Company: Darktrace, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Entry Submitted By: Edelman
Company Description: Darktrace is one of the world’s fastest-growing cyber threat defense companies and the leader in Enterprise Immune System technology. Darktrace detects previously unknown threats in real time using advanced machine learning and mathematics developed at the University of Cambridge to analyze the behavior of every device, user and network within an organization.
Nomination Category: New Product & Service Categories - Software
Nomination Sub Category: New Product or Service of the Year - Software - International Data Protection Solution

Nomination Title: Darktrace: Closing the Gap Between Attack and Defense

Tell the story about this nominated product or service (up to 650 words). Describe its function, features, benefits, and performance to date: TEXT REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION

Darktrace's leading solution is the Enterprise Immune System (EIS), representing a new class of enterprise-wide cyber defense software that helps enterprises of any size and government bodies protect themselves against advanced attacks and data compromises from within the network. It is principally designed to counter the most serious and sophisticated forms of attacks, including Advanced Persistent Threats and insider threats.

The essential and unique function performed by EIS is to apply an intelligence-led filter to the noise of an organization's internal networks and systems, amplifying the sounds that need to be heard. Its ability to spot and correlate small indicators of change and compromise allow it to detect even extremely subtle and persistent threat actors, wherever they come from and whatever their intent.

The EIS:
• Automatically forms an understanding of normal behavior
• Begins analysis from first day of deployment
• Is self-learning
• Operates in real time
• Tracks evolving patterns of life
• Calculates probability of cyber compromise
• Builds an overview of entire network activity
• Enables stakeholders to make informed, calculated and strategic steps to defend data

In order to provide its unique inside view of an organization's entire network activity at the deepest level and automatically learn from all information that flows through the network, the EIS is powered by revolutionary Bayesian mathematics. Bayesian Estimation Theory – a mathematical approach rooted in Bayesian mathematics – was pioneered by Darktrace’s experts in order to protect critical information assets and intellectual property in an increasingly hostile global environment.

In so doing, the EIS is uniquely capable of identifying human and machine behaviors that represent threat with a high degree of accuracy — and without a deluge of false positives. Modelling patterns of life for each user and machine, it is the only software platform able to detect normal and abnormal behaviors as they emerge, without already knowing what it is looking for, and calculate the probability of threat based on the detection of behavioral anomalies. It also produces a visualization of the network, so stakeholders can see network activity in real-time. Consequently, the EIS is the only next-generation platform that gives the defender the power to observe and interrupt the cyber kill chain in real time.

Testaments to the EIS’ Success
To list only a few examples from the past year, the EIS has been deployed to protect the systems of BT (one of the world’s largest telecommunications company with operations in 170 countries), Virgin Trains (a leading U.K. train operator and part of the Virgin Group), which has called Darktrace’s solution a ‘game-changer,’ Drax (one of the largest European power generation and infrastructure companies), and several other firms ranging from global asset management firms to financial services leaders. To cite a specific successful implementation was when, within one week of the EIS’ deployment on the network of a large financial firm, it identified a previously unknown, illegal bitcoin operation being run out of the institution.

The EIS has been recognized as a finalist for several awards, including the 2014 Security Product of the Year awards hosted by the Computing Security Awards, and is currently a finalist at the 2015 Infosecurity Awards.

Developed by a Unique Team
Developed and managed by senior members of the U.K. government's cyber community, from GCHQ and other intelligence agencies, the EIS was built by world experts in signal processing and machine learning and intelligence gathering and analysis. The team has experience deploying some of the world's largest software systems, dealing with highly sensitive data while complying with changing standards.

Over the past decade, while working at intelligence agencies, the team focused on protecting critical information assets and intellectual property in an increasingly hostile global environment. Working at the forefront of national security, in organizations ranging from GCHQ to the NSA, Darktrace’s talent learned how to observe and monitor behaviors to determine what is normal and abnormal. By analyzing subtle information, they were able to make decisions about when to act on relevant threats.

In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) of the chief features and benefits of the nominated product or service (up to 150 words).

• The Darktrace Enterprise Immune System (EIS) is the first security product to apply the revolutionary Bayesian Estimation theory, developed at the University of Cambridge, to protecting critical information assets and intellectual property
• Despite being a relatively new product, the EIS has already been deployed to protect a plethora of high-level clients in industries ranging from telecommunications (BT) and transportation (Virgin Trains), to energy (Drax), financial services and asset management.
• The EIS is currently won the 2015 Infosecurity’s Global Excellence Awards
• The EIS has already been recognized as a finalist for several awards, including the 2014 Security Product of the Year awards hosted by the Computing Security Awards.
• The EIS was developed by several former NSA, GCHQ & MI5 senior officials.