CloudLock

CloudLock, established in 2011 by co-founders Gil Zimmermann, Ron Zalkind, and Tsahy Shapsa, emerged as a significant player in the cloud security sector. The company was conceptualized to address the growing security challenges enterprises faced as they migrated their data and applications to cloud services. Its journey culminated in a major milestone when it was acquired by Cisco in 2016 for a reported $293 million, a move that integrated CloudLock's capabilities into Cisco's broader security portfolio.

The firm operates as a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), providing a cybersecurity platform designed to protect sensitive data across various cloud environments, including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). CloudLock's business model is centered on offering a subscription-based security solution to enterprises, enabling them to enforce security policies, detect threats, and manage compliance for cloud applications such as Google Apps, Salesforce, and Office 365. The company's client base consists of organizations looking to secure their cloud footprint, reduce operational risk, and ensure data governance without hindering employee productivity.

CloudLock's platform provides a suite of features including data loss prevention (DLP), user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), and application discovery. It allows organizations to monitor and control user activities and data within cloud applications in real-time. A key differentiator for the company was its crowdsourced security analytics, which aggregated data from its user base to provide collective intelligence on cloud application risks and threats. This approach enabled security professionals to make more informed decisions based on community-driven trust ratings for various applications. Following its acquisition, the CloudLock technology has been incorporated into what is now known as Cisco Cloudlock, continuing to offer data security for cloud-based systems.

Keywords: cloud security, CASB, data loss prevention, cloud access security broker, cybersecurity, SaaS security, enterprise security, data protection, threat management, compliance