Olga Lagunova shares GoTo’s approach with integration of AI and machine learning to drive innovation and improve user experiences. She also sheds light on GoTo’s proactive approach to safeguarding its SaaS and cloud-based tools against cyber threats. 

As the Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) at GoTo, Olga Lagunova oversees the global product and technology teams, while also leading efforts to build, operate, and innovate the company’s products. 

She brings extensive experience from her previous positions at Pitney Bowes and CA Technologies, where she worked on large-scale SaaS applications, analytics, and mobile application development for enterprise IT. 

In a discussion with CIO&Leader, Olga Lagunova shares GoTo’s approach with integration of AI and machine learning to drive innovation and improve user experiences. She also sheds light on GoTo’s proactive approach to safeguarding its SaaS and cloud-based tools against cyber threats. 

CIO&Leader: Now that employees are opting to work from their choice of location, what are the challenges enterprises are facing with hybrid and remote work, and how are you planning on addressing them? 

Olga Lagunova: Hybrid and remote work are not new, it’s simply how work happens today. However, while the flexibility of remote work offers many advantages to businesses and their employees, it can also pose challenges. These often come from proliferating software and tools requiring more resources and costs, device vulnerability from unsecured outside networks, and operational disruptions when remote technologies stop working which can lead to significant delays and lost revenue. 

GoTo’s remote IT management and support offerings, including GoTo Resolve and LogMeIn Rescue, provide unified, secure solutions that consolidate multiple functions into one accessible dashboard to deliver valuable time savings and significantly improve the efficiency of IT support teams. GoTo Resolve’s zero trust architecture, for example, requires that anyone trying to connect to systems must verify their identity before access is granted, adding an additional layer of security to mitigate risks with IT management. And with Rescue, even large enterprises with employees spread around the world can use a single solution for all of their remote access, asset management, and help desk capabilities to keep things running smoothly. 

CIO&Leader: AI has become the new trend in the technology sector. How are you leveraging data analytics, AI, and ML to drive innovation and improve user experience?

Olga Lagunova: This year alone, we’ve introduced a range of new AI-powered innovations to help businesses gather new insights, automate day-to-day operations, and better service their customers. GoPilot, our AI assistant for GoTo Resolve, revolutionizes how IT conducts daily work by eliminating time-consuming tasks such as manually scanning system diagnostics screens and patch updates to identify issues, and frees up resources for higher-value projects. The AI tool also leverages simple, conversational language prompts so that even entry-level IT support agents can solve complex problems without needing to know a library of commands. Looking ahead, our product roadmap includes further integration of new AI technologies, driving innovation and shaping the future of user experiences for IT and customer support teams.

CIO&Leader: What are the measures and protocols GoTo has in place to safeguard its software as a service (SaaS) and cloud-based remote work tools against cyber threats?

Olga Lagunova: At GoTo, as the stewards of our customers’ trust, we proactively invest in robust security measures, viewing them as essential for our services. GoTo’s commitment to security encompasses every aspect of IT operations, from implementing zero trust principles to employing state-of-the-art cryptography.  

When it comes to our Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, we go beyond fortifying our platform against cyber threats by leveraging security and privacy by design into the development of our products. Rigorous perimeter defenses and intrusion detection systems form the first line of defense, ensuring that unauthorized access and network traffic are swiftly identified and neutralized. Partnering with leading cloud vendors, we uphold the highest standards of logical and physical security and environmental controls, safeguarding our infrastructure and our customers’ data in use, in transit, and at rest. 

We maintain a comprehensive risk management program to effectively identify and mitigate risks. This encompasses a rigorous third-party risk management initiative, ensuring thorough vetting of our suppliers and adherence to the same high standards we apply internally. We are focused on fortifying our development pipelines to reduce the vulnerability to supply chain attacks. We maintain a robust security incident response management program aimed at swiftly detecting and addressing threats such as ransomware.

Following a defense in-depth strategy enables our customers to focus on their core objectives without compromising data protection or regulatory compliance. Moreover, our unwavering dedication to reliability and stability sets us apart in the market. With our reliable 99.999% uptime, robust performance, and round-the-clock support, we provide a seamless and secure environment for remote collaboration and IT support.  

CIO&Leader: How does your team stay abreast of emerging cybersecurity trends and incorporate them into your IT management strategies? 

Olga Lagunova: As cyberattack threats continue to grow, prioritizing security across all levels is paramount. Security is ingrained in GoTo’s culture, and our team stays ahead of emerging trends by focusing on these key priorities:

• • Threat intelligence: We operate a robust internal threat intelligence program and engage actively in information-sharing groups such as IT-ISAC, FIRST.org and InfraGard. 

• • Business continuity: Through collaboration with top cybersecurity firms such as Mandiant, Recorded Future, and Rapid7, we conduct external and internal penetration testing and tabletop exercises for our security incident response, ensuring readiness to address various disruptions. 

• • Responsible AI: We emphasize understanding and safely enabling AI for security, ensuring that innovative technologies are securely integrated into our IT tools to proactively detect, identify, and defend against potential vulnerabilities.

• • Secure infrastructure: We safeguard our infrastructure and remote users using cutting-edge security technologies for endpoint protection and response, web proxy, zero trust mail gateway, fortified network defenses, identity and access management, and advanced cloud security posture management.

• • Training and awareness: We prioritize providing ongoing cybersecurity awareness training to all employees, encompassing phishing simulations based on real-world threats. Additionally, our engineers receive role-specific training on emerging cybersecurity topics and trends.

• • Compliance program: We maintain a robust compliance program that encompasses ISO27001, C5, SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, and benchmark against the CIS framework.

Through implementing security by design and maintaining a secure infrastructure and operations, we guarantee the security of our products. Furthermore, we offer security as a product to our customers, as our solutions assist them in enhancing their security posture.

CIO&Leader: What are some of the top tech trends of 2024, which you are looking forward to?

Olga Lagunova: We have already seen the incredible impact that artificial intelligence technologies have made in 2023, and 2024 will be another transformative year for AI. Companies around the world are investing to leverage AI across more areas of their operations, driving efficiency and elevating business outcomes. From internal AI chatbots streamlining helpdesk functions to customer-facing AI applications, and AI-powered tools enhancing development and IT processes, AI will be the driving force behind new technology innovations in the year ahead. 

CIO&Leader: What is GoTo’s overall market expansion strategy? Any existing presence or partnerships in the Indian market?

Olga Lagunova: In 2024, GoTo is poised for market expansion by capitalizing on its channel network to deliver exceptional services to customers. Our strategy revolves around aiding customers where they need it, improving the productivity of their teams, elevating customer experiences, and ultimately providing competitive advantages in their markets. We have a wide network of existing partners in India, and are deeply committed to fostering strong collaborations with our network of channel partners and customers in the region. A prime example of this collaborative effort is our long-standing partnership with Sonata Software, a renowned digital engineering company. 

Through such strategic alliances and a focus on channel partnerships, GoTo is determined to strengthen its presence in the Indian market while providing innovative solutions and unparalleled support to our valued customers.