Email Security Intelligence - Security Expert Dave Wreski Discusses Guardian Digital’s Use of Open Source for Email Security

LinuxSecurity.com editors have a seat with Dave Wreski, CEO of Guardian Digital, Inc. and respected author of various hardened security and Linux publications including the revolutionary Linux Security HOWTO, to talk about Guardian Digital’s unique open-source approach to securing business email.

Exclusive Interview with Guardian Digital CEO Dave Wreski: Open Source Utilization in Email Security

Your company, Guardian Digital, has been featured on our site numerous times. You, personally, have also been so kind as to share your security expertise with our readers. Can you explain a bit about your company and the offerings you provide?

Guardian Digital is dedicated to providing enterprise and small business customers with inherently secure business email security solutions. Our solution, EnGarde Cloud Email Security, features embedded security at every level of design, providing the bulletproof security corporations need without sacrificing the functionality they desire. 

I notice that you have chosen open-source software and technology as the basis of your system. Can you tell us why?

We are strong believers in the open source development model and are proud to be active members of the open source community. The innate benefits of the open source method form the foundation of EnGarde. Open-source software is transparent, and does not rely on obscuring source code as a security measure. Our developers, in collaboration with the thousands of open source developers throughout the world, identify and patch vulnerabilities much quicker than closed source counterparts and, as a result, we are able to consistently ensure infallible protection against phishing, ransomware and other malicious threats that characterize the modern email threat landscape. In addition, the availability of source code allows us to customize our solution to fit the individual needs of our customers, providing the utmost reliability and security. 

In this age of zero-day attacks, how is EnGarde’s protection able to stay ahead of the latest threat to safeguard users and key business assets?

Because of our unique open-source approach to securing business email, we are able to tap into worldwide Threat Intelligence and update our protection in real-time - unlike any other vendor cab. In an open-source model applied to the development of email security solutions, emails gathered from millions of systems from around the world are used to identify patterns and perform large-scale tests on filters and frameworks that have been developed to block malicious email. Results are then distributed back to the community, where the insight gathered is incorporated into millions of systems worldwide. The Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) gathered in this process results in real-time updates, ensuring that new phishing campaigns and zero-day vulnerabilities discovered in one part of the world are addressed and contained quickly before they have a chance to spread. 

What, in your opinion, distinguishes EnGarde from other email security solutions available to businesses?

There are several areas that I believe set us apart from anyone else in the market. Our concentration on integrating innovative open-source technology, expert and engineering and simplified maintenance into our solution is an enormous differentiator for us. I believe strongly that EnGarde is, quite simply, the most secure business email security solution available today. EnGarde’s proactive multi-layered design draws on resources and intelligence from the vibrant global open-source community, providing real-time updates to protect organizations against phishing, zero-day attacks and other emerging threats discovered around the world. The comprehensive security platform is fully supported by the expert ongoing system monitoring and maintenance required to keep businesses secure in this heightened digital threat environment.

What does the future hold for Guardian Digital?

The future is very bright. We are consistently working with our customers and the open source community to continue to develop the most technologically advanced and effective email security solutions to protect corporate networks and systems from the ever-evolving barrage of email-borne attacks they face. This year, we have invested heavily in a new EnGarde Cloud Email Security Dashboard administrative portal, which provides our clients with increased visibility into the security of their email and the threats targeting their organization, equipping them with the real-time cybersecurity business insights needed to improve planning, decision making, and policy enforcement.

For more information, please visit GuardianDigital.com.