Darktrace plans to expand its AI-powered security offerings to include attack prevention by the end of 2021, the company told VentureBeat. On Tuesday, executives from the company described plans for upcoming product updates that will expand the Darktrace portfolio to include proactive security AI capabilities, joining the company's detection and response technologies. The upcoming launch of "prevent" capabilities will extend Darktrace "into the offensive area for the first time ever," said Nicole Eagan, chief strategy officer and AI officer at Darktrace, while speaking at the virtual Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit -- Americas conference on Tuesday. In a statement provided to VentureBeat, Eagan said that "development of this breakthrough innovation known as our'prevent' capability is on track, and we expect this to be released to early adopters by the end of this calendar year." Founded in 2013, the Cambridge, U.K.-based firm went public in April and now has a market capitalization of $4.25 billion.

BlackBerry CTO Charles Eagan says no security passwords is the dream. This may sound strange coming from a technologist whose company has invested billions in security and recently opened a new lab and business unit focused solely on research and development in the cybersecurity space. But he makes a compelling argument. "Passwords are painful and not that effective, and multi-factor authentication just makes it more complicated to compromise," Eagan told SDxCentral. "People do things to avoid having to remember passwords, or they take shortcuts. Our real vision is: we want more security with less friction. We would love it if you never had to use a password, and you had more security at the same time."

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.

According to Nicole Eagan, CEO of software company Darktrace, only two out of every ten cybersecurity experts typically embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a key component of threat detection. The others, she explains, tend to be "totally resistant" or agree to "give [AI] a try" but don't put in the effort required to make the most of the tech post-purchase. Granted, information security professionals are known to be risk-averse, which has the flip side of sometimes making them resistant to try out new tech -- and for good reason: Protecting the company against risk is the number one job. Yet, theoretically, AI has the potential to more quickly identify a larger number of problems. Mike Small, senior analyst for research firm KuppingerCole, believes many actually do -- they just might not think of it as AI.

Darktrace has become a rarity in the British tech scene: a Unicorn. The cybersecurity company, which provides what it calls a network "immune system" powered by artificial intelligence, hit a $1.25 billion valuation last month, two sources close to the deal told Forbes. The new valuation came after a secondary round of financing in which former investors sold off their stakes. Vitruvian Partners, sources said, is the acquirer of the stock. How did Darktrace find itself at the vaunted Unicorn status?

In what could have been the plot of a Hollywood heist movie, the hackers took great interest in the vast aquarium that a Las Vegas casino had installed in its lobby. The casino's owners thought that the huge fish tank was an impressive sight that helped create a classy ambience as people arrived. What they failed to realise was that the aquarium was a easy way to break into the casino's computer system, and the hackers pounced. For while the casino had protected its IT network with the usual firewalls and anti-virus software, staff forgot that the futuristic fish tank was connected to its system so that the water temperature and quality could be automatically monitored. So criminals trying to get their hands on the bank details of the casino's wealthiest gamblers were able to hack into the network via the aquarium.

In what could have been the plot of a Hollywood heist movie, the hackers took great interest in the vast aquarium that a Las Vegas casino had installed in its lobby. The casino's owners thought that the huge fish tank was an impressive sight that helped create a classy ambience as people arrived. What they failed to realise was that the aquarium was a easy way to break into the casino's computer system, and the hackers pounced. For while the casino had protected its IT network with the usual firewalls and anti-virus software, staff forgot that the futuristic fish tank was connected to its system so that the water temperature and quality could be automatically monitored. So criminals trying to get their hands on the bank details of the casino's wealthiest gamblers were able to hack into the network via the aquarium.

Depending on who you listen to AI is either the future we should embrace or it's one to fear. But for those on the front lines of security, artificial intelligence could be a way to help humans fight back against security threats, hackers and eventually maybe even other machines. In a world where algorithms could soon be up against algorithms and machines against machines, Nicole Eagan, CEO of Darktrace, said it's important to understand the real threats posed, the human element needed and the importance of preparing today for tomorrow's attacks. "The good news, so far we haven't seen much AI machine learning. At this point it is mostly test cases that have been found and not successful, major attacks. But with tests taking place, it means machine or AI-based attacks have to be considered as a threat. At Structure Security 2017, Eagan said machine learning should be looked at similarly to the human immune system. "What if we have the AI emulate the human immune system," Eagan said. While we have skins that helps protect us, "when a virus gets inside, our immune systems creates a very rapid and precise response, exactly how we are using AI.