Meet Jacob Waltz | Cybersecurity Expert & CEO of Intraframe US

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob Waltz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

My thought process behind starting Intraframe US was pretty simple: I saw an issue and a market gap.

In general, SMBs are extremely underrepresented in the realm of Managed Detection & Response (MDR) and Managed IT services. If they have any IT help at all, it’s usually one ‘jack of all trades’ staff member who’s tasked with literally everything while on the verge of burnout. This model is what we call a ‘Single Point of Failure’ and isn’t sustainable for SMBs. The cost of a successful IT breach can be exponential. That’s the thing many SMBs still haven’t realized yet, and the ones that do take their security seriously, typically learned it the hard way.

Technology is advancing too fast for humans to keep up with. Data breaches and cyber attacks are inevitable; it isn’t “if”, but “when” it happens. The solution is to build a team of experts who know how to properly design, implement, maintain, and scale your IT architecture according to a framework that harmonizes business operations with security. This is a long and tedious process, even for mature organizations that have seasoned IT teams with vast amounts of resources. Threat actors only need to be right once, so you need to be on guard 24/7. It only takes being wrong once for everything to fall. Analogous to your personal health, I always tell people “Prevention is cheaper than cure”.

The cost of hiring and maintaining a well-rounded IT team (Administrators, Engineers, Analysts, etc.) that’s skilled enough to withstand the complexities of protecting business-critical systems often poses a significant challenge for SMBs. Insufficient C-level support, budgetary constraints, and limited industry expertise further compound this challenge. While outsourcing to a big-name security firm might seem like a solution, unfortunately, it proves to be just as expensive.

I started Intraframe US with the goal of simplifying these issues for SMBs by making quality Managed IT & MDR services more accessible. What makes us stand out from the other guys around here is that we’ve built our own Extended Detection & Response (XDR) platform, called Deltagate. This means we have no hefty upstream licensing costs or third-party vendor lock-ins to adhere to. It’s all in-house, allowing us to offer the same comprehensive suite of cyber security services for a fraction of the average market cost.

What should our readers know about your business?

At Intraframe US, we’re extremely passionate about helping fellow SMBs. We empathize with the unique challenges faced by SMBs, which is why we prioritize both effectiveness AND affordability in our services. This ensures businesses can protect their operations without breaking the bank. We take pride in Deltagate XDR – the foundation of our MDR services. We’re constantly expanding its functions, capabilities, and third-party integrations. In this fast-paced industry, it’s essential to be adaptable to change. This is why I’m especially proud of the vast investment in both time and commitment from my team, without which none of this would have been possible. Finding truly qualified talent in this industry is a constant challenge, so I feel very lucky to have such a devoted workforce that is continuously honing their skills. Together, we empower SMBs to navigate the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape with confidence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

If you had asked me before they closed, I would’ve added Grey Canary in Downtown Memphis to the itinerary. Limelight, Coastal Fish Company, and Paris Bahn Mi are the current favorites. Can’t forget the daily coffee runs to Levee Creamery and Congregation! Our week wouldn’t be complete without a few days in Oxford, MS touring the dining scene – Rice & Spice, Jinsei, Volta, and Kingswood to name a few.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I would give a shoutout to my family. My brother, for his integrity and unparalleled work ethic. My mother, for her love and care. My father, for his early encouragement to pursue my passion for technology. It’s thanks to their unwavering support that I’m here today.