Darktrace, a leading global AI company for cyber defense with thousands of customers worldwide, is pleased to announce the company’s Enterprise Immune System has been nominated to compete in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.
Inspired by the self-learning intelligence of the human immune system, this new class of technology has enabled a fundamental shift in the way organizations defend themselves, amid a new era of sophisticated and pervasive cyber-threats.
The human immune system is incredibly complex and continually adapts to new forms of threats, such as viral DNA that constantly mutates by learning about what is normal for the body, identifying and neutralizing outliers that do not fit that evolving pattern of normality.
Darktrace applies the same logic to cloud, enterprise, and industrial environments.
Powered by machine learning and AI algorithms, Enterprise Immune System technology iteratively learns a unique ‘pattern of life’ (self) for every device and user on a network, and correlates these insights in order to spot and stop emerging threats that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Like the human immune system, the Enterprise Immune System does not require previous experience of a threat or pattern of activity in order to understand that it is potentially threatening.
It works automatically, without prior knowledge or signatures, detecting and fighting back against subtle, stealthy attacks inside the network — in real time.
(See a definitive introduction to Darktrace. Learn why a new approach to cyber security is essential to staying ahead of the game in today’s cyber arms race. Courtesy of Darktrace and Vimeo.)
This self-learning AI protects the cloud, SaaS, corporate networks, IoT and industrial systems against cyber-threats and vulnerabilities, from insider threats and ransomware, to stealthy and silent attacks.
The Background:
In recent years, Las Vegas has become the prototypical smart city.
As riders glide down the Strip aboard the first completely autonomous shuttle ever deployed on a public roadway, they are unlikely to notice much trash on the sidewalk — the city’s surveillance cameras stream to an AI service that directs clean-up crews toward concentrations of litter.
And when rush hour approaches, its passengers can rest assured that an array of connected sensors are helping officials anticipate gridlock at busy intersections.
But while smart infrastructure enables Las Vegas to achieve new heights of efficiency, conventional security tools are largely ill-equipped to defend the hybrid cloud and industrial networks that power this infrastructure.
These diverse environments are increasingly attracting sophisticated cyber-criminals, who seek to disrupt public services or exfiltrate sensitive data.
With one of the world’s most complex networks to defend, the forward-thinking City of Las Vegas recognized the need for equally innovative cyber defenses.
“Using artificial intelligence, Darktrace’s unique Enterprise Immune System detects email-borne threats, cloud attacks, and suspicious insider behaviors, without having to define the activity in advance,” commented Michael Sherwood, Director of Innovation and Technology for the City of Las Vegas.
The Challenge:
When undertaking its smart city initiatives, the City of Las Vegas aimed to embrace innovation without compromising the security of its 650,000 residents and 42 million annual tourists.
However, in light of the infamous 2015 cyber-attack that disrupted the Ukrainian power supply, local governments know that internet-connected infrastructure is vulnerable to similarly targeted online assaults, which continue to blur the line between digital and physical threats.
Today’s automated malware often strikes at machine speed, rendering city officials justifiably concerned that an attack — even one that breached just a single smart device — could move laterally to encrypt or hijack its entire network in minutes.
In addition to the external attacks confronting Las Vegas’ critical infrastructure, the city was also imperiled by insider threats to its private data and taxpayer information.
(Darktrace’s flagship cyber defense platform, focuses on ease-of use for newer security analysts while pushing the upper limits of AI for expert analysts. CISO’s will benefit from new reporting while the security community as a whole will benefit from sharing previously unknown threat finds through STIX and TAXII. Courtesy of Darktrace and Vimeo.)
Nearly three-quarters of global cyber security incidents are the product of either malicious or negligent employees, and with the city’s security team relying on legacy tools that provided no visibility into internal network traffic, it had no way to detect these threats.
Indeed, due to personnel limitations, the security team was ill-equipped to counter any kind of fast-acting cyber-attack in real time — before its damage was done.
Yet the greatest defensive challenge that Las Vegas faced was never-before-seen attacks, which cyber-criminals now launch on a daily basis.
Traditional security tools work by using fixed rules and signatures to predefine what a threat looks like, preventing them from spotting threats that look unlike anything seen before.
From spear phishing emails meant to deceive the city’s employees by posing as trusted contacts, to novel attacks that attempt to infiltrate via the city’s multi-cloud environment, Las Vegas sought a fundamentally different security tool capable of keeping pace with an ever-evolving threat landscape.
The Darktrace Solution:
The city’s search for such an adaptive security solution led it to deploy the Darktrace Enterprise Immune System across its enterprise, cloud, and industrial networks.
Powered by world-leading artificial intelligence, Darktrace immediately began to self-learn a unique ‘pattern of life’ for each Las Vegas employee and device.
Crucially, Darktrace AI does not predefine what constitutes a threat to the city; rather, it detects the subtle behavioral anomalies associated with any attack, whether known or unknown.
To fight back against automated attacks in real-time, the city also deployed Darktrace Antigena, the first cyber AI response tool that autonomously neutralizes threats by taking intelligent, surgical actions.
(Autonomous response is here. Learn about Darktrace Antigena, the digital antibody of the Enterprise Immune System, capable of fighting back against in-progress attacks. Courtesy of Darktrace and Vimeo.)
