While working in the information technology industry for 25 years—including designing and building security networks for the military, government, and Fortune 500 companies—Robert Demopoulos found existing computer security products lacking. He started designing an intelligent and comprehensive system for network security that could stay on top of known and unknown threats.
His product, called Barrier 1, is a one-stop device for all of the necessary security elements, including a firewall, intrusion detection, and anti-spam. The twist? Barrier 1’s defenses communicate with each other, share information, and evolve based on what all of the systems detect, says Vice President of Sales Jim Libersky. “It’s the only intelligent device on the market, meaning it can listen, learn, predict, and react to threats,” he adds. The Ramsey-based company started selling its inaugural product in 2005, and has moved enough units to turn a profit. Sales are growing 28 percent a year, compared to an industry average 22 percent, giving the company a foothold in the $5.3 billion computer security market. Libersky credits some of that growth to his company’s practice of allowing customers to test the product before buying. He says they’re amazed at what Barrier 1 blocks that their current security systems miss.
