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Sophos Unveils 4 New Open Artificial Intelligence Developments
Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has announced four new open Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments to help broaden and sharpen the industry’s defenses against cyberattacks, including datasets, tools and methodologies designed to advance industry collaboration and cumulative innovation.
This move accelerates a key Sophos objective to open its data science breakthroughs and make the use of AI in cybersecurity more transparent, all with the aim of better protecting organizations against all forms of cybercrime.
While it is common practice to share AI methodologies and findings in other industries, cybersecurity has lagged in this effort, creating a noisy understanding of how AI truly provides protection against cyberthreats.
Sophos and its team of SophosAI data scientists are catalyzing this change toward openness, so that IT managers, security analysts, CFOs, CEOs, and others making security buying or management decisions, can discuss and assess AI benefits from a level and well-informed playing field.
Joe Levy, chief technology officer, Sophos, said “With SophosAI’s new initiative to open its research, we can help influence how AI is positioned and discussed in cybersecurity moving forward.
“Today’s cacophony of opaque or guarded claims about the capabilities or efficacy of AI in solutions makes it difficult to impossible for buyers to understand or validate these claims.
“This leads to buyer skepticism, creating headwinds to future progress at the very moment we’re starting to see great breakthroughs.
“Correcting this through external mechanisms like standards or regulation won’t happen quickly enough. Instead, it requires a grassroots effort and self-policing within our community to produce a set of practices and language that will advance the industry in a disruptive, open and transparent manner.”
It is difficult to overstate the criticality of this shift given the immense potential of how AI can benefit cybersecurity. Sophos evidence shows that defenders are increasingly facing human adversaries who are constantly upping their game, launching highly contextualized Business Email Compromise (BEC) forgery campaigns or relentlessly developing new ransomware attacks.
Scalable and effective defenses against these and most other types of cyberattacks require assistance from AI. Openness and peer review among those applying AI to address these security threats stimulate innovation and discoveries, driving the entire industry forward.
Sophos is providing datasets, tools and methodologies in four important areas:
SOREL-20M Dataset for Accelerating Malware Detection Research
SOREL-20M, a joint project between SophosAI and ReversingLabs, is a production-scale dataset containing metadata, labels and features for 20 million Windows Portable Executable files (PE).
It includes 10 million disarmed malware samples available for download for the purpose of research on feature extraction to accelerate industry-wide improvements in security.
This dataset is the first production scale malware research dataset available to the general public, with a curated and labelled set of samples and security-relevant metadata.
AI-powered Impersonation Protection Method
SophosAI’s Impersonation Protection is designed to protect against email spearphishing attacks, where influential people are impersonated to trick recipients into taking some harmful action for the benefit of the attacker.
This new protection compares the display name of inbound emails against high level executive titles – those most likely to be spoofed in a spearphishing attack, such as a CEO, CFO or president – that are unique to specific organizations and flags these messages when they appear suspicious.
Sophos has trained the AI working behind the scenes on a large sample set of millions of known attack emails. SophosAI has opened up this innovative new protection method, which it has also discussed publicly at Defcon 28 and in an Arxiv paper.
Digital Epidemiology to Determine Undetected Malware
SophosAI has also built a set of epidemiology-inspired statistical models for estimating the prevalence of malware infections in total, which enables Sophos to estimate – and in turn enabling a better chance to find – the needles in a PE file haystack.
SophosAI has pioneered and made publicly available this method that helps to determine malicious “dark matter,” malware that might be missed or wrongly classified, and “future malware” that is in development by attackers.
The model is designed to be extensible to other classes of files and information system artifacts and is also discussed in the Sophos 2021 Threat Report.
YaraML Automatic Signature Generation Tools
Signature generation for the detection of malware families is a laborious, manual process. Over the years, researchers have proposed a variety of automatic signature generation methods, most of which have not found adoption because they underperform manual methods.
SophosAI has developed a new method for automatic signature generation, called YaraML, that’s significantly different from previous options by taking an AI based approach to the problem. SophosAI directly “compiles” full-fledged, industrial strength machine learning models, the kinds used in commercial security products, into signature languages, essentially allowing AI to “write” the signatures.
This proves to be far more effective than previous approaches and represents a breakthrough for the security community. SophosAI has open-sourced YaraML.
These four advancements are the latest from SophosAI, which works creatively like a start-up incubator, but with the intellectual resources of a near billion-dollar global company, including SophosLabs, Sophos Managed Threat Response and hundreds of thousands of customers.
Another advantage is that SophosAI can add new technology directly into shipping products. This model allows Sophos to react quickly to market needs, predict where the industry must head and advance openness for greater cybersecurity industry collaboration and innovation, all of which is essential when developing defenses against fast-moving adversaries.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has emphasized the judiciary’s crucial role in Nigeria’s digital transformation. During the Annual Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications, Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida highlighted the judiciary’s reliance on digital tools to enhance justice delivery.
He stressed the need for special protections for telecommunication infrastructure, which faces disruptions from vandalism, theft, and restricted access.
