Rising cybersecurity threat fuels growth of Marin County’s Blokworx

Robert Boles is admittedly a conversation killjoy when he brings up the danger to businesses from ransomware and other crisis compromises of a computer networks and data.

A decade and a half ago, Boles bootstrapped Blokworks initially off eight credit cards after being part of a downsized telecommunications company internet protocol systems security team. Blokworx started by offering information technology and managed service provider services to companies, but in the past five years, the company has shifted to focus entirely on cybersecurity for managed service providers.

Up to this point, Boles has been the company’s primary salesperson, as much of the business has come after his presentations at cybersecurity events. But now he’s looking for some key additions that can appropriately match services to needs.

“I don’t want to be a company someone buys something like insurance then later find out it is not not what you thought it was,” Boles said.

While cybersecurity liability insurance has been offered by carriers for several years, the increase in data breaches has led insurers to tighten the responsibility policyholders have in securing their systems, thus increasing the need for active prevention of such intrusions, he said.

The company debuted on the Inc. 5000 national list of fast-growing companies this year at No. 3,192 with 116% revenue growth in 2017–2020, the magazine’s ranking metric. Revenue last year was $2.5 million, and Boles is projecting receipts will near $4 million this year.

Jeff Quackenbush covers wine, construction and real estate. Before the Business Journal, he wrote for Bay City News Service in San Francisco. He has a degree from Walla Walla University. Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256.