It’s one thing to identify a problem. It’s another to build the solution.
For Karsten Nohl, a renowned cryptographer and security researcher, the journey to creating Autobahn Security was born from a recurring observation: the persistent gap between experts providing security consulting and the day-to-day realities of enterprise cyber efforts.
For over a decade, Karsten and his team at Security Research Labs (SRLabs) have been at the forefront of cybersecurity, advising some of the world’s largest organizations. His work has exposed critical vulnerabilities in mobile communications, payment systems, and other complex technologies. Yet, a frustrating pattern emerged.
“The ‘aha’ moment at SRLabs,” Karsten recounts, “was the realization that we had internally automated many steps of hacking resilience management—from asset and issue discovery to prioritization and remediation planning—but that our clients often went straight back to manual processes once our consulting support ended.”
This systemic inefficiency planted the seed for Autobahn Security. “With Autobahn,” he explains, “we condensed the automation capabilities into a form that runs without consultants.”
The name itself, “Autobahn Security,” perfectly captures this sense of robust, high-speed efficiency. “‘Autobahn’ was an internal project name coined by our colleague Luca,” Karsten shares. “We liked the name a lot as it evokes a sense of solid German engineering without limits. The rest is history.”
Overcoming Resistance to Change
The transition from a consultancy insight to an impactful, enterprise-grade product was not without challenges. The biggest obstacle? Organizational inertia.
“Convincing large enterprises to change their established processes is devilishly difficult, especially if part of the change involves reducing repetitive tasks handled by middle managers,” Karsten admits. The adoption of new, process-altering technology can be perceived as a threat. “We are eternally grateful to the first adopters of Autobahn, including Allianz and Swiss Post, who provided a crucial stage to showcase its value and ROI to other major enterprises.”
Solving the Talent Shortage
Karsten’s invaluable experience as a CISO at major telecommunications companies like Jio and Axiata provided him with a firsthand understanding of the immense pressures on internal security teams. This perspective was instrumental in shaping Autobahn Security‘s core philosophy: reduce workloads, not add to them.
“Cyber still faces a severe talent shortage, and even companies with large security teams never seem to have enough staff for tasks that are considered ‘boring’,” he notes. “Talent would rather move on than to be stuck in repetitive tasks like curating vulnerability lists. This makes automation a key priority in retaining key cyber talent.”
This insight led to the development of Autobahn’s main features like the “Hackability Score” and “Cyber Fitness Workouts,” designed to streamline remediation and provide clear, actionable guidance.
A Future Driven by Passion and Patience
Looking back on the journey, from the early days of SRLabs to the launch and growth of Autobahn Security, Karsten offers a piece of advice to his younger self:
“Be more patient with everyone around me. In the end, we always get everything we aim for, even when aiming very high. Urgency rarely made that possible, but passion and dedication did.”
Blending ambitious vision and steadfast commitment continues to drive Autobahn Security forward. By transforming the complex, often manual, processes of vulnerability management into an automated, intuitive habit, Karsten and his team are not just building a company; they are paving a smoother, more fulfilling road ahead for cyber experts globally.
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