COMMENT

TODAY’ S MALWARE CAN DISGUISE ITSELF, HIDE INSIDE ENCRYPTION, MUTATE, DISABLE DEFENCE AND MONITORING MECHANISMS, AND BOMBARD SYSTEMS WITH SUCH VOLUME AND FEROCITY THAT THEY FAIL

That’ s because not only are there hundreds of different cold viruses attacking our bodies, but they also are constantly mutating into different ones, so our immune system doesn’ t have the antibodies to recognise and defend against whatever new viral strain is making its rounds this winter. Does that sound familiar?

Unfortunately, this“ virus” metaphor for cyber security threats continues to demonstrate that it’ s exactly the right comparison, particularly as evolving and increasingly sophisticated threats take inspiration from nature to bypass today’ s most advanced cyber security technologies.

Like real viruses, today’ s malware can disguise itself, hide inside encryption, mutate, disable defence and monitoring mechanisms, and bombard systems with such volume and ferocity that they fail.

But there is a solution.

If malicious hackers are inspired by nature, then perhaps our cyber security solutions should be as well. And if viruses are our enemy, then the human immune system should give us a powerful model to address today’ s cyber threat environment.

But we don’ t want to wait for our networks and systems to fall sick before we find a solution. There is too much at stake – both in terms of budget and reputation – to lag behind the threats we face. After all, threats today have long ago blown past any notion that we can be safe by building walls or moats around our assets and infrastructure.

We must be one step ahead. We must deploy robust, agile and evolving immune systems to keep our networks

STEPHEN BRENNAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF CYBER NETWORK DEFENCE

and other assets safe, by employing cyber security products and services such as advanced managed security services that include threat information feeds, both off-the-shelf and bespoke network and endpoint security solutions, and other specialised cyber security services that can recognise potential threats before and while they are happening.

But we must do even more. Our immune system is constantly and proactively scanning the body for anything foreign that doesn’ t belong and so could pose a threat. Then it takes immediate action to eliminate that threat. That, fundamentally, is what“ threat hunting” does in cyber security.

The immune system monitors the gateways – think skin, mouth, nose and eyes – but also the internal systems and organs. Generally, it understands what’ s foreign to the body and what’ s not. It also keeps a registry of every harmful virus and bacteria that it has previously encountered and looks out for these.

This“ registry” is comprised of antibodies previously developed in response to a specific virus or bacterial threat. If that virus enters the body again, the immune system recognises it as foreign and harmful and immediately attacks it before it can replicate and make us ill. Where this breaks down is when

24 INTELLIGENTCIO www. intelligentcio. com