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Rotem Iram
Founder and CEO @ At-Bay
Professional Background
Rotem Iram is the visionary Founder and CEO of KeepRisk AtBay, a pioneering insurance company dedicated to safeguarding businesses against digital risks. Under Rotem's leadership, KeepRisk AtBay aims to navigate the complexities of cybersecurity and provide peace of mind to organizations by identifying critical security measures that keep their operations safe and resilient.
Before founding KeepRisk AtBay, Rotem amassed extensive experience in the fields of cybersecurity, consulting, and engineering. He was previously the Founder and CEO of at-bay, where he focused on developing innovative solutions in the insurance market, specifically catered towards emerging digital threats. His passion for protecting businesses from cyber vulnerabilities drove the growth and success of at-bay, establishing it as a trusted name in the industry.
Education and Achievements
Rotem holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, which is known for cultivating innovative leaders with a thorough understanding of business dynamics and strategic management. This prestigious education has empowered him with the skills necessary to steer successful ventures and make informed decisions in the fast-evolving landscape of cybersecurity and digital risk management.
Prior to attaining his MBA, Rotem earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His academic background in engineering has provided him with a robust technical foundation, enabling him to comprehend the intricate systems that underpin cybersecurity and digital infrastructures. This blend of business acumen and technical expertise has been instrumental in his career progression and the molding of his entrepreneurial spirit.
Adding to his impressive resume, Rotem has held several key positions at renowned organizations. As the Chief Operating Officer at K2 Intelligence's Cyber Security Practice, he was responsible for overseeing operations and strategies that prioritize cybersecurity solutions for businesses, thereby ensuring a proactive response to evolving digital threats.
Before that, Rotem served as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he harnessed his analytical skills to advise organizations on various strategic matters, particularly within the tech and cybersecurity sectors. His time at McKinsey allowed him to develop a keen understanding of industry best practices and operational efficacy, further enriching his capacity to tackle challenges faced by businesses in the digital landscape.
Early in his career, Rotem demonstrated his technical prowess as a Software Engineer at RAD Data Communication, where he developed critical software solutions that bridged communication technology and cybersecurity. His foundational experiences in software engineering play a significant role in his current approach to managing digital risk as an insurance provider.
Military Experience
Adding further depth to his diverse background, Rotem served as a Captain and Group Leader at Israeli Military Intelligence, specifically in Unit 8200, which is known for its intelligence gathering and cybersecurity operations. This prestigious unit has honed his leadership skills and strategic thinking, fostering a strong appreciation for the importance of safeguarding sensitive information and digital assets.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Rotem has made significant contributions to the fields of cybersecurity and risk management, establishing himself as a thought leader and innovator. His relentless dedication to enhancing security measures and developing comprehensive insurance solutions against digital threats exemplifies his commitment to protecting businesses and their stakeholders.
As he continues to guide KeepRisk AtBay, Rotem Iram remains focused on pioneering initiatives that will reshape the insurance landscape in relation to digital risks, ensuring that organizations can thrive in an increasingly complex digital world.
Highlights
We're in ransom payment limbo - is it worth it?
It's been six weeks since Lockbit's senior operator, Dmitri Khoroshev, was added to the OFAC list by the Department of Treasury, leading all insurance carriers to deny ransom payments to Lockbit affiliates.
Lockbit, responsible for ~20% of ransomware claims in 2023, is now under OFAC, making ransom payments unviable and creating an unpredictable claims process and outcome that undermines the quality of the insurance product.
Early results from Lockbit claims in the last six weeks are mixed, but there hasn’t been a significant spike in severity. With only 47% of our customers paying ransom in 2023, and given that paying criminals never felt right, we must ask – is it worth it?
I interpret the legality of ransom payments not as a moral stance, but rather an admission of failure by the government, signaling, "We're not stopping these guys unless they target high-profile victims, so instead feel free to pay criminals to reduce your damages". I may be wrong here but either way I am not holding my breath waiting for the government to provide clarity on this issue.
Should the insurance industry take the lead here? make the product more predictable, and also do the right thing. Cyber insurance is an inspiring line to me because carriers do so much to help our customers reduce their risk. It may be time that we set a moral standard and cut the legs underneath this ransom economy.
What do you think?
Link to Treasury announcement adding Lockbit to OFAC: https://lnkd.in/gPNFBgjK
Data Privacy liability is making a comeback!
The first decade of cyber insurance was all about data privacy liability. I first got introduced to cyber insurance after the big Target breach in October 2013, where more than 40 million credit cards were stolen. But since 2020, ransomware has become the dominant driver of loss, as attackers, enabled by a new innovation in untraceable funds (bitcoin), found it is more profitable to hold companies ransom for their data.
In 2023, we've seen data privacy liability make a big comeback due to two factors:
1/ A significant increase in third party class action lawsuits (Plaintiff Bar and others), going after tracking technology embedded in websites ('Meta Pixel'). Initially limited to the healthcare sector, we're seeing more litigation. I do not support thid kind of 'ambulance chasing' litigation, but it is a new reality our customers are facing.
2/ Ransomware tactics have changed. Companies have responded to RW threats by improving their backups. Less and less companies find that they need to pay the ransom demand and opt to restoring from backups. As such, attackers have adapted and are now both encrypting and exfiltrating senstivie data to create "double leverage" on their victims. Pay us, or we will leak your private data (and your customers' and partners' data along with it). More and more organizations are finding themselves included in the blast radius of a ransomware attack. Their vendor or partner was attacked, the attacker exfiltrated data that included their own data, and now they have a data privacy breach liability they need to manage. We call these 'indirect ransomware' victims and they have blown up in 2023, mostly but not solely due to MoveIT (and that trend continues in 2024).
Read more about this and other findings in our annual InsurSec report. link in the first comment.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.