Cyberattacks are constantly threatening public and private institutions and we keep hearing about them every day. Ransomware attacks are increasing at an unprecedented rate. Recent attacks on AIIMS, New Delhi and Ministry of External Affairs are not only encrypting the data but also demanding ransom with threats of Cyber extortion and leaking data in public.

As per the World Economic Forum @Davos, 2023, Cyber Security and Cybercrimes are one of the top 10 global risks. India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) reported that in the first half of 2022, over 674,000 cybersecurity incidents occurred in the country. According to PwC’s latest Global Digital Trust Insights, 82 percent of business executives in India anticipate an increase in the cyber security budget by manifolds. This comes in the wake of increased digital transformation, companies investing more in their IT infrastructure and increasingly adopting modern technological advancements in their core business processes.

There is requirement of an elaborate, extensive, and failproof cybersecurity and information technology integrated solution provider that can assure that these incidents will not threaten the society, the industry, the public and private institutions, and governing agencies of our country. The task is tremendous and demands compassionate leaders who are motivated to invest their everything to make it happen. Regarding protecting and safeguarding our Nation, its critical infrastructure, and industries, Veteran Wing Commander Ashish K Saxena, founded AKS IT Services in 2006 together with his wife, Archana Saxena. His Son Anshul Saxena is the founder of their cyber product company, Haltdos.com.

Today, AKS IT Services and Haltdos.com are trusted names in providing Cyber Security services and solutions to manage and mitigate threats of cybergeddon, cyberterrorism, cyber warfare, thus ensuring the cyber world is a safer, more peaceful, and more progressive environment to mankind.

AKS IT Services Cyber Security and Computer Forensics Solutions

AKS IT Services offers Cyber security consulting, auditing, IT security compliance, computer forensics, cybersecurity-related training and software development. The organization has so far carried out more than 12000 audits relating to Web Applications/APIs/Mobile Applications, as well as various IT and OT systems. The company offers cyber security services to critical information infrastructure such as power generation, transmission, distribution, telecommunications, transportation, banking, and defence. The company has also developed its own indigenous ‘AKS Forensic Workstation’, ‘AKS Password Cracking Machine’ and ‘AKS Radio Frequency Shielding Bag’.

Haltdos Cyber Security Products Suite

HaltDos.com, a sister company for cybersecurity product development is focused on high end cyber security products for the IT Infrastructure and Application landscape. DDOS attack can render government services, banking services, and other critical infrastructure services inoperable. We protect these services against attacks by offering a DDOS mitigation solution called Haltdos DDOS.

Haltdos offers cyber security solutions such as DDoS mitigation, Web Application and API Firewall (WAAP), Application Delivery Controller, Deep Packet Inspector, and Server Load Balancer on multiple environments such as on-premises appliance, Virtual Machine (VM) and cloud-based services. Sharing the immense benefits of the services/solutions that Haltdos provides to its clients. CEO Anshul says that – ‘Websites are the front end of any organization and the first target of any attack, and so there is an urgent need to protect web applications from attacks by deploying Haltdos WAF.’

The Haltdos DDoS mitigation product is patented vide patent number 353365, issued on December 10, 2020. It has also been tested by the Indian government, STQC (Indian CCTL), and has received EAL2+ Common Criteria Certification. Anshul Saxena informs, “We have clients in India and abroad for these products.”

The Inception Saga of Cyber Patriotism

Veteran Wg Cdr Ashish Kumar Saxena, Managing Director, completed 26 years of service in the Indian Air force as an Aeronautical Engineer (Electronics). He specialized in Electronic and Information Warfare. He was trained in Sweden, France, and the US. He was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal for his innovations in making EW systems operational by the President of India. He was instrumental in creating the IW cell in Indian Air Force and Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).

Anshul Saxena did his B Tech from NSIT, Delhi and MS (Information Security) from Georgia Tech, USA. He has worked for Microsoft and Amazon.com before founding HaltDos.com.  Anshul has hands on experience in mitigating DDoS attacks.

According to Anshul Saxena, cybersecurity is a domain in which one can serve the nation without being a member of the armed forces, helping protect critical information infrastructure from cyber threats.

The inspiration to start such an enterprise was driven by late Akash Saxena (Ashish’s elder son), who had a deep passion of building resilience in cyber security.

AKS IT Services and Haltdos created Made-in-India cyber security products without any technology transfer. These products are entirely indigenous. Haltdos was the first Indian company to develop high-tech cyber security products such as DDoS mitigation.

Ingenious Indi-Genius Haltdos 

Ashish Kumar Saxena recalls that when AKS IT first ventured into the field of cyber security solutions by starting Haltdos.com, they faced numerous challenges. The first was industry’s tendency to value imported goods and a widespread misconception that India cannot produce high-quality, high-tech cyber products. The second challenge came from foreign competitors who do not want any local company to compete with them. It was extremely difficult to persuade buyers that an Indian IT Security firm could produce quality products at par with other global products.

“Our first sale of DDOS mitigation solution went through only after we were declared technically superior compared to foreign products,” he says.

Indigenous cyber security solutions can be tailored to the national needs of the Indian customer and can also provide threat intelligence.

“Despite all challenges, we were able to commercialize our products,” Anshul Saxena says that “Our government’s Make-in-India initiative also aided in this endeavor.” The challenges of buyers’ mindsets favoring foreign products remain, and it will take some time for them to realize that local products are equally, or more competitive.

The Fifth-Dimensional Defenders

Ashish speaking about the impact of advanced technology on the cybersecurity niche and AKS IT’s adaptation, says that digitalization and internet connectivity has permeated in all spheres of life. Take any industry, such as BFSI, manufacturing, defence, government, agriculture, and so on; they are all linked to the Internet. As a result, attention to cyber security has become a key priority for all organizations and individuals.

Everyone requires cyber security. As technology advances, cyber threats will become more prevalent. As has been seen in the Russian-Ukraine conflict, security against cyber-attacks is the first line of defense. Cyber Warfare is the fifth dimension of warfare, and all countries must pay close attention to it. As a result, cyber threat solutions are critical for any nation to protect its interests.

In their advice to the aspirants willing to venture into the Cyber Threat Solution services field, the father-son duo says that new entrants into the cyber threat solution should conduct adequate research before developing the solution while ensuring the product’s quality and viability. “We are also willing to assist and guide new entrants into this field,” says Ashish Kumar Saxena.

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