The Brevard Technical Journal

The Ideal Man for the Job
Nicola Sanna's expertise, experience took him to the top of e-Security

By Anne Straub
Brevard Technical Journal

When Nicola Sanna read the employment ad back in 1994, it couldn't have described him better if it had called him by name.

Sanna was working in France at the time, and he was on the lookout for a position that would put him in a more international environment. The ad sought someone with contract negotiation skills, software expertise, sales and management experience, and fluency in multiple languages.

"When I looked at the ad, I thought, 'That's me,'" said Sanna, who now heads up a Rockledge company for the employer who placed that ad.

As ideal as he was for the job, the job was perfect for him. Sanna had been frustrated years earlier working in export management for an Italian firm, feeling the market was too small. He moved to a French company to expand his opportunities, and was ready for the next step.

"Acting on a global basis is second nature for me," Sanna said. Indeed, he hardly had a choice. An Italian national, Sanna was born in Vienna, Austria, into a diplomat family. His father worked for the Italian embassy, a job that took the family to numerous locations over the years. A move meant more than a new school: It often was in a new country with a new language to learn. As a result, Sanna speaks French, English, German, Italian and Spanish. He moved to his homeland for his education, earning a doctorate in international economics and a master's in business administration and strategic planning in Rome.

All that came into play in the job, which he took, launching European operations for ASG Software Solutions of Naples, Fla. In five years, Sanna opened a dozen offices, growing the European customer base from a few dozen to several thousand. Last year, European operations made up 30 percent of the company's revenues.

Sanna came to the United States in 1999 as chief operating officer for the company. He and his wife, Corinne, whom he met in France, have two children: Sirio, 3, and Anteo, 5.

"I consider myself a European who has fallen in love with the United States," said Sanna, 34. "It is still a country of opportunity. I saw it in films, I read it in books. But experiencing it yourself is another thing."

Sanna's latest opportunity has been leading e-Security Inc., a Rockledge company that makes software to help companies monitor the security of their network software and hardware.

The company is based on Harris Corp. technology that ASG's owner, Arthur Allen, purchased. When e-Security needed some help getting off the ground a couple years ago, Allen sent Sanna on a temporary assignment that never ended.

"I got so excited when I stepped in," Sanna said. "As an entrepreneur, it's an exciting thing to see the fruit of your hands. You're seeing something that didn't exist before start to take off."

E-Security makes real-time threat management software that companies use to guard their networks. The company seeks to distinguish itself by marketing its software as a more practical tool than other security systems. The system pools information together for display at one location, or one dashboard, so to speak. The software aims to filter out unnecessary data and put together events that might not have appeared threatening when viewed separately. The result is a centralized event manger for entire information technology networks, not just a mainframe.

For the operator, the goal is simplicity. E-Security allows workers to be trained on one piece of equipment, eliminating the need to be able to monitor and understand multiple screens of information at once. In its simplest form, the job of monitoring the indicator lights comes down to green is good, and red is bad.

Red could indicate a threat such as an unauthorized user attempting to cripple the system, or a valid user performing an illegal function. The threat is revealed in real time, helping organizations deter attacks before damage is done.

Under Sanna's leadership, e-Security secured $20 million in financing and doubled its customer base. The company targets large companies and government agencies for its systems, which cost from $100,000 to $1 million. Its customers include the Federal Reserve, IRS, Sony, Credit Suisse and Fleet Boston Financial Corp. The company is privately held and does not release sales figures.

Sanna's performance in the current economic climate earned him the honor of the American Electronic Association's Abacus Award for High Tech Executive of the Year, in the Florida small company category. E-Security employs about 90 people.

Arthur Allen, who hired Sanna to start ASG's European operations, isn't surprised by his success. "The guy is just as honest as the day is long," he said of Sanna. "He has integrity. He is extremely bright, he works hard, and he cherishes his family."

Business in the first quarter of 2002 has been difficult because of the effects of the Sept. 11 attacks, Allen said. "When the economy comes back, I expect e-Security to grow by leaps and bounds."

Sanna sees business growing as companies become more aware of the threat of terrorism against their computer networks. Before Sept. 11, e-Security had to convince potential customers of the need for security. "It's like insurance," Sanna said. "Until you get hurt, you don't think it's important."

That has changed, as the reality of terrorism has increased management's awareness of the need for security. While there has been no rush to buy, Sanna said, companies are putting information technology on the top of their list if money is available.

When his 60- to 70-hour workweek is through and it's time to relax, Sanna spends time with his family or on the tennis courts. And sometimes when he's trying to spend time with the family and his wife senses his tension, she'll send him off to the courts.

"I get back to normal after the second set," Sanna said.

On the Web: www.esecurityinc.com.