Sometimes the best way to protect data is to make it appear as vulnerable as possible.
Illusive networks, an Israeli cybersecurity firm launched just a few months ago, has captured the attention of investors and companies with its novel approach to protecting networks. An approach that illusive networks CEO Shlomo Touboul believes will leave hackers “caught with their pants down.”
The system relies on deceptions that are installed on “every endpoint, server and network component” of the customer’s network. These deceptions are triggered when a malicious hacker stumbles across or acts on them, which automatically launches a forensic application that produces a detailed report allowing the company to detect and contain the attack in its very easy stages.
What results from all of this, Touboul says, is a system that returns “almost no false positives.
“Today’s headlines confirm the need for a completely new approach to stopping cyber attackers,” Touboul said in a statement. “Illusive networks creates a hall of mirrors where attackers can no longer determine what’s real and what’s false.”
The “hall of mirrors” strategy is definitely attracting attention.
After launching with a $5 million Series A in June, the company announced today that it has just closed a $22 million Series B let by New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Bessemer Venture Partners, Marker LLC , Citi Ventures, and Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors also participated in the round.
Kittu Kolluri, a General Partner at NEA believes that illusive network’s unique approach will really take the industry by storm.
“Established security approaches, such as perimeter defense and old school honeypots, are failing to protect networks,” Kolluri said in a statement. “Illusive networks has a uniquely innovative vision, scalable architecture, and some of the best security DNA out there. We are thrilled to partner with the team to take deception-based technology to the next level.”