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Internet security and Domain Name Server (DNS) services specialist OpenDNS announced a $35 million investment round led by existing investors Greylock Partners, Sequoia Capital and Sutter Hill Ventures.
OpenDNS provides a cloud-delivered network security service that blocks advanced attacks, as well as malware, botnets and phishing threats, regardless of port, protocol or application.
The proprietary software leverages machine learning to automate protection in real time against unknown, emergent threats.
The company’s portfolio is centered on two technologies: a global delivery mechanism for security called Umbrella and an advanced predictive threat intelligence platform called Security Graph.
Umbrella allows users to block connections to malicious sites with the aim of preventing infections, and block multiprotocol callbacks from compromised systems to botnets to contain breaches.
Web filtering enforces the right acceptable use policy for any device or user without sacrificing performance or manageability, and allows users to block phishing Websites from stealing users’ log-in credentials.
Aimed at organizations of all sizes, from small to medium-size businesses (SMBs), to the enterprise, Umbrella provides its service through the cloud, which means there’s no hardware to purchase, install or maintain. All service updates are made in the cloud.
“OpenDNS is the future of enterprise security, protecting workers the way they work today. We are proud to be an investor in the company and believe in the team and its mission,” Stefan Dyckerhoff, managing director of Sutter Hill Ventures and former senior executive at both Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks, said in a statement. “OpenDNS is forging new ground in enterprise threat protection with a cloud-delivered, predictive security service that protects all devices, anywhere, anytime without sacrificing performance or manageability. OpenDNS is a true innovator among security companies.”
Security Graph uncovers when and where on the Internet new cyber-attacks are being staged by applying big data analytics to 2 percent of the world’s Internet requests.
Similar to Amazon learning from shoppers’ purchase patterns to make suggestions, or a music streaming service like Pandora learning from music listening patterns to play songs, OpenDNS platforms learn from new malicious and non-malicious Internet events to prevent cyber-attacks.
In addition to the 50 million daily active users of its services, OpenDNS has more than 10,000 enterprise customers using its security solutions, a company release stated.
“The erosion of the corporate IT perimeter brought on by cloud computing, mobile computing and the use of personal access devices demands a new type of network security that is always on, friendly to the employee, and doesn’t hamper performance, wherever the user may be,” David Ulevitch, CEO of OpenDNS, said in a statement. “We identified this market opportunity several years ago. Since then we have built the team, threat intelligence-gathering infrastructure, and the security enforcement platform needed to provide businesses with seamless protection from cyber threats.”