Benelec Infotech is a national cyber-security leader with multi-decades of experience helping organizations to defend against cyber threats and manage their security risk. Established by cyber-security professionals, technologists, and consultants with intensive practical experiences in assessing, responding, securing, educating, and creating awareness within organizations. Benelec Infotech has the expertise and advanced capabilities to protect your organization from evolving cyber threats.
Organizations rely on Benelec Infotech to protect IT infrastructure against cyber-attacks, maintain regulatory compliance, reduce legal and IT costs, protect sensitive materials, root out fraud, quickly find facts, and harness organizational data to create business value.
In a talk with Mr. Ravindra Benday – MD & CEO, of Benelec Infotech, he shared his views on the current industry scenario and what Benelec Infotech is all about.
Brief us about Benelec Infotech.
Founded in 1995, Benelec Infotech has developed a comprehensive range of services designed to meet all the security needs of the customers. We are engaged in providing specialized services in the areas of Cyber Security Strategies, V-CISO Team Program Services, Vulnerability Management, Attack, and Breach Simulation, Microsoft Consulting, Compliance, Risk Analysis and Consulting, Computer Network Defence and Ongoing Management of organization’s Digital Security. Our diverse and seasoned team of highly experienced consultants and engineers is committed to empowering clients with the knowledge and tools they need to build and successfully run their Cyber Security programs.
Our comprehensive services provide cross-sections of various verticals of industries with proven methods and rational approaches to secure their data, build trust with their clients, and remain compliant with various compliances. We pride ourselves on delivering actionable, value-added services that produce sustainable and measurable security improvements.
What are the initial challenges you faced and what are the reasons behind the company’s long-standing success?
Since its inception, the company has been tackling the needs of the business growth, cash flow, and new opportunities focusing on employees’ needs. It is a balancing act that we must get right to build a highly successful business, not only in profit but also in culture. Working with younger employees has presented us with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities which are now focused on bridging these areas and creating a sustainable business model.
At Benelec Infotech, we structure every engagement to address the unique tactical, strategic, and operational needs of each client. At the core of our business, is our belief that to ‘Get Partnered with the Client’ will be of advantage to both parties. Moreover, Benelec Infotech assures the depth of resources to deal with the unforeseen issues and the active endorsement of the employees with an unwavering commitment and perseverance to client satisfaction at all levels.
The assurance that Benelec Infotech brings in professionalism, quality of service, reliability, and in-depth knowledge to their clients. Our value-driven dynamic IT philosophy of services and technology ensures that our clients have a protected and secure computing environment that maximizes their investment in Cyber Security and IT Infrastructure Management. When it comes to tailoring security solutions, the company perceives the information management needs at the level of software and hardware infrastructure, security & data management, and integration with critical business applications.
Our solution strategy is to combine mature market-leading solutions with integrated innovative technologies, enabling us to blend our experience and hard-won knowledge with fresh thinking to ensure we overcome new challenges. Under the strong leadership of Mr. Ravindra Benday – MD & CEO, the company has grown multi-folds in the past years.
What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?
As a leader in providing cybersecurity services, the company ensures that the data and systems are secure, confidential, available, and operate with integrity. Benelec Infotech takes pride in rendering services to various verticals, which includes Manufacturing, Engineering, Banking and Financials, Govt. and Defence, IT/ITES & Education, etc.
Benelec Infotech has transcended in these successful years by rendering exclusive services viz. V-CISO Team Program Services, IT Security Audits, VAPT Testing, IT Act and Privacy Law Compliance, Microsoft Consulting, ISMS Consulting, and Sustenance Services, Web/Mobile Application Security Assessment, Cloud Security Assessment, Firewall Audits, Social Engineering, and Phishing Resistance Assessment, DLP Audits, PCI Compliance Review, IT Forensic Analysis, Cyber Incident Response Capability Assessment, and Data Classification Consulting Services. In terms of solutions, we deliver end-to-end security solutions including data protection technologies.
Differentiators – Each client of Benelec Infotech receives tailored solutions designed with their unique business operations in mind. We provide you with a one-stop shop for your cybersecurity requirements. From assessment through forensics, you receive risk-weighted, actionable insight across the entire cybersecurity spectrum.
