John Benkert co-founded Cigent in 2018 with his colleagues. He spent 20 years in USAF Intelligence and seven in the NSA where he received the National Scientific Achievement Award for technological innovations in data security. John is also the owner of CPR Tools, the leading experts in data recovery, forensics, and destruction since 1987.
Recognizing the vulnerabilities in data security solutions including FDE and SEDs, Benkert set out to design a more secure approach to data protection — one that could not be defeated, no matter the situation or adversary.
He formed a team of experts in storage, data forensics, and cybersecurity. Securing funding from In-Q-Tel, the Cigent team has achieved Benkert’s vision of developing the most secure data security solution available. While succeeding on this front, John understands that success is difficult to define for every organization and is often dependent upon the individual.
Ten years ago, John would have focused solely on company success. However, having grown wiser over the years, he now sees success as both personal and organizational.
Personally, John considers success as making a positive impact on others, such as through philanthropy, volunteering, or helping others achieve their goals.
Professionally, John would like to see Cigent’s technology put an end to ransomware, or at least make a serious dent in its profitability. John sees these types of attacks as the biggest threat to personal and organizational security, and the world isn’t doing enough to combat it.
The Covid-19 pandemic upended many aspects of the professional setting, including securing data across a remote workforce, but it also brought new opportunities for organizations to grow.
As John and the Cigent team have learned, one way organizations can capitalize on the remote workplace is to embrace it. By embracing remote work, businesses can save on overhead costs associated with maintaining a physical office space. These cost savings can be passed on to employees in the form of increased compensation or invested back into the business.
John believes that setting realistic expectations for work and personal life is essential. He has learned, especially since the passing of loved ones, that work is an important part of life, but not the only part. He still has to remind himself of that sometimes, and he is always teaching this in the workplace.
As a former government employee, John is no stranger to professional challenges and thus has a unique perspective on motivating employees in the private sector. John’s transition from government to the private sector was a significant adjustment, as he had always been driven by a clear objective of protecting the citizens of the US and its Allies.
In the private sector, he discovered that each individual had their own mission or motivation. Some were driven by time off, while others were motivated by money. Some shared his passion for data protection. Motivating each person based on their particular mission can be difficult and, though he is not an expert at it, he makes an effort to work on it daily.
John’s experience highlights the importance of understanding individual drive in order to effectively motivate employees. By taking the time to learn what drives each employee, managers can create a more positive and productive work environment.
John has three pieces of advice he’d like to share with younger and new entrepreneurs:
- First – be ready to adapt! The business world is dynamic, and it requires constant adaptation to changes. Be ready to pivot your business strategy or product offering if needed to stay competitive.
- Second – embrace failure. Failure is a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey, and is an opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t let fear of failure hold you back, instead embrace it as a chance to improve and pivot your strategy.
- Lastly, stay informed and keep learning. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and strategies in your industry. Read industry publications, attend seminars and workshops, and continue learning to stay competitive and keep your business growing
About Cigent:
Cigent offers a new approach to data security for organizations of all sizes to stop ransomware, data theft and achieve compliance. Cigent protects your most valuable asset – your data – against the most sophisticated adversaries.
They protect data throughout its lifecycle via prevention-based defenses embedded into storage and individual files. From decades of data recovery, cybersecurity, and device sanitization experience, the experts at Cigent have developed prevention methods beyond anything that exists today.
If you would like to get in touch with John Benkert or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
