Exclusive: How Katana is supporting Paralympics New Zealand

Steve Rielly, the Founder and Executive Director of Katana Group, recently shared insights into the company's operations, achievements, and a unique fundraising initiative for Paralympics New Zealand.

Katana Group, under the leadership of Steve Rielly, encompasses a range of businesses with a primary focus on IT security. One of its key entities, Katana Technologies, has carved a niche in the market by introducing novel solutions that many organisations lack the expertise to implement themselves. Rielly's background in IT security has been instrumental in developing these solutions, particularly in addressing business email compromises and invoice scams.

"Katana DMARC service is one of our most successful solutions," Rielly said. "We launched it two or three years ago in response to the increasing threats of phishing and spoofing, which were causing significant issues for organisations." The Katana DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) service helps businesses protect their email domains from being exploited for fraudulent activities.

Though based in New Zealand, Katana Group's SaaS-based services have a broad reach across the Asia-Pacific region and can be offered worldwide.

Katana utilises the DuoCircle Platform to run its DMARC service. Brad Slavin, Email Architect at DuoCircle, spoke about the work the two companies do together, saying, "DMARCReport, in conjunction with Katana Tech are helping government agencies monitor their email domains for unauthorized use, preventing phishing and email spoofing by providing detailed reports on email activity. This strengthens email security and safeguards the agency's communications and reputation," 

A key customer of Katana's DMARC service is governmental organisations in New Zealand, particularly due to its listing on the DIA digital marketplace. "I went through the process a while ago to have the DMARC service put on the DIA digital marketplace because DMARC is set in the NZISM. You really must do it. That doesn't mean most government organizations are doing it (DMARC), in fact we know that most aren't," says Rielly.

"The government's a key focus for this. It's on the DIA digital marketplace, it's easy to consume. I know for a fact it is by far the cheapest service out there compared to everyone else's, and it actually delivered faster than everyone else can," he adds.

A notable initiative by Katana Group is a new fundraising effort for Paralympians tied to its DMARC service. "For every email domain secured by our DMARC service, we charge a flat fee of $200 per month. Out of this, 15% of the gross revenue goes directly to supporting Paralympians," Rielly stated. This fundraising mechanism is not a one-time effort but a continuous commitment, ensuring that Paralympians receive consistent support.

Rielly's motivation for this initiative stems from a desire to highlight the achievements of Paralympians, who perform as well and sometimes better than their Olympic counterparts but do not receive equivalent recognition. "I was particularly inspired by the medal haul of Paralympians in past Games. They deserve more recognition and support," he emphasised. The NZ Paralympic Team is one of New Zealand's most successful sports teams, consistently performing on the world stage. In Tokyo 2020, the Team placed 4th in the world per capita, with 97% of the Team having top 8 finishes.

On Steve's intention to raise money, Jenifer Hunt, Head of Commercial and Marketing for Paralympics New Zealand, says, "Paralympics New Zealand welcomes donations from organisations and individuals who support our goals to have more disabled people participating in Para sport throughout New Zealand, through leveraging the impact that will be created by the performances of the NZ Paralympic Team taking on the world at this year's Paris 2024 Paralympic Games."

What sets Katana Group apart from its competitors is its straightforward and cost-effective pricing model. Unlike others who charge based on the number of employees or emails sent, Katana's flat fee approach simplifies the process for clients. "Our service is significantly cheaper and faster to deploy, and we guarantee that organisations will never lose an email during the implementation," Rielly assured.

Reflecting on the impact of COVID-19, Rielly noted that while some organisations initially cut back on what they perceived as non-essential spending, there has been a resurgence in demand for robust security solutions as businesses stabilise post-pandemic. "Many organisations are now looking to implement DMARC as part of their security strategy, having realised its importance during the disruptions caused by the pandemic," he observed.

As for the future, Rielly remains focused on promoting Katana Group's core services and exploring potential collaborations to bring new technologies to New Zealand and the broader ANZ region. "There are discussions with select organisations about bringing their technology into our market, but for now, the priority is to continue expanding our existing services," he concluded. 

To get in touch with Steve Rielly and discuss how his DMARC solution can help your business, please contact him at dmarc@katana-tech.com. As for the Paralympic Games, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games take place this year from 28 August – 8 September.