Raytheon and Virsec Systems have joined forces to protect global government and critical infrastructure customers from advanced cyberattacks, using commercial cybersecurity tools that can detect and defend against processor-based exploits.
Raytheon will combine its cybersecurity defense expertise with Virsec’s Trusted Execution technology to detect deviations in software applications caused by cyber intrusions, the companies said. Trusted Execution is a commercially-available tool that protects against attacks that use advanced hacking techniques and memory exploits to bypass conventional network security tools, using a deterministic process to instantly detect deviations in software applications and protect memory and processes in real-time, Virsec said.
“It’s time to change the equation for security and deliver better protection for our most critical infrastructure,” Virsec CEO Atiq Raza said. “Our philosophy is simple – rather than eternally chasing elusive threats, we need to take the guess-work out of cybersecurity and stop attacks, at the application level, in real-time.”
Ray DeMeo, Virsec chief operating officer and co-founder, said he was excited to team with Raytheon’s world-class cybersecurity team.
“Raytheon’s strong reputation as a top global provider of cybersecurity solutions expertise will help us effectively deliver,” DeMeo said.
Virsec’s security platform will be included in Raytheon’s global cybersecurity offerings. Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business unit, which specializes in advanced cybersecurity solutions, recorded $6.19 billion in sales in 2016, the company said.
John DeSimone, vice president of cybersecurity and special missions at Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services, said governments should take advantage of commercial tools that can protect against the growing cyberthreat.
“Critical infrastructure – from the electrical grid to transportation – is under assault, and hackers are evading conventional security defenses,” DeSimone said.
Virsec’s technology can detect and stop advanced fileless attacks, such as WannaCry and NotPetya, by monitoring traffic between applications and process memory, Raza said. Virsec is in a unique position to spot and mitigate the risks from a new class of exploits, like Spectre and Meltdown, which attack critical vulnerabilities inherent in common processors.
“Cyberattacks are increasingly going below the radar of conventional security tools,” Raza said. “We’ve seen an epidemic of fileless and memory-based exploits because they are extremely effective against perimeter defenses.”