Security startup Nubeva released its CloudEdge security-as-a-service platform, which uses Palo Alto Networks’ virtual machines (VMs) to scan data for threats.

Officially launched in October, Nubeva aims to use the cloud to protect mobile devices, remote offices, and branch offices from threats.  CloudEdge takes data and runs it through Palo Alto VMs that are stored in a cloud closest to the user, whether it be in Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure.

The goal here is to provide these smaller and remote work locations with the security that a corporate data center can provide, says Rand Chou, CEO and co-founder of Nubeva.

Nubeva has three features that it claims differentiates itself from competitors. The first allows Nubeva to chain services inside of public clouds, which can be difficult and suspicious from the cloud’s perspective, Chou says. By creating a network overlay in the cloud, these services are able to run without triggering suspicion.

Second, CloudEdge uses containerized wide area network (WAN) optimization. While data going into a cloud is very inexpensive, the data that comes out can be very pricy. And Nubeva is able to optimize the amount of data coming out to save costs by withholding data that users have already seen.

Third, it is able to upgrade software that is running in Palo Alto VMs without there being any downtime. It does this by creating the same updated service that is chained on its CloudEdge platform and moves customers to the new version before they are affected, Chou says.

Currently, Nubeva has customers in the gas, electric, and construction industries, but anticipates that it will soon add customers from other industries as well.

The company is based in San Jose, California, and currently has fewer than 30 employees.