Episode 94 – Interview with Adam Bennett of Red Piranha, Australia’s only dedicated next generation firewall manufacturer

Red Piranha is an Australian enterprise and Australia’s only dedicated next generation firewall manufacturer (Unified Threat Management solutions) and one of only a handful of Australian-owned and operated businesses building cyber security technology.

This interview with Adam Bennett, Founder and Chief Operating Officer, delves into the background of Red Piranha and how Adam came to launch Australia’s first UTM, as well as the plans for the company. Red Piranha has also announced the launch of ‘Crystal Eye’ – the first Australian-made Unified Threat Management (UTM) platform designed specifically for SMBs to simplify information-security management. Traditionally, SMBs have lacked cyber security products designed specifically for their market and often could not afford the complex solutions designed for larger enterprises.

Adam Bennett also comes from a hacking background, including a former member of Anonymous and well-known in the hacktivist community as ‘Lorax’. Adam said, “Red Piranha and Crystal Eye were born out of frustration. SMBs lacked time, money and understanding of the overwhelming security solutions in the market. So, we set out to build an affordable, easy to use product that went against having multiple security systems. Instead of having several single-function appliances, all needing individual familiarity, attention and support, Crystal Eye enables network administrators to centrally administer their security defences from one box.”

The Crystal Eye UTM platform has been designed and built in consultation with the Managed Service Provider (MSPs) community. A UTM system simplifies information-security management by providing a single management and reporting point for the security administrator rather than managing multiple products from different vendors. UTM appliances have quickly gained in popularity, partly because the all-in-one approach simplifies installation, configuration and maintenance. This contrasts with the traditional method of having point solutions for each security-related function.

Red Piranha has had three capital raises since 2015, including a major raise in 2018 when it raised $2.5 million. The product was rigorously audited and tested for six months by representatives from the Australian Cyber Security Centre last year. Since then, it has been live tested with a number of different clients around Australia and internationally – including an insurance firm in Sydney, and a multinational business in the medical industry. The company also has plans to expand into global markets by 2019 and work towards increasing Australia’s national threat intelligence ecosystem.