Exclusive: DataKrypto's CEO champions data privacy as a human right

Data privacy and security are more than just industry standards to Ravi Srivatsav, CEO of DataKrypto—they are fundamental human rights.

Srivatsav, who joined the company officially as CEO three months ago, is keen to lead DataKrypto's charge in revolutionising data protection, particularly through its groundbreaking encryption technologies. With a clear focus on customer needs and a belief that the future lies in secure, continuous encryption, Srivatsav outlined his vision in a recent interview.

"My role as CEO is multifaceted and dynamic," he said, explaining how he leads the company's innovation efforts while remaining deeply involved in technology.

"I stay very close to our customers' journey, ensuring they have a seamless experience from the beginning, allowing us to continuously improve our services."

DataKrypto, a company with a team of around 30 employees based mostly in Rome, has been making waves with its continuous encryption technology.

Srivatsav described this technology as a key differentiator in the crowded encryption market, setting DataKrypto apart from its competitors.

"DataKrypto's FHEnom is the first massively scalable Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) solution capable of processing ciphertext at plaintext speeds, with minimal to no impact on storage. That means you can finally apply FHE to large-scale environments where performance and scale are critical. We are a million times faster than our closest competitor."

Srivatsav's background in engineering and his previous startup, which he exited in 2011 to CenturyLink, has equipped him well for the challenges of leading DataKrypto.

"This is my second time being a CEO, and my goal is to create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute," he said.

His leadership style encourages open communication and critical thinking, fostering a culture of innovation within the company.

When asked about DataKrypto's mission, Srivatsav was clear. "At DataKrypto, we fundamentally believe that data privacy and data security is a human right," he said.

Quantum-Proof Encryption
One of the most exciting developments at DataKrypto is their recent introduction of quantum-proof encryption for multimedia data.

"Data comes in many formats—strings, numbers, audio, video, images," Srivatsav said. "For the longest time, we protected text and numbers, but recently, we've introduced quantum-proof encryption for images, audio, and video."

The technology, which was commercially implemented just a month ago, has been met with positive feedback from clients.

"We onboarded a couple of customers to help them innovate in protecting their images, audio, and video," he said. "We are providing unparalleled security for multimedia data."

While data security has always been a concern, Srivatsav noted that the increasing adoption of AI and machine learning technologies is amplifying the importance of encryption. "As more companies integrate AI or machine learning into their operations, the need to secure data handling becomes very critical," he explained. DataKrypto's encryption solutions ensure that sensitive information remains secure, even as it moves through AI and ML systems.

Challenges and Trends
Data breaches are on the rise, and Srivatsav is acutely aware of the growing threats to organisational data security. "At any given point in time, organisations face enormous amounts of attacks," he said. "Nefarious actors go after your most valuable resource—data. It's like oxygen for life inside the organisation."

Srivatsav highlighted three macro trends driving demand for DataKrypto's encryption solutions. First is the increased focus on data security at the highest levels of businesses, with boardrooms now prioritising security measures. Second is the growing adoption of AI and machine learning, which creates new challenges for data protection. Finally, stricter regulatory and compliance requirements are pushing companies to adopt advanced encryption technologies. "It's a step in the right direction," he added.

While discussing these challenges, Srivatsav didn't shy away from the reality that cybercriminals are often well-funded and technically advanced. "The bad actors are funded more than the good actors," he said. "You always want to stay ahead of the game while knowing they can go after you faster than you can."

Differentiating Factors
What truly sets DataKrypto apart from its competitors, according to Srivatsav, is the company's ability to keep data encrypted throughout its entire lifecycle. "Historically, encryption worked well for data at rest and data in motion, but when data was in use, it had to be decrypted, making it vulnerable," he explained. "We provide encryption throughout the data's journey, even while it's being used."

DataKrypto's technology, known as Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), allows for computations to be performed on encrypted data without needing to decrypt it.

This eliminates a critical threat vector that many other encryption solutions still face. "We are the only fully homomorphic encryption solution certified by NIST with FIPS 140-2 compliance, which is the highest compliance requirement," Srivatsav said.

"No one else in the market currently has that."

He added that DataKrypto's ability to retain the format of encrypted data, regardless of the data type, is another major advantage. "Whether it's an image or a piece of video, we retain the format of the data. Your historical investments don't go to waste."

Looking Ahead
Srivatsav is optimistic about the future of DataKrypto, believing the company is well-positioned to lead the revolution in data security. "Our commitment to our North Star—that data privacy and security is a human right—is driving unprecedented growth inside our organisation," he said.

Since taking the helm as CEO, Srivatsav has noticed the positive momentum within the company, driven by their cutting-edge encryption technology.

"We are setting a new industry benchmark," he said, adding that he looks forward to being part of the company's trajectory as it continues to grow and innovate.

"We are poised to lead this revolution of securing data at all points in time."