Back in 2009 when Chris Blunt and Jim Shaw founded Axenic the first Samsung Galaxy phone was released, Windows 7 was finally made available to replace Windows Vista, E-books saw a 235 percent spike and Michael Jackson passed away.
2009 also saw the Conflicker worm spread to over 190 countries to become among the largest computer infection in almost a decade and Heartland Payments Systems experienced the worst credit card data breach in computing history. Information security had become an important part of the computing landscape.
The idea behind Axenic was simple: provide high-quality information security and privacy advice to help and support our clients to achieve their business goals and objectives. Chris and Jim realised that most companies viewed information security as a technical problem or a compliance issue but that it was far more effective to handle security as a business risk exercise. And so Axenic was born to help clients use security as an enabler, not a roadblock.
Times have certainly changed in those 10 years with huge advances in technology – and consequent security challenges. Over that time, Axenic has built an amazing team of experts who have extensive real-world experience across both the public and private sectors. We are trusted by a diverse range of clients, from small Software as a Service businesses through to the largest Government agencies.
Unlike many other providers, Axenic has deliberately chosen not to sell a product, partner with vendors or offer technical implementation services. This decision was taken in order to maintain a truly independent (pure) advisory role allowing us to focus on risk, governance, and assurance through to architecture and training. This ethos is company-wide – right down to the name Axenic [a-zen-ic], which means pure or uncontaminated.
Jim is proud to say that in the past 10 years Axenic has “laid the groundwork for how information security is now considered around government and throughout New Zealand”.
Chris goes on to say that “we recognise that risk and opportunity go hand in hand so it’s not about stopping clients from taking a risk, it is about understanding the risks that they are taking and the opportunities that they gain from taking those risks.”
To help mark the occasion we have managed to get Jim and Chris on camera to share their insights and the story behind Axenic. Check out the full video here.
Chris, Jim and the team at Axenic would like to thank everyone that they have worked with over the last 10 years and look forward to continuing to bring world-class information security services to our current and future clients over the next 10 years.