Most programs that detect and neutralize malware are based on a set of rules. These rules have to be constantly updated to keep up with ever-evolving threats. Moreover, most of the security technologies available on the market provide only a partial solution – for example, they prevent devices hacking, but not the attacks on databases. GreyCortex, a Czech company specializing in network security, has created an alternative solution. Their product Mendel is a comprehensive A.I.-based platform that monitors the entire enterprise infrastructure and all of its network traffic.
“Mendel is the only solution to offer deep, full-network visibility combined with predictive behavioral analysis capable of differentiating between human and machine interaction within the network,” said Gordon Daniell from GreyCortex. “To put this in perspective, malware, viruses or other threats can infect a network and lie in wait without doing damage, often for a long time. Mendel can identify their presence in the network because they act differently from humans. This means we can find threats to the network that are missed with other network security solutions.”
The main technologies that GreyCortex uses are A.I., data mining, and machine learning. Their two products, Mendel Analyst and Mendel Observer, gather all necessary data to describe the behavior of the network, as well as of all of the subnetworks, hosts, and services. This data allows them to create a behavioral model. The model is constantly improved as both the network traffic and threats evolve. Mendel categorizes all security incidents and provides reports that can be analyzed by IT teams.
Mendel Analyst collects up to ten times more information on network traffic than protocols like NetFlow. Thanks to the comprehensiveness of their analysis, the GreyCortex tools identify threats that are otherwise missed. Until today, Mendel has discovered 250 highly advanced threats, which, if not neutralized, could have caused significant damage to the company or to national security.
The CEO of GreyCortex, Petr Chaloupka, is an expert in Business Operations management and the former CEO of a cyber security company Comguard. Petr Chmelar, the CTO, has over 10 years of experience in advanced data mining, machine learning, and artificial intelligence methods including two successes in US-based NIST Challenges. The third co-founder and CPO, Michal Drozd, is a sales specialist with nine years of research experience in advanced malware behavior.
In June 2016, Y-Soft Ventures backed GreyCortex with $1.3 mln for further development. Since then, the team continuously works on improving their product, especially in the Industry 4.0 field. Mendel’s future capabilities will include security monitoring of industrial control systems, automated analysis of business intelligence data and general behavior prediction, such as predicting machine or process failures.
