Risky Biz Soap Box: Why black box email security is dead
Nov 11, 2024
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In this insightful discussion, Josh Kamdjou, co-founder of Sublime Security, shares his journey from offensive security to pioneering innovative email protection. He critiques traditional opaque email security solutions for their inefficiencies and high false positive rates. Josh introduces a new programmable detection engine that adapts to diverse user environments, addressing emerging threats like AI-driven phishing. The conversation emphasizes the necessity for smarter, more customizable email security measures in the face of evolving cyberattack tactics.
Josh Kamdjou emphasizes the need for email security solutions to evolve from black boxes to agile, programmable systems that adapt to unique organizational needs.
The podcast highlights the importance of using machine learning and behavior profiling to counteract increasingly sophisticated email threats, including generative AI and social engineering.
Deep dives
The Motivation Behind Building Sublime Security
The founder, Josh Kamjoo, is driven by his extensive experience in both offensive security and email attacks, making him acutely aware of the limitations in existing email security solutions. His goal was to create a product that not only protected against these attacks but also streamlined the process for organizations that suffer from frequent misclassifications. He recognized that traditional systems operated as black boxes, often slow to adapt to changes in the threat landscape or address user-reported issues. The aim was to develop an agile solution capable of tailoring itself to the unique needs of each organization, thus improving overall email security resilience.
Transition from Black Box to Programmable Engine
Initially, Sublime Security began as a black box product, which quickly revealed vulnerabilities in its slow adaptation to new threats and persistent false positives. The decision to evolve into a programmable solution allows organizations to make granular adjustments to their security settings and respond with agility to specific challenges they face. This feature not only enhances the user experience but also empowers security teams to customize their defenses based on unique operational needs. With this new approach, customers can engage proactively with their security measures rather than relying solely on vendor support for fixes.
Adapting to Evolving Threat Landscapes
The podcast underscores the importance of quick adaptability to evolving email threat landscapes, which are increasingly utilizing sophisticated techniques including generative AI and social engineering. Kamjoo highlights a significant trend in adversaries combining targeted attacks with mass campaigns, complicating detection strategies for traditional email security. Sublime Security employs machine learning and behavior profiling to identify unusual patterns, flag impersonation attempts, and effectively counteract both standard and atypical attack vectors. This strategic approach is crucial for staying ahead of new threats as they manifest in real-time.
Integration of API and MTA Approaches
Sublime Security merges both API-based and Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) methods to enhance operational efficiency and address limitations inherent to each approach. The API-based system allows for quick integration with existing infrastructures while delivering security post-message delivery, requiring rapid processing to avoid disrupting business communications. On the other hand, the MTA deployment ensures that messages are analyzed before they reach users, thus providing an extra layer of security. This dual methodology allows customers to leverage the best features of both systems, creating a comprehensive email protection strategy.
In this edition of the Risky Business Soap Box we’re talking all about email security with Sublime Security co-founder Josh Kamdjou.
Email security is one of the oldest product categories in security, but as you’ll hear, Josh thinks the incumbents are just doing it wrong. He joins Risky Business host Patrick Gray for this interview about Sublime’s origin story and its new approach to email security.
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