Founded in New Zealand in 2020, SecurityLit entered the Indian market in May 2023, focusing on advanced cybersecurity solutions. The company excels in services like vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) and facilitates businesses’ preparation for critical certifications such as ISO. Its groundbreaking SaaS platform empowers businesses with real-time tracking, continuous VAPT capabilities, and actionable insights to fortify their defenses against evolving cyber threats.
Dedicated to fostering cybersecurity awareness, SecurityLit provides free student training programs, effectively bridging the gap between academic learning and industry demands. The company develops market-ready professionals through resource augmentation services, boosting employability and building a robust talent pipeline. SecurityLit’s mission is clear: to make India cyber-resilient and redefine the landscape of cybersecurity education and protection.
In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Archana Verma, Managing Director and Co-founder of SecurityLit, delves into the company’s core offerings. She addresses the growing cybersecurity challenges in an increasingly digital world, highlights what sets SecurityLit apart in a competitive market, and shares valuable insights into the enthusiastic market response. Here are the key takeaways from this engaging conversation.
Q: What are the key offerings of SecurityLit, and how do they address the specific needs of your target audience?
A: We founded SecurityLit in New Zealand in 2020 and expanded to India in May 2023. Our mission is clear: to deliver cutting-edge cybersecurity services. We specialize in vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) and support businesses in achieving compliance. By guiding them through audits and certification processes, such as ISO, we ensure they are well-prepared to meet industry standards.
Beyond our B2B offerings, we embrace a B2C approach focused on raising cybersecurity awareness among businesses and students. Our vision is to foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness in India. When people understand its importance, they are more likely to prioritize it in their daily operations and decision-making.
As part of this commitment, we provide free training programs to students, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Through these initiatives, we aim to empower the next generation with essential cybersecurity skills, driving India toward a more secure and resilient digital future.
Q: How significant is the cybersecurity challenge in today’s increasingly digital world, and what factors contribute to its complexity?
A: Let me share a recent example. Several major BFSI companies were targeted in cyberattacks, one of which involved a ransom demand of around $68,000. After some negotiation, the attacker even named the company’s CISO, blaming them for the breach.
What happened here is clear: the company broke the trust of its customers and damaged its reputation. This company is a behemoth, trusted with people’s personal information and money. But when a company fails to secure that data, it undermines everything. This is a critical issue for any organization.
The root cause of such incidents often lies in a lack of awareness. Many companies today treat penetration testing as a mere regulatory checkbox. They conduct it once a year to meet compliance requirements, but they don’t fully grasp its potential impact on their business. Penetration testing and VAPT services are not just regulatory formalities—they are crucial for safeguarding your operations.
When businesses recognize the potential risks, they are more likely to prioritize cybersecurity. They will take steps to educate employees on best practices for handling company data, using servers securely, and protecting email accounts, which are often linked to sensitive infrastructure. Moreover, using public Wi-Fi can expose critical systems to hackers.
In conclusion, awareness is paramount. The more you understand cybersecurity, the better equipped you are to protect your business and reputation.
Q: How does SecurityLit differentiate itself from other cybersecurity solution providers in the market, and what unique features do you offer to enhance security further?
A: We offer a cost-effective Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) through our advanced SaaS platform. This platform provides real-time tracking, so clients can monitor activities as they happen—no more waiting for reports. Clients gain immediate insights into ongoing tests and can take action right away.
Through our platform, we not only deliver detailed reports but also guide clients in applying the necessary patches to address identified threats. We assist developers in implementing these fixes directly, ensuring a seamless process without leaving the platform.
With simple login credentials, clients can access the platform, view real-time updates, and analyze vulnerabilities by severity—whether high, medium, or low impact. Our VAPT services continuously run penetration tests, with no interruptions, ensuring constant vigilance against potential threats.
Q: What feedback have you received from clients regarding this service offering, and how has it impacted their cybersecurity strategies?
A: We have successfully launched our platform in New Zealand and Australia, where the response has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, we are rapidly onboarding a growing number of clients. As for India, we are preparing for an imminent launch, eager to introduce our services to the market.
Q: When do you plan to introduce this service in India, and what factors are influencing the timeline for its launch?
A: We are set to launch in the next 2-3 months, likely around March or April. As for the product, yes, it is fully ready. Clients in New Zealand and Australia are already using it, and the feedback has been positive.
Q: Are there any additional insights or points you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?
A: We also offer specialized training, which addresses a key question: Why should you choose our training? After all, there’s a wealth of material available on platforms like YouTube. However, the challenge with YouTube is that the content is scattered and lacks structure. We’ve gathered feedback from students who tried to learn through YouTube but struggled to stay engaged. Without a clear roadmap, they lost interest because they couldn’t follow a logical progression.
To solve this, we curated all relevant materials from public domains and organized them into a structured course, broken down into clear steps—Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and so on. This provides students with a guided learning experience, ensuring they can stay on track and make steady progress.
Moreover, many students, despite having certifications, still struggle to land jobs. Why? Because cybersecurity isn’t just about technical skills—it’s about communication. Often, cybersecurity professionals must communicate directly with non-technical stakeholders. If you can’t convey complex technical issues in a simple, actionable way, your message will be lost. Our training addresses this gap, helping students effectively communicate with non-tech stakeholders, ensuring they can take timely action.
While the core of the training is free, we’ve monetized the client interaction component. This paid version offers insights into real-world client communication, report creation, confidentiality practices, and the corporate environment—all essential for career success in cybersecurity.
Recently, we conducted a session with IGDTUW, where we received positive feedback from the students. While the foundational training remains free, the added value of client interaction and corporate skills is part of the paid program.
Our training is designed to make students market-ready. Many of our trainees, after just 5-6 months of training, can compete with professionals with three years of experience. This is a testament to the quality and depth of our program. Additionally, we offer resource augmentation, which helps deploy our trained students directly into the workforce, ensuring they get hands-on experience and enhance their employability.
Q: Could you provide insights into the revenue size or market position of your company?
A: Regarding SecurityLit’s presence in India, the current market value stands at 2.9 million dollars. However, by 2025, I anticipate it will grow exponentially, reaching a tenfold increase in size.
