Virtual Hacker to Defend Banks from Cyber Attacks

Security Operations Centers (SOC) at financial and banking institutes are overwhelmed with the number of alerts that require their attention. These institutes are constantly situated at High Risk of being targeted by cyber-attackers due to the rewarding benefit of a successful breach into financial information and monetary systems. The New York State Department of Financial Services published a report regarding Cyber Security in the Banking Sector and stated that “Cyber-attacks against banks are becoming more frequent, more sophisticated, and more widespread.”

The “jewel crowns” targeted by hackers, who attack banking institutes are SWIFT and ATM systems, which despite the efforts taken into protecting them, are potentially accessible to professional hackers due the overall existing breaches in banking and financial institutes network’s environments.

Cronus Cyber Technologies is the first software vendor to announce issuing a virtual hacker system (CyBot Suite) that imitates the way hackers are thinking and operating, and is designed to work similarly to the manner in which skilled hackers penetrate sophisticated and heavily protected network’s systems.

The CyBot studies a network, maps it, and builds a set of penetration attacks based on hackers’ methodology and preference hierarchy system. Afterwards, the CyBot launches the attacks on the network, adapting its routes and breach vectors based on Cronus’s patented Advance Persistent Threat Scale, and finds critical attack scenarios that may lead to SWIFT and ATM system components. Those attack vectors are presented to the CISO, prioritized by Cronus’s potential risk factor scale, and recommends on possible mitigation plans.

CyBot Suite technologies are based on a ground-breaking and thorough research performed by Cronus’s matter experts on the subject of predicting the modus operandi of hackers that include both technical- and psychological-based decision making. The research findings have led to developing a software system that works as an army of virtual hackers, adapting to any complex network environment in an effort to identify the most dangerous cyber security threats leading to the most critical assets of organizations.

CyBot is installed in several leading banks in Israel, including the First International Bank of Israel (FIBI), which enabled Cronus to gain essential insights for financial institutions and several banks in Europe. Cronus won a grant from the Chief Scientist Office based on technological merit and a seal of excellence from the European Union Chief Scientist. The US office of Cronus was established in 2016 and it will attend the RSA convention in San Francisco.