Tiffany Ricks, CEO and Founder of HacWare: $2.6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Security Awareness

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Tiffany Ricks, CEO & Founder of HacWare, a security awareness platform that's raised $2.6 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Transition to Product: Tiffany transitioned from running a consultancy to building HacWare after identifying phishing as a recurring vulnerability in her clients’ businesses. Phishing Impact: Phishing attacks lead to significant breaches, with 3.4 billion phishing emails sent daily and 71% of small businesses experiencing phishing attacks that lead to ransomware. Automated Solution: HacWare automates phishing simulations and security awareness training using AI, significantly reducing the labor hours required from 40 hours a week to just 1 hour a month. Educated Buyers: Small and mid-market businesses are becoming more knowledgeable about cybersecurity needs, understanding the importance of solutions like VPNs, password managers, and security awareness training. Continuous Improvement: HacWare releases software updates weekly, maintaining focus on customer pain points and continuously enhancing their platform’s capabilities. Future Vision: In five years, HacWare aims to provide comprehensive human risk assessments across various digital platforms, similar to credit scores, to identify and mitigate potential security risks. //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co