Brent Panell, CEO of ControlAltProtect, has led the organization from the beginning. He and Co-Founder Hans Lemons built the vision for the company from the ground up, hired and developed great teams, and established industry-first protocols and technologies for cyber protection. Now, Panell continues to lead ControlAltProtect into the future with cutting-edge technology solutions that clients have realized they cannot operate without.
In the Q&A below, Panell shares about his vision, accomplishments, challenges, and how his passion guides his work.
ControlAltProtect has grown into a global company with teams operating in multiple cities fighting cyber threats of all kinds. To what do you attribute the company’s explosive growth over the past several years?
There are two important aspects of our business model that truly set us apart from our competition and fuel our growth. The first is our ability to customize layered solutions for every customer. We evaluate each client and develop the best layers of security for their specific threat model. No two clients at ControlAltProtect have the same cyber security program.
Secondly, our forensic capabilities and experience put us among the elite in our field. We are laser-focused on hacking persistence, and we’re comprehensive with each client. Included in these capabilities are our own suite of products. Proprietary integration with ThreatSwipe(TM) allows us to deliver the best layer for the client. It’s how we provide customized layered detection to every client, regardless of their size, and we make it affordable.
How do you keep your team focused on developing cutting-edge technologies and client solutions in such a fast-paced, quickly changing industry?
We hire the best people across all industries and backgrounds to fight cyber threats, and we keep them one step ahead by constantly pursuing continuing education. We push for certifications and invest significantly in the ongoing education and development of each team member. Hiring top Threat Analysts and keeping them sharp is important because we are constantly working cases involving the newest techniques and tactics used by hackers worldwide.
How do you stay focused on your clients and create good outcomes for them?
We’re passionate about keeping our clients safe. Everyone on our team is committed to doing what’s right for the customer, whether we’re analyzing emails, performing forensic deep-dives after breaches, or conducting vulnerability assessments.
We’ve also developed key partnerships that help us better serve our clients. We’re fortunate to be in a worldwide cyber alliance in which some of the world’s elite come together to fight cyber crime. We’re constantly challenging each other and working together to be protectors of the innocent. Partnerships like this one, and our close relationships with law enforcement, help us stay cutting edge.
Tell us about a client or project that inspired you.
In 2019, Houston County Schools came under a malicious malware attack that brought down its network and more than 4,000 computers. ControlAltProtect came on-site, offered deeply-discounted services, and we did what we needed to do to get the school back on track. It was a passion project for us.
Multiple cyber security firms said the school was clear of cyber threats, but we found malicious files in their systems. That’s how we know our pursuit of excellence paid off. The FBI recommended us to the county, and we found problems our competitors missed. Had they not trusted us, it would have happened again.
Helping the school system recover from the attack and open its doors to students to start the school year was so inspiring. Stories like this one are why we keep pushing forward and doing what we do.
Click here to read more about the Houston County Schools project.
What are the biggest threats facing small businesses in cyber security today?
With the persistence of COVID-19 and many work environments continuing to be virtual, we’ve certainly seen huge increases in ransomware attacks and other malicious threats. But the largest threats come from inside businesses. Lack of understanding is the biggest threat. Within businesses of every size, management and owners are asleep at the wheel when it comes to cyber protection. Many of them are trusting the wrong people. They assume their IT company is protecting them. Or, they believe their insurance will cover them because they’re unaware of recent regulations and liabilities that have changed.
Many believe they simply aren’t a target. The reality is that hackers oftentimes look for small-to-midsize businesses because they know they’re less likely to have sophisticated cyber protection in place.
How has your professional experience prepared you to lead ControlAltProtect?
I’ve been very fortunate to work in management and executive roles in my past, including in the private sector as a Chief Operations Officer, as a Vice President in Financial Services, and as an entrepreneur and business owner. These experiences taught me what it means to run a successful business, and through that, I’m able to better understand and relate to the business owners and managers I work with every day who are clients of ControlAltProtect. Understanding their priorities helps me convey their vulnerabilities to them in meaningful ways.
It’s my relatability to the C-Suites that allows me to communicate challenging and technical processes and threats in a way that resonates with them. They want to understand the value of our services and the risk they take by not investing. My experience helps me serve as the liaison between the business executive and the technology they need in a way that makes sense for the business.
Click here to read Brent’s full bio.
What does the future look like for ControlAltProtect?
The future for ControlAltProtect is growing and scaling the company based on the model we’ve created that we’ve proven has worked. Our recipe for success is adapting to the ever-changing landscape of our volatile environment and world.
We plan to significantly leverage Artificial Intelligence to expand our proprietary technology offerings. We’re working on personalized threat protection that interacts directly with the end user. We’re also working to evolve ThreatSwipe through customized threat intelligence capabilities and greater customization of our offerings.
Education and training will continue to be a top priority. We have high standards for our teams, and one of our biggest challenges is finding highly qualified people who can grow with us. Education is our future, and constant training is the fabric of our company. We’ll continue investing in great people as we scale our business model, and through this, we expect continued growth and success.