Lookout (IT security)

Lookout is a private IT security company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops and markets cloud-based security software for mobile devices. The company was founded in 2007 by three IT security researchers, who previously did IT consulting under the name Flexilis. Over the years, it raised more than $300 million in venture capital funding. Lookout also expanded from a consumer Android app to other mobile devices, operating systems, and a business version.

Lookout
Private
IndustryMobile Security
Founded2005 / 2007[1]
FounderJohn Hering, Kevin Mahaffey, and James Burgess[2]
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
,
United States
Area served
Global
Key people
Jim Dolce, Chief Executive Officer
ProductsLookout mobile security software
Websitehttps://www.lookout.com

Corporate history

Lookout was founded by three IT security researchers that met at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.[2] As students, they formed a consulting firm focused on cybersecurity called Flexilis in 2003.[3] In 2004, they discovered a vulnerability in Nokia phones that allowed them to take control of the phones remotely through Bluetooth.[2][4] The founders couldn't get Nokia to patch the vulnerability, so they scanned data from Nokia phones at the 2005 Academy Awards using a high-powered bluetooth device, as a publicity stunt.[2][4] Exposing security vulnerabilities in the private phones of celebrities led to widespread media attention and Nokia soon fixed the problem.[1]

In 2007, Flexilis began developing a mobile security app[1] and raised $5.5 million in venture capital.[5] In 2009, Flexilis changed its name to Lookout.[1] $11 million in venture capital funding was raised in 2010[6] followed by $40 million in 2011,[7] $75 million in 2012,[2] and $55 million in 2013.[8] A series F funding round in 2014 raised another $150 million in funding.[9] In 2014, co-founder John Hering stepped down as CEO and former Juniper Networks executive Jim Dolce was appointed to the position.[10]

In 2017, Lookout and Citizen Lab discovered a malicious app called Pegasus, made by the Israeli-firm NSO Group, which had iPhone and Android versions that posed as ordinary apps, then took control of the phone once downloaded.[11][12] The following year, Lookout and the Electronic Frontier Foundation published a report exposing a series of similar hacking campaigns by the Lebanese government called Dark Caracal.[13]

Products

Lookout develops and markets a security app for mobile phones also called Lookout. A free version includes antivirus and antimalware scans, and locator features.[14][15] The free version comes pre-installed on Android devices sold by T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint.[4][16] Paid versions add the ability to remotely lock and wipe the phone, backup photos, and other features.[15][17] An enterprise version adds analytics, an admin console, and tools to detect malicious software on corporate networks.[18][19]

The first free version of Lookout was introduced in December 2009.[17] The first paid version was introduced the following year.[17] A "Safe Browsing" browser add-on was added in 2011.[20][21] In 2012, Version 3 of Lookout overhauled the user interface and added Signal Flare, which documents the phone's location just before it runs out of battery.[14] The following year, Lookout added a feature that secretly takes a photo when someone tries to unlock the phone unsuccessfully, in order to catch thieves.[22] The first business version, which added features for IT administrators, was introduced in 2013.[23] This was followed by the first enterprise version in June 2015.[24][18]

gollark: Since shiny machine learning™ things exist.
gollark: Anyway, the GPU thing is very annoying because I "need" arbitrarily large quantities of GPU power for things now.
gollark: Yes you can.
gollark: Half is only something like 0.3 of an order of magnitude.
gollark: If people cannot cope with slightly odd messages, how will they deal with esoteric programming languages?

References
  1. Haggin, Patience (August 11, 2017). "The Secret to Startup Success? Fudge Your Age". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  2. McCorvey, J.J. (July 2, 2012). "Keeping Your Mobile Phone Safe From Hackers". Inc.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  3. Markoff, John; Holson, Laura M. (March 2, 2005). "An Oscar Surprise: Vulnerable Phones". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  4. Greenberg, Andy (February 13, 2013). "Lookout Conquered The Consumer Mobile Security Industry--Now It Just Has To Prove One Exists". Forbes. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  5. Stone, Brad (December 21, 2009). "As Phones Do More, They Become Targets of Hacking". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  6. Rubin, Courtney (May 19, 2010). "Smartphone Security Start-up Lookout Raises $11 Million". Inc.com. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  7. Geary, Brandon (September 21, 2011). "It's not the car, it's the driver: MarTech will fail you without the right creative team". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  8. Lunden, Ingrid (October 10, 2013). "Cloud Security: Mobile Startup Lookout Gets $55M Led By Deutsche Telekom To Go Global & Target Enterprise". TechCrunch (in German). Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  9. JP Mangalindan (August 13, 2014). "Lookout, a mobile security software company, raises $150 million". Fortune. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  10. Fried, Ina (March 13, 2014). "Lookout Hands CEO Reins to Jim Dolce; Founder John Hering Shifts to Executive Chairman". Recode. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  11. Newman, Lily Hay (April 6, 2017). "Pegasus for Android Malware Gives Nation-States Root Acces". WIRED. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  12. "Actively exploited iOS flaws that hijack iPhones patched by Apple". Ars Technica. August 25, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  13. Auchard, Eric (January 18, 2018). "Lebanese security agency turns smartphone into selfie spycam:..." U.S. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  14. Yin, Sara (October 9, 2012). "Lookout Mobile Security Premium (for Android)". PC Magazine. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  15. Baig, Edward (January 23, 2013). "Phone stolen? Lookout can snap a mug shot of thief". USA Today. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  16. Wood, Molly (September 1, 2014). "Mobile Malware: Small Numbers, but Growing". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  17. Mills, Elinor (November 2, 2010). "Lookout launches fee-based mobile security service". CNET. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  18. Osborne, Charlie (June 3, 2015). "Lookout breaks into enterprise market with mobile security service". ZDNet. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  19. "Mobile Threat Protection: Lookout drängt stärker ins Enterprise-Geschäft". computerwoche.de (in German). June 3, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  20. Yin, Sara (June 15, 2011). "Lookout Adds 'Safe Browsing' Feature for Android Devices". PC Magazine. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  21. Tofel, Kevin C. (June 15, 2011). "Lookout: Safe browsing comes to Android". Gigaom. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  22. Baig, Edward (January 22, 2013). "Lookout for Android can take a picture of a phone thief". USA TODAY. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  23. Perez, Sarah (November 19, 2013). "Lookout Debuts A Mobile Security Suite For Business". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  24. "Is your phone safe?". Fortune. October 15, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
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