Interview With Kobi Kalif – CEO and Co-Founder of ReasonLabs by Shauli Zacks

Shauli Zacks

Updated on: March 14, 2024

In a recent interview with SafetyDetectives, Kobi Kalif, CEO and co-founder of ReasonLabs, shared insights into cybersecurity. With 15+ years of experience, Kobi highlighted ReasonLabs’ mission to bring enterprise-grade cybersecurity to consumers globally. He discussed emerging trends, such as the use of generative AI by cybercriminals and the sophistication of malicious browser extensions. Addressing the rise of remote work, Kobi emphasized the need for multilayered protection for home networks. Regarding identity theft, he recommended solutions like RAV Online Security and stressed the importance of staying informed. Kobi dispelled common cybersecurity misconceptions, urging a multilayered approach with VPNs, parental control, and DNS filters.  

Can you please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background and experience in the cybersecurity industry?

Sure I am Kobi Kalif, CEO and co-founder of ReasonLabs, where our goal is to bring enterprise-grade cybersecurity protection to consumers worldwide. I’m an entrepreneur and an engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the cybersecurity and research & development fields. Before becoming the CEO of ReasonLabs, I worked at various startups and enterprises leading development teams and serving as a VP of R&D.

Tell me about ReasonLabs. What sets the company apart and makes it uniquely positioned in the cybersecurity landscape?

ReasonLabs is a global cybersecurity company that provides consumers with the same level of protection that the world’s largest enterprises receive. At ReasonLabs, we believe that malware attacks do not distinguish between large corporate networks and an individual’s device. What sets us apart is that we are democratizing next-generation antivirus technology with EDR for the home. Everyone deserves to be protected, and that’s why we provide all our customers with the highest level of cybersecurity defense, powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence.

What emerging trends do you see shaping the future of online security, and how should individuals be prepared to navigate these changes?

The onset of 2024 marks the beginning of a new year, yet the constant trends and recurring threats seen throughout 2023 show no indications of slowing down. Here are 5 trends I believe will shape the future of online security in the short and long term:

1. One strongly emerging trend is the emergence of generative AI used by cyber criminals to deploy social engineering tactics. From text to deep-fake audio and visuals, attackers have many tools to use as the technology matures.
2. We are also noticing a shifting dynamic in consumer awareness around credit card scams. Scammers are beginning to extract a small amount from compromised credit cards, typically acquired on the dark web, in multiple executions to stay under the radar. ReasonLabs researchers covered this topic extensively when we uncovered a multimillion-dollar global online credit card scam.
3. Parents must double down on protecting their children in 2024 due to their lack of security knowledge and cyber hygiene. Children are often the weakest link in any family’s security posture, and it’s just one of the reasons we developed our FamilyKeeper parental control solution. Hackers are becoming more adept at leveraging torrents, illegal streams, social media, and other common sites used by children of all ages.
4. Phishing attacks will continue to plague consumers in the future, as evidenced by our recent report consumer cyber trends report which showed that phishing is the most prevalent U.S. browser-originated threat. These attacks have thrived due to a lack of awareness across the security spectrum, as the gap between the sophistication of hackers and the awareness of consumers continues to grow.
5. Finally, the use of malicious browser extensions is a growing trend – not just in frequency, but in sophistication as well. We recently worked with Google to remove such extensions. Bad actors are getting better at exploiting both the open architecture of web browsers and the naïveté of users.

With the rise of remote work, what challenges and opportunities do you see in securing home networks and personal devices?

The rise of remote work is a great example of why home users need enterprise-grade protection at home. Often remote workers are accessing secure company files through public networks or unprotected home networks, using their own devices, which often lack proper protection. Multilayered next-generation antivirus solutions like RAV Endpoint Protection or enterprise-grade VPN solutions like RAV VPN can provide them with the protection they need outside of their secure office environments.

Identity theft is a growing concern. How can people protect themselves from potential identity theft risks in their online activities?

Our personal data is dispersed across our connected digital landscape, making identity theft a major issue for consumers globally. Whether identity theft attacks are done directly at consumers, or indirectly via an enterprise data breach, they must use solutions like RAV Online Security to monitor for threats, and dark web leaks, and stop malicious downloads and harmful extensions. Staying educated regarding the latest security threats and familiarizing yourself with the best practices is critical for maintaining identity protection. Users can greatly reduce the chance of falling victim to identity theft by embracing proactive steps, like using a browser extension that offers identity theft protection when surfing online.

There are often misconceptions about online threats. What do you think is the most common misconception people have, and how should they approach cybersecurity?

First, people need to understand and learn about proper cybersecurity hygiene and the ever-evolving types of threats that exist in today’s digital world. People often say, “I don’t download anything so I’m secure,” or “I have one security product so I’m secure.” Cyber threats do not only stem from downloads, however, they can come from SMS phishing campaigns, enterprise data leaks, and more. One security layer also just isn’t enough. People need to take a multilayered approach to cybersecurity, using products like VPNs, parental control, or DNS filters to make their protection more well-rounded.