Intelligent CISO Issue 37 | Page 51

COVER STORY nd-user

DARKTRACE TRANSFORMS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION ’ S CYBERSECURITY POSTURE

Computer-speed attacks like ransomware are launched at educational institutions on a regular basis and the sector is having to find ways to tackle them and fight back at the same speed . Richard Jenkins , Global Head of Security & Risk , International Baccalaureate , tells us how Darktrace Antigena has dramatically improved the institution ’ s cybersecurity posture and helped it to achieve unprecedented network visibility . he International

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Baccalaureate , known as the IB , is a globally renowned educational foundation headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland . It offers four educational programmes catered to students aged three to 19 , all of which emphasise independent and critical thinking throughout their curricula . Today , these programmes are taught by over 5,000 IB-accredited schools in more than 150 countries worldwide . With both the data of its students and its own reputation on the line , the IB sought an adaptive security solution that can keep pace with automated and fast-acting cyberthreats .
“ Darktrace ’ s approach immediately set itself apart from the competition . From a cyberdefence perspective , unless we leverage Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence , we ’ re going to be on the backfoot ,” said Richard Jenkins , Global Head of Security & Risk , International Baccalaureate .
Challenge
Educational institutions like the International Baccalaureate collect and store vast quantities of sensitive personal information , attracting some of the world ’ s most sophisticated criminals . Yet these institutions often lack the robust cyberdefences that protect similarly data-rich firms in the private sector . And while organisations of all kinds struggle to keep pace with today ’ s increasingly fast-acting cyberattacks – which often move too quickly for incident responders to contain – the strained security teams that are characteristic of non-profits render them particularly vulnerable to these attacks .
Beyond the challenges posed by machine-speed cyberthreats , the IB was also limited in its ability to counter attacks from both innovative cybercriminals and insider threats . The traditional approach to cybersecurity , which relies on rules and signatures to prevent known attacks from bypassing the network perimeter , will fail to detect attacks that look unlike anything observed previously , even as threat actors continue to launch novel threats on a daily basis . Additionally , insider threats originate from within the perimeter , necessitating an entirely different security approach capable of detecting attacks carried out by authorised network users .
Finally , the IB did not believe its conventional security tools were sufficient to comply with the increasing regulatory requirements on data processing , most notably the EU ’ s General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ). GDPR requires organisations
Richard Jenkins , Global Head of Security & Risk , International Baccalaureate to notify both supervisory authorities and their clients of a data breach within 72 hours , under the penalty of multimillion euro fines . For international non-profits with finite security resources , responding to fast-acting threats before they have time to escalate into a breach is an especially daunting challenge .
Solution
Following the completion of a successful Proof of Value ( POV ), the International Baccalaureate deployed Darktrace ’ s Enterprise Immune System , including its cyber AI response solution , Darktrace Antigena . Powered by Artificial Intelligence , the Enterprise Immune System immediately began learning the normal ‘ pattern of life ’ for every user and device at the IB . Crucially , this AI-driven approach enables Darktrace to detect subtle deviations from normal behaviour that are indicative of a sophisticated , never-before-seen attack . www . intelligentciso . com
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