40% of our revenues now come from the enterprise business under our brand Seqrite.”
Most recently, during Covid-19, the traditional office perimeter dissolved as employees shifted to remote work. This complicated the cybersecurity landscape with a dispersion of endpoints. Quick Heal embraced cloud-based Zero Trust Architecture to ensure that security measures accompany each asset regardless of its location.
They also introduced a Data Privacy Solution in line with the new Digital Personal Data Protection Act. Their product helps organisations comply by identifying, classifying and remediating personally identifiable information, meeting new regulatory requirements.
Beyond Antivirus
Due to the high frequency of cybersecurity attacks and events across the globe, there is a general awareness of what cybersecurity is. At the same time, the large amount of digital communication and processing is creating more vulnerabilities. While Vishal deems cybersecurity controls a fundamental requirement, akin to seatbelts in a car, if there is something more important than an antivirus, it is being anti-gullible.
Tips from the CEO on safeguarding your digital identity:
There are no free lunches: You have to be careful in terms of anything that you download free of cost from the Internet. Chances are that it is trying to either collect your data, give you ads, or, worse, download malware. Make sure that you are using legal, paid antivirus software.
Compartmentalise your avatars: At a minimum, create three different avatars. One for corporate, one personal for social media and the third for financial transactions. Keep separate passwords for each of these avatars so that even if your social media passwords get compromised, it doesn’t impact your financial identity.
Stay wary of social engineering attacks: As the locks get tighter, hackers look for the keys that they can get directly from people. Individuals who are not digital natives often fall prey to basic phishing and social engineering attacks. Remember not to share your passwords or personal information with anyone online.
Ignorance is not bliss: People often live under the guise that their bank account is safe if they don’t register themselves on online financial platforms. But by default, every bank customer is a potential net banking user. There is a registration process for you to get enabled, and if you don't do it, a fraudster might do it on your behalf.
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Quick Heal’s vision is to ‘innovate, simplify and secure’ digital interactions. As we become increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, from the storing of images and passwords to connecting with friends and family and work and financial transactions, the importance of having a secure digital identity cannot be overstated. “Cyber security plays a role in saving lives - not just computers,” Vishal signs off.
