New York, NY, August 05, 2025 — Viollis Group International (VGI), a multidisciplinary security and intelligence firm, has announced the launch of HERCULES, a new video conferencing platform developed to support organizations and professionals handling highly sensitive communications.
Designed in response to growing concerns around digital privacy, unauthorized access, and AI-based data harvesting, HERCULES offers an alternative to traditional video communication tools by emphasizing user control, server isolation, and security-first architecture.
“After years in federal law enforcement and corporate security, I’ve seen firsthand the consequences of compromised communication,” said Ed Shubert, a former FBI Senior Executive and VP of Global Security at McKesson. “As one of HERCULES’ early test users, I was impressed by the clarity of video and audio—but more importantly, I had complete confidence that the platform was purpose-built to keep conversations protected. It’s a vital solution for both public and private sector professionals who work with confidential information.”
Each HERCULES client is provisioned with their own private server, which is never shared across accounts. These servers are hardened at the operating system level and protected by front-end load balancers. Access is tightly restricted—external participants must be authenticated and explicitly approved prior to joining any call. The platform is monitored 24/7 year-round.
According to VGI, the platform does not use artificial intelligence, does not record or transcribe meetings, and does not analyze, tag, or store any content shared during calls. These measures are designed to mitigate the risk of data exposure and maintain confidentiality.
“HERCULES was created out of necessity,” said Paul Viollis, CEO of Viollis Group International. “The clients we serve—from legal, financial, and medical professionals to executives and family offices—cannot afford uncertainty when it comes to digital communication. Our goal was to develop an environment as close to a virtual SCIF as possible, while still being practical to use. It’s not cheap, but neither is a breach.”
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed global business operations, accelerating the need for secure remote collaboration. HERCULES is positioned to serve those whose work involves privileged, regulated, or classified material, offering a closed system tailored to privacy and compliance standards.