CyberFlow Analytics, a San Diego network security startup officially incorporated just four months ago, said it already has landed a $2 million investment and strategic alliance with Toshiba America Electronic Components.
CyberFlow said it plans to use the funding to commercialize its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) security technology, which is intended to protect the proprietary and confidential information of its customers from online industrial espionage. In a statement yesterday, the company said it considers the Toshiba investment, along with $600,000 previously raised from angel investors, as the anchor in a $4 million seed round that should be completed by November.
CyberFlow said its technology uses Web-based analytic software and machine learning technology for “smart” packet inspection. The company’s approach is fundamentally different from conventional anti-virus software, which compares programs coming into a network against a database of known malware. CyberFlow also avoids another common approach, which involves installing software “security agents” on desktop computers, smartphones, and other user devices to guard against network intrusions.
By using big data analytics and machine learning to monitor IP packets flowing in and out of a network, CyberFlow President Tom Caldwell said CyberFlow Analytics establishes a base line of normal behavior for devices on the network—and then watches for deviations from the norm. As Caldwell puts it, “We’re looking at the right packet at right time for the right result.”
CyberFlow said its technology provides companies with an early warning system for cyber attacks, before Internet intruders can
