Darktrace introduces AI solution to pre-empt cyber attacks on critical infrastructure
Above:
Poppy Gustafsson OBE, CEO, Darktrace.
Courtesy Darktrace
This unique approach uses AI to 'think like an attacker' to visualise pathways within information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) that lead to critical infrastructure assets, empowering defenders to harden environments and stay steps ahead of the adversary.
PREVENT/OT is part of the Darktrace/OT product family, protecting complex industrial environments against known and unknown attacks, using self-learning AI to discover and identify assets and detect subtle deviations that point to a cyber-threat. First launched in 2015, Darktrace/OT DETECT and RESPOND are currently used by hundreds of critical infrastructure companies in utilities including electric, water, oil & gas, maritime and transportation.
Jeffrey Macre, Industrial Security Solutions Architect at Darktrace, said: "In one of our early adopters Darktrace AI found a complete viable attack path from a public email account to a deeply protected and active production PLC (Programmable Logic Controller): a vital component of all Industrial Control Systems. The organisation was not aware this long, but complete path spanning both IT and OT systems existed.
"Some steps were not simple to exploit but fundamentally a committed attacker could have followed this path and could have manipulated the controller logic, sound alarms, or even worse start and stop processes impacting the operation of the entire facility.”
“We are incredibly proud to support the many critical infrastructure organisations that we do today and are excited to deliver this new capability to prevent the worst-case attacks before they can happen. We are seeing great interest from customers in these capabilities."
The company signed several new deals with critical infrastructure organisations across the globe in the last three months including new customers, renewals and expanded contracts within the critical infrastructure industry.
Darktrace already defends customers across all 16 critical infrastructure sectors designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the US. The deals underscore a paradigm shift occurring around the globe that sees governments putting in place new mandates and rules requiring more robust cyber protections in critical industries, including healthcare, financial services, energy and chemicals.
Poppy Gustafsson (above), CEO, Darktrace, said: “We are thrilled to have closed our largest deal to date with a major critical infrastructure organisation.
“Critical infrastructure is a top target for the world’s most sophisticated and well-resourced cyber-attackers. Now with our PREVENT/OT product, defenders can prioritise and test the routes adversaries might take to get to the ‘crown jewels’. Crucially, we can then harden defences against that attack in advance of the worst happening.
"That is truly game changing in the ongoing battle for control of the world’s critical infrastructure and I am delighted that Darktrace has continued to evolve its product family to address this global challenge."
