CUJO Wins the Nokia Open Innovation Challenge 2016

CUJO, a smart firewall for homes and small businesses, was awarded the first place prize in the Nokia Open Innovation Challenge 2016 in Paris, France. CUJO and 11 other companies were selected as finalists out of over 400 applications to compete in the challenge. CUJO will be able to join Nokia's Innovation Accelerator Program to incubate their ideas within Nokia, access Nokia's global market and network with investors.

"The Nokia Open Innovation Challenge is all about meeting innovators and thinking about how we can develop future Internet of Things uses cases together, simplifying people's lives, making industries more efficient and creating new business opportunities for operators and enterprises. I was extremely impressed with the high quality of our finalists, and would like to thank everyone who participated. Congratulations to the winners!" said Stephan Litjens, Vice President of Nokia Innovation Steering.

"For any company in the IoT space, a partnership with a large technology innovator like Nokia can make a significant difference. With more than 400 companies submitting their ideas, we are delighted to support this unique initiative fostering innovation and creating a unique opportunity for companies in the IoT space," said Bo Ilsoe, Managing Partner of Nokia Growth Partners.

With billions of connected devices, our lives are increasingly exposed to virtual threats. Traditional security solutions are outdated with cybercriminals creating new ways to reach into your home every day. CUJO is a device that will allow users to experience a connected life without compromise.

“We were thrilled to participate in and win the Nokia Open Innovation Challenge,” said CEO, Einaras von Gravrock. “It recognizes the importance of IoT security for home and business users alike.”

At the same time as the competition, the internet infrastructure provider Dyn was under attack by a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. The attack was launched using Mirai, a malware that scans the Internet for routers, IP cameras, digital video recorders and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices with inadequate security. Once infected with Mirai, the large network of IoT devices can be focused to flood a target with so much traffic that the target site can no longer accommodate legitimate users, causing widespread internet outages. 

“In the past, it was sufficient to protect enterprises against cyber threats, the past few days highlight the importance of securing home networks and the increasing number of smart devices against malware such as Mirai or other hacks,” said CEO, Einaras von Gravrock. “We see CUJO as an important part of the home internet security solution.”

About CUJO

CUJO is a smart firewall that protects connected homes and IoT devices from criminal hackers. Using a combination of cloud services, machine learning, and mobile apps to manage your network, CUJO IoT security solution gives home and small business users peace of mind while online. Learn more at https://www.getcujo.com.