We provide High-value and High-impact Services through our Quality and Certified Professionals, reasonably priced. We have a comprehensive lab to simulate client issues & developed a PoC (Proof of Concept) Centre with a customer-centric approach wherein all security solutions have been showcased.
How do you decide to take the company a step further?
Cyber Security is a major domain, the firm is all poised to explore more into the cybersecurity sector. In the future, the firm will be building the SOC (Security Operations Center) which would be SOC 2 Type 2 certified and defend the client’s organization from increasingly sophisticated, targeted cybercrime threats. This will help to take on the day-to-day defense of clients’ infrastructure by monitoring their network, systems, and data 7 X 24 X 365 per year on-premise or in the cloud. Soon, we will be starting Intelligence Data Gathering Services to gain an understanding of the organization and its Internet Footprint, as well as any asset information.
Please tell us about your team.
We have a certified team of engineers and consultants who are CISA/CEH/DISA/CA/CISM/ISO27001LA/MCP/MCITP. The sales and marketing, commercial, and HR professionals are working towards the goal of securing business and helping the company to grow. The team is flexible, adaptable, and ready to respond to whatever is thrown at them. They have effective technical and management skills. Each one of them is busy developing a relationship with the customers. The team members know how to build on each other’s strengths and make up for their weaknesses. We are proud to unveil that the characteristics of our team go beyond individual brilliance.
Since 2005, Mr. Vivek Sathaye has been associated with the company as a Management Executive Officer (MEO) primarily involved in assisting the CEO in the development of the company’s short- and long-term strategy & company’s vision and mission. He is equally involved in maintaining the awareness of the competitive market landscape, expansion opportunities & industry developments, etc.
Since 2001, Mr. Nitin Umbardand has been associated with the company as a Head – Business Development & Corporate Marketing is busy in developing and executing company sales and marketing plans for Cyber Security Solutions including implementing new ideas and solutions. He oversees the formation of business partnerships, planning, and execution of strategies to increase sales and company growth.
What are the key achievements of your business journey?
Founded in the year 1995 as independent IT services and integration company, the firm primarily focused on providing Perimeter Security Services keeping an eye on IT & Security infrastructure, later the firm evolved as a phase changer by making a lasting impact in the cybersecurity sector. Three years after the inception the firm collaborated with Microsoft, and since then Benelec Infotech is devoted to providing expert IT infrastructure consulting and implementation services on various Microsoft Technologies.
In 2010, Benelec Infotech introduced the Infrastructure Optimization Model (IO Model) to help customers realize the value of their investments in IT Infrastructure. The IO Model is mostly used as a strategic tool, helping to evaluate the maturity of an organization’s core technology infrastructure (Management, Security and Networking) and determine areas in which a company can realize a significant reduction in costs and improvement in capabilities.
Being a Microsoft Enterprise Project Management (MS EPM) Service provider, in the year 2012, Benelec Infotech introduced a new service called Network Security Architecture Services (NSA) to facilitate a deeper perception of client’s IT security and provide a roadmap for improving its security posture moving forward.
In the following year, the organization came out with a unique service called Data Loss Risk Assessment, which is a unique step in any DLP Program Services to identify all types of data within the client network and to identify threats and vulnerabilities related to this data. In 2014, we have introduced a new solution named PMIS (Project Management Information System) meant for SMB companies who want to do Schedule, Resource, and Cost Management.
As Cyber challenges are increasing day by day, the issue of hiring a full-time employee – CISO for this role is costly, hard to find, and may not be so much knowledgeable with today’s cybersecurity skill shortage. At Benelec Infotech, we can fill this gap with our Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (V-CISO) Team Program Service which enables organizations to move forward and focus on growing their business by delivering more than the CISO was introduced in 2018.
The team of experienced Security Experts, Consultants & Technologists, who can provide your company with a V-CISO Team Program Services to bridge this gap by helping with advice on the data security, compliance, and management-related challenges you are facing today. This service can provide your company with the Cyber Security experience and skills necessary to help your company plan, define and execute an appropriate security strategy.
