Judy Security (Formerly AaDya Security): Cybersecurity for All

“Cybersecurity remains at the forefront of many leaders’ minds as the need increases to protect their companies,” Mautone explains. “However, small businesses do not own security software because of prioritization, cost, internal knowledge, specific expertise, dedicated security staff, etc.” So, Mautone created Judy Security as an answer to this commonplace issue — providing cybersecurity that is affordable and also incredibly effective. 

Mautone is no stranger to leadership or the necessities of operating a successful company, specifically a cybersecurity one, boasting experience at McAfee, FireEye, and Duo, “I had the opportunity to work for many successful companies, and after serving in a variety of leadership roles, I decided it was time for me to add ‘CEO’ and ‘founder’ to the list of roles I have held. I also was very familiar with the cybersecurity industry and saw a great need for small businesses to have access to enterprise-grade solutions.” The next step was to develop an effective all-in-one platform that was suited to the needs of small and midsize businesses while meeting the unique needs of individual businesses. “When we first began our company, we partnered with several customers across different verticals to really understand their wants and needs. This was instrumental in designing and building our product,” Mautone explains. 

Not only does this experience influence the concept behind Judy Security’s innovative designs, it gives the founder a sense of purpose and excitement, “I know we're going to all make a lot of money, I know we will be successful in that manner, but for me to wake up every morning, I get really excited that they get to experience what I've already gotten to experience three times at three amazing companies.” 

However, Mautone’s experience wasn’t always highly successful tech companies. During his first job at his family’s pizzeria, he describes an experience riddled with dough flipping and arm burns from old gas pizza ovens. Perhaps less ideal is his experience working at Chuck E. Cheese, “I had to dress up as Chuck E. Cheese and stand on the side of Ford Road, and the hot weather and [waving] at the kids to come in and that smell and that foam and that suit is still the worst.” Still, Mautone recalls, “There's some really funny stories there. It was an amazing time because I got to work with my friends, and that's why I went and did it.”

The result of Mautone’s plethora of work experience is a heart-filled startup and the company’s all-in-one cybersecurity platform. Judy Security program offers three levels, each designed to meet different businesses' cybersecurity needs. Don’t let the all-in-one model fool you, though. Judy Security is all about creating a service and experience that is tailored to each individual customer. “The AaDya difference Is a proactive approach to secure small businesses' most valuable information and unmatched service supporting their IT and security needs,” Mautone says. “AaDya can help drive efficiency, and our team of security professionals will provide exceptional employee and customer experience, setup, and support.”

The company’s personal touch doesn’t end with an individualized approach, however. Mautone is passionate about not only creating products that are accessible to all sizes of businesses but also encouraging the cybersecurity industry as a whole to become more accessible to everyone — especially women. “I have two daughters, and we need more women. I am a firm believer, I tell everyone, no matter what age they are, get in the stem, if you like science, math, coding, developing, please, you, your daughters, your nieces, whoever, friends, we need more women in this industry.”

A valuable and necessary industry change that Mautone prioritizes inside the company as well, “Whether it's race, whether it's gender, LGBTQ, we consciously think about it in our organization, that we do want those individuals in our teams, and that maybe even at times, we have to push ourselves to put ourselves out there to enable them.” For Mautone, this intention hits close to home — as a gay man and the son of parents who immigrated to the United States, making him a first-generation citizen, the goal to create a more inclusive industry that places value on achievement and skill above all else is personal. “[M]y husband and I are very much about ensuring that we change the perception of many things, including that we're gay men. I mean, for a gay founder and gay CEO, there's not many of us.” Mautone explains, “[W]e have to push ourselves to talk about it so that others that are listening can go, okay, I can do this. I'm not different because I'm a woman or a gay man or because of my ethnicity.” 

From our perspective, it seems the glass ceiling doesn’t exist for this hardworking and good-natured founder that is successfully developing the cybersecurity industry in Michigan and beyond. 

Next Steps

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