The Future of Cybersecurity is A.I. vs. A.I.

Nicole Eagan believes a robot uprising draws nigh. As the chief executive of Darktrace, a cybersecurity "unicorn," or private firm valued at more than $1 billion, Eagan helps companies spot intruders in corporate networks, quarantine them, and defend data. The British firm's technology uses machine learning techniques to gain an understanding of the internal state of customers' networks and then watches for telltale deviations from the norm that may indicate foul play. While Darktrace uses A.I. techniques for defense, the company anticipates that thieves and spies will soon catch up. "I expect that we're going to see artificial intelligence used by the attackers," says Eagan, noting that there already have been "early glimpses" of that future coming to pass.