Yoics
Yoics has found a way to balance simplicity and the need to access data from anywhere with the need for corporate computer security. Now the company has added a second-generation cloud service to better serve its clients.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Yoics operates a portal at yoics.com that gives users the ability to log into an account using a Microsoft-based remote desktop protocol. The users can access their data in a simple and secure way from any Java-based browser.
The company provides an alternative to older methods for connecting to remote data, which are no longer adequate. Port forwarding leaves networks vulnerable to malicious port-scanning attacks. And Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are too complex to set up for mass market users.
"Yoics changes all that by providing a secure, private way of connectivity that can be set up in minutes," said Ryo Koyama, chief executive of Yoics.
Yoics 2.0 is now available for beta testing. Free users can connect to their desktops remotely for 30 minutes and can share it with up to two friends. Yoics charges subscribers to its Pro users $24.95 per year for connecting for up to two hours and sharing with up to 10 friends. (For the beta, subscribers to Pro can receive two years for the price of one by entering the coupon code NO MORTO at checkout.)
Setup is simple. Users download the free Yoics Desktop software, set up an account, enable RDP (remote desktop protocol) on their machine using Windows, then they enable remote desktop sharing in the Yoics desktop. The process takes around five minutes and users don't have to configure a router. The secure connection is established via the Yoics portal. Consumers can use the Yoics desktop to make files, services or any network resource available securely across the internet. Yoics powers secure cloud networking on devices such as Cisco's Smart Storage Area Network devices. Products that use Yoics can be found in mass retail outlets and it has been adopted by brands such as Astak, Lorex, and Stem Innovation.
When a connection is requested, the user is authenticated as having permission to connect to the computer, than a secure key is sent down to both ends. This session key then is used to establish a peer-to-peer connection. The session key is used only for that connection. All traffic is encrypted and no ports are open on the network. All logins occur via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
The company was founded in 2007 and it has five employees. Koyama said that Yoics is talking with an unnamed vendor to put the remote capability into routers as well. The angel funded company got started when the founders -- Koama, Mike Johnson (chief technology officer) and Doug Olkein (vice president of software) -- were installing network cameras in their homes and realized that the way to do it properly was terrible. Rivals include vertical solutions, as well as gotomyPC, WebEx, and VPNs.
Koyama said security is a big problem. "If you monitored the outside of your router everyday, you'd be scared," he said. "Port scanners are looking for holes every day. Mobile devices have made remote access a must have, but legacy technologies just don't solve the problem."