Antigena works by confining infected devices to their typical ‘pattern of life’ within two seconds, containing significant threats without disrupting core municipal operations.
These operations today rely heavily on Las Vegas’ multi-cloud architecture, which includes Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Office 365.
Whereas the conventional, stove-pipe approach to securing these services lacks vital context, Darktrace analyzes data flows from across the city’s entire digital infrastructure, enabling Antigena’s Cyber AI Response Modules to neutralize attacks wherever they originate.
“Darktrace represents a new frontier in AI-based cyber defense,” commented Sherwood.
“Our team now has complete, real-time coverage across our SaaS applications, cloud containers, and city-wide distributed sensors.”
(The City of Las Vegas oversees the private and sensitive data of its 600,000 residents as well as over 42 million tourists per year, making it a prime target for cyber-attackers of all types. With the threat landscape evolving at unprecedented speed, the City of Las Vegas needed a new approach to cyber security that would give total visibility into the network, as well as taking some of the burden off its lean security team. Michael Sherwood, CIO of City of Las Vegas, explains how implementing Darktrace’s Enterprise Immune System with its autonomous defense capability fundamentally transformed their cyber security posture. Courtesy of Darktrace and Vimeo.)
The Benefits:
Darktrace has already detected and responded to numerous attacks against the City of Las Vegas, including a targeted spear phishing campaign that bypassed the city’s native email controls.
The sophisticated attackers, who had obtained the city’s address book, were emailing recipients alphabetically, from “A” to “Z,” with ostensibly harmless emails that contained a malicious payload.
Despite the well-disguised nature of this attack, Antigena immediately flagged the domain linked in the emails as anomalous for Las Vegas’ employees, an action only possible with the evolving understanding of ‘self’ that Darktrace AI learns.
Interestingly enough, however, Antigena was deployed in ‘Passive Mode’ at the time, a circumstance that served to demonstrate its acumen for stopping attacks that conventional tools miss.
Whereas Darktrace detected the campaign at the letter “A,” the city’s array of legacy tools finally woke up to the threat at “R.” In ‘Active Mode’, Antigena would have neutralized the attack before it reached a single user.
Darktrace’s AI has fundamentally transformed the city’s defensive posture, affording its leaders the confidence to adopt smart technologies and cloud services alike.
“Darktrace Antigena is the only automated cyber defense technology on the market that is capable of fighting the most important battles for us,” commented Sherwood.
Darktrace Competes in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
As a 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program Competitor, Darktrace will be competing against the industry’s leading providers of Innovative Municipal, County Security Programs.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
Comprehensive List of Categories Include:
| Access Control/ Identification | Personal/Protective Equipment | Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism |
| Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System | Interagency Interdiction Operation | Cloud Computing/Storage Solution |
| Facial/IRIS Recognition | Body Worn Video Product | Cyber Security |
| Video Surveillance/VMS | Mobile Technology | Anti-Malware |
| Audio Analytics | Disaster Preparedness | ID Management |
| Thermal/Infrared Camera | Mass Notification System | Fire & Safety |
| Metal/Weapon Detection | Rescue Operations | Critical Infrastructure |
| License Plate Recognition | Detection Products | And Many Others! |
Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?
Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
Good luck to Darktrace on becoming a Winner of the 2019 American Security Today’s Homeland Security Awards Program!
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.
The 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program drew an overwhelming response from industry leaders with a record high number of corporate and government nominations received, as well as record breaking ‘ASTORS’ Presentation Luncheon Attendees, with top firms trying to register for the exclusive high – end luncheon and networking opportunity – right up to the event kickoff on Wednesday afternoon, at the ISC East registration!
Over 130 distinguished guests representing National, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
- Argonne National Laboratory
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Department of Justice
- The Security Exchange Commission Office of Personnel Management
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Viasat, Hanwha Techwin, Lenel, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Verint, Canon U.S.A., BriefCam, Pivot3, Milestone Systems, Allied Universal, Ameristar Perimeter Security and More!
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
The 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program was Proudly Sponsored by ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Desktop Alert, and Royal Holdings Technologies.
2018 Champions Edition
See the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Champions Edition – ‘Best Products of 2018 ‘ Year in Review’ for in-depth coverage of the outstanding products and services of firms receiving American Security Today’s 2018‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards.’
Nominations for the AST 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program will officially open as of January 1st, 2019 at americansecuritytoday.com.
Enter Early to Maximize Media Coverage of your Products and Services at Kickoff, and Get the Recognition Your Organization Deserves!
And be sure to Register Early for the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East 2019 to ensure your place at this limited- space event!
Why the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?
American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’
Why American Security Today?
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 70,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.
The old traditional security marketplace has been covered by a host of security publications that have changed little over many years.
American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that provides our readers with solutions to their challenges.
Our Editorial staff provides a full plate of topics for our AST monthly digital editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts.
The editorial calendar and AST’s high drawing website features 23 different Technology and Marketing Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities and Emergency Response among others.
These sectors are part of the new integration, where these major applications communicate with one another in a variety of solutions to protect our cities and critical infrastructure.
AST has Expanded readership into vital Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other Potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – enticing targets for extremist or lone wolf attacks due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
Darktrace’s Enterprise Immune System is relied upon by thousands of customers worldwide to detect and fight back against cyber-attacks in real time.