The firm has also introduced IT Forensic Analysis in the year 2020 for collecting, analyzing, and reporting digital data in a legally admissible way. Today, with a thick growth graph, the firm continues to maintain vendor independence that enables clients to choose the right solution combination to fit their specific needs or requirements.
To date, the company has received many more accolades and recognition in the past viz. Best Microsoft Regional Partner in 2001, Best Business Partner – West, for Trend Micro in 2004, RSA Secure World’s 2005 Best Channel Support – Emerging Market India, CRN-2005 National Winner Best VAR – Enterprise Software, RSA Access Partner Leadership Award in 2009 just to name a few. Standing tall at an exciting stage of evolution, the company today takes pride and is grateful to their customers have acknowledged them as thought leaders and experts in their industry.
Any client experience you would like to highlight?
One of our automotive clients wanted to gain ISO 27001 certification to better demonstrate that they have information security in place. ISO 9001 was already in place, but there was recognition that this would soon need updating to comply with the revised standard.
Benelec Infotech worked closely with the client and their quality consultant to develop a comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS), enabling the client to proceed with certification. The ISMS was documented in such a way that the core documentation could be easily adapted to encompass the quality aspects that would be required for ISO 9001:2015.
Additionally, audit processes were identified which would enable the client to gain certainty from centralized functions that, for example, IT, were correctly following their procedures, thus satisfying risk treatment and control requirements.
We were delighted when the client successfully accredited to ISO 27001. This effectively demonstrates that information security is in place and is maintained. Benelec Infotech has since further assisted in, for example, guiding the controls that the client needs to seek from suppliers and potential outsourcing cybersecurity partners. Now the good news is – today we are maintaining the client’s security infrastructure on an exclusive basis.
How a business ignoring the importance of cybersecurity, holding its growth back?
In today’s most vulnerable world, a lack of focus on cybersecurity can damage your business in a range of ways including –
- Economic costs – Theft of intellectual property, corporate information, disruption in trading, and the cost of repairing damaged systems.
- Regulatory costs – IT Act and Data Privacy laws mean that your organization could suffer from regulatory fines or sanctions as a result of cybercrimes.
- Reputational cost – Loss of consumer trust, loss of current and future customers to competitors, and poor media coverage.
Given the nature of cyber-crime and how difficult it can be to detect, it is difficult to understand the direct and indirect costs of many security breaches. This doesn’t mean the reputational damage of even a small data breach or other security event is not large.
All businesses, regardless of the size, must ensure all staff understands cybersecurity concerns and how to mitigate them. This should include regular training and a framework to work with that aims to reduce the risk of data leaks or data breaches.
Companies should no longer be asking why is cybersecurity important, but how can I ensure my organization’s cybersecurity practices are sufficient to comply with regulatory standards and other laws/regulations and to protect my business against sophisticated cyber-attacks. Every client expects increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity measures as time goes on!
Mr. Ravindra Benday – Anchor of Benelec Infotech’s Growth
Mr. Ravindra Benday – an Electronic Engineer who has worked in the electronic industry for nearly a decade, decided to start his venture in 1995, with the vision and mission to help the organizations maximize the value of their IT Infrastructure while mitigating the risks and reducing the complexities.
Ravindra brings more than 35+ years of experience in building great teams and a successful business model at Benelec Infotech. Under his leadership, Benelec Infotech has grown at a rapid and profitable clip with revenues have been grown ten-fold. He oversees the company’s business strategy aiming to redefine how the IT services deliver to mid-market. He has overall responsibility for the development and operations of the company’s consulting services.
Ravindra formulates the overall strategic direction of Benelec Infotech by utilizing broad business management and leadership skills from nearly 35 years of system and management consulting experience. He is responsible for the marketing and sales strategy of Cyber Security Services including client targeting, marketing integration, sales program, and methodology. He manages and ingrains those practices into the company DNA to ensure the success of our customers and associates with his extensive strategic planning, organization change management, business model development, and process design experience.
He also manages the adequacy and soundness of the company’s financial structure and provides leadership to its associates. He is the Chief Mentor, Chief Motivator, and Chief Drill Sergeant of Benelec Infotech.
