Mocana

Mocana (founded 2004) is a San Francisco-based company that focuses on and embedded system security. One of its main products, Security of Things Platform, is a high-performance, ultra-optimized, OS-independent, high-assurance security solution for any device class. This decoupling of security implementation from the rest of mobile application development allows for easier development of software for devices comprising the "Internet of Things", in which numerous independent networked devices communicate with each other in various ways.[1][2][3] Mocana was originally launched as an embedded systems security company, but more recently the company has shifted its focus to protecting mobile devices and the apps and data on them.[4]

History

Mocana launched in 2004 with a focus on embedded systems security.[5] That same year the company launched Embedded Security Suite, a software product to secure communications between networked devices.[6] In February 2005, while based in Menlo Park, California, the company joined the Freescale Semiconductor Developers Alliance Program, and delivered that group's first security software.[7] In 2008, Mocana was cited as an example of how an independent company could provide security for smartphones.[8][9]

Mocana CEO Adrian Turner published an article in the San Jose Mercury News on the risks associated with non-PC networked devices;[10] and the New York Times reported that Mocana's researchers had "discovered they could hack into a best-selling Internet-ready HDTV model with unsettling ease," and highlighted the opportunity for criminals to intercept information like credit card billing details.[3] Media outlets across the U.S. cited this point in their coverage of the risks associated with advances in technology.[11][12]

Mocana sponsored the 7th Workshop on RFID Security and Privacy at the University of Massachusetts in 2011.[13] It launched the Mobile Application Protection platform in 2011 with support for Android apps, and added iOS app support in 2012.[14] Following a Series D funding round in 2012, total investment in Mocana was $47 million.[4]

New CEO James Isaacs replaced Turner in September 2013. Interim CEO Peter Graham replaced Isaacs in April 2016.

Products and services

Mobile Application Protection (MAP) "wraps" mobile apps to enable them to protect their data and provide more control by Information Technology (IT) teams. Features that IT admins can apply to their mobile apps include:[15]

MAP also offers customizable user agreements, optional FIPS 140-2 encryption, and data sharing among individually wrapped apps.[14] Access to application source code is not required.[14] The product's design is based in the assumption that many assurances of security from the device and its operating system may be compromised.[5] This obviates the necessity of having "infallible" systemwide security policies.[5]

Current drawbacks of the app wrapping approach include the inability to "wrap" consumer apps from the iTunes Store or "native" apps included with the mobile operating system, like email and calendaring. Mocana has announced plans to address both features in a future release.[5]

In addition, Mocana offers consulting services, evaluating and advising on security threats in networked devices.[16]

Industries served

Mocana's security technology is used in airplane in-flight entertainment systems, medical devices, battlefield communications, automobile firmware, and cell phone carrier networks.[5] Mocana senior analyst Robert Vamosi was cited in a 2011 piece in Bloomberg Businessweek comparing tech companies' approaches to security.[17]

Mocana aims to serve the security needs of the emerging market for mobile devices, estimated at $3 to $5 billion.[4] A 2012 profile of the company asserted that its success would hinge on its ability to develop a network of mobile device makers and corporate app stores, and on its ability to adapt to major changes in the way information technology is handled.[4] The company was noted as one of several Bay Area companies working with the U.S. federal government to fight Internet crime.[18]

Funding

Mocana's investors include Trident Capital (2012), Intel Capital (2011), Shasta Ventures, Southern Cross Venture Partners, and Symantec (2010).[19] As of the August 2012 Series D, a total of $47 million has been raised.[4]

Awards, recognition, and accomplishments

Authored by Mocana personnel

References

  1. ↑ Jason Notte, Be Afraid! Hackers Can Control Your Car, TV and Home -- The Disruptors, TheStreet.com. September 14, 2011.
  2. ↑ Data Security for a Connected World, Connected World, April 7, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Ashlee Vance, Gadgets Bring New Opportunities for Hackers, New York Times, December 26, 2010
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Alex Williams, Mocana Raises $25 Million To Address Mobile App And Smart Device Security Market, TechCrunch. August 22, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Jack Madden, App "wrapping" with Mocana Mobile App Protection BrianMadden.com. June 8, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Mocana Releases Embedded Security Suite". ebiz. June 14, 2004.
  7. ↑ Business. San Mateo County Times, February 23, 2005
  8. ↑ Eric Ogren, Getting enterprises ready for smartphone security, Computerworld, October 24, 2008.
  9. ↑ Judy Mottl, The G1 & Security: A Paradox in Play?, Internet News, October 22, 2008.
  10. ↑ Adrian Turner: Beyond PCs: Billions of Devices Leave Us at Risk, San Jose Mercury News, November 9, 2010.
  11. ↑ Editorial: The technology transition. Ocala Star-Banner, December 30, 2010
  12. ↑ Ashlee Vance: New Web-enabled devices are fresh bait for hackers - As companies rush products to market, security features often underdeveloped, December 28, 2010, The Bend Bulletin
  13. ↑ Researchers Gather at UMass Amherst to Improve Security and Privacy of RFID and Electronic Payments, Targeted News Service, June 24, 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 Mike Lennon, Mocana Adds Features To "Self Defending" Mobile App Protection Solution, Security Week, December 4, 2012.
  15. ↑ John Cox, Mocana offers injectable security for enterprise iOS, Android apps, ComputerWorld, April 20, 2012.
  16. ↑ Jordan Robertson, Science fiction-style sabotage a fear in new hacks, Associated Press. October 24, 2011.
  17. ↑ Ashlee Vance and Michael Riley, Sony: The Company That Kicked the Hornet's Nest Bloomberg Businessweek, May 12, 2011.
  18. ↑ Steve Johnson, Bay Area companies team up with feds to fight cyber crime, San Jose Mercury News. April 16, 2012.
  19. ↑ Mocana Secures $25M for Corporate Security of Personal Mobile Devices, Wall St. Journal, August 23, 2012.
  20. ↑ http://aonetwork.com/Announcing-the-2013-OnDemand-100-Top-Private-Companies/
  21. ↑ Aaron Imholt, Breezy Certified MAP-READY For Mocana Security Focused Customers, Breezy Blog. March 7, 2013.
  22. ↑ Mocana Named Finalist for Red Herring 100 Award: Award Recognizes the 100 "Most Promising" Companies Driving the Future of Technology, sys-con.com. April 22, 2008.
  23. ↑ Vamosi, Robert (April 5, 2011). "When Gadgets Betray Us: The Dark Side of Convenience" (excerpt)". The Atlantic.
  24. ↑ Turner, Adrian (2012). Blue Sky Mining: Building Australia's Next Billion Dollar Industries. p. 270. ISBN 9780615574226.

External links

Official web site: mocana.com

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