Maida called for judicial support to implement the Presidential Order designating telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure.
This order prohibits unauthorized actions against such infrastructure without a lawful court order.
The judiciary’s role in protecting fundamental rights, enforcing digital contracts, and developing digital jurisprudence is vital for Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, commended the NCC’s efforts to protect consumers from unfair practices and emphasized the judiciary’s commitment to the telecommunications sector.
She highlighted concerns such as cybersecurity risks, consumer data protection, and the need for improved dispute resolution frameworks within the digital economy.
The workshop aims to equip judicial officers with the technical expertise required to address emerging legal challenges in telecommunications.
Nigeria’s digital economy has significant growth potential, with projected revenues of $18.30 billion by 2026, expected to create employment opportunities, reduce poverty, and promote innovation.
The NCC is working with key stakeholders to ensure the seamless implementation of the Presidential Order and to keep Nigeria competitive in the global digital economy.
15Wins Ventures, a Dutch-based venture builder, officially launched Z-Habitat Hub in Lagos on Thursday, October 24, 2024, marking a new chapter in the company’s efforts to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
L-R : Nelson Tosin Ajulo, Chief Executive Officer, 15Wins Ventures; Michel Deelen, The Netherlands Consul General in Lagos; Valkamiya Ahmadu, Senior Policy Advisor on Economic & Political Affairs Netherlands Embassy, Abuja; Sonia Onovughakpo Fajusigbe, Policy Advisor on Entrepreneurship, Youth Employment & Health Care, Consulate General of the Netherlands in Lagos; Bengt van Loosdrecht, Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria, during the grand unveiling of the Z-Habitat Hub, Nigeria’s most advanced incubation hub at Ago Palace, Lagos on October 24, 2024.
The launch was attended by key dignitaries, including The Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Bengt van Loosdrecht; The Netherlands Consul General in Lagos, His Excellency Michel Deelen; Sonia Onovughakpo Fajusigbe, Policy Advisor on Entrepreneurship, Youth Employment & Health Care, Consulate General of the Netherlands in Lagos; Valkamiya Ahmadu, Senior Policy Advisor on Economic & Political Affairs (Abuja); and Adebola Adebowale, Chief Program Analyst for Lagos State.
Commenting on the significance of Z-Habitat in driving innovation and creating equitable opportunities for underserved communities, His Excellency Bengt van Loosdrecht said, “We see Z-Habitat Hub as a powerful connection point – a place where ideas can take root and thrive through collaboration.
“Many people in the west do not realize that Nigeria is a country on the brink of transformation.
“The domestic private sector, driven by young, well-educated individuals, is flourishing. This is a dynamic I have seen in other rapidly developing regions, and I believe Nigeria’s youth are on the cusp of an exciting future.’’
His remarks preceded the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which officially opened the hub’s doors to the Nigerian innovation ecosystem.
The Z-Habitat Hub will host various programs, including workshops, mentorship sessions, and networking events, all aimed at empowering Lagos’s startup ecosystem.
The hub’s mission aligns with 15Wins Ventures’ goal to build a sustainable foundation for African tech development, bridging resources from its base in the Netherlands to local talent in West Africa.
Reflecting on the vision behind Z-Habitat, Nelson T. Ajulo, Chief Executive Officer of 15Wins Ventures, highlighted the hub’s role as a transformative force within Lagos startup ecosystem.
“Z-Habitat is a place where technology, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit come together.
“Our mission is to provide local entrepreneurs and creatives with the resources, mentorship, and networks they need to turn their ideas into impactful solutions,” he said.
“Through Zarttalent, we have trained nearly 500 students and provided scholarships to underserved women. Now, with Z-Habitat, we are expanding our commitment to empowering Nigeria’s youth and broader community.’’
Guests were welcomed with a guided tour of the facility, led by Nelson, offering a firsthand look at the state-of-the-art workspaces.
The event also featured an energetic performance by local drummers and a showcase of creative expressions by local artists.
The launch of Z-Habitat underscores 15Wins Ventures’ commitment to fostering homegrown innovation and providing a structured, supportive environment for Nigerian entrepreneurs.
As Lagos startup landscape continues to thrive, Z-Habitat is poised to play a critical role in helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into impactful solutions that drive long-term growth.
Treepz, Africa’s leading corporate mobility startup, has been awarded the Best Startup Pitch in Africa at the 15th Annual African Union Private Sector High-Level Conference, held in Lusaka, Zambia on October 31st – November 2nd, 2024.
Amidst the line-up of startups that pitched at the conference, this award, organized by the Global Innovative Initiative Group (GIIG), was presented to Treepz in recognition of its innovative contributions and significant impact on transforming the mobility landscape across Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya.
In addition to winning the Best Startup Pitch in Africa award, Treepz was recognized across the continent and was awarded $5000 and $3,500 from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Google, respectively.
Commenting on the award, Onyeka Akumah, Founder and CEO of Treepz, stated, “We are honoured to have received several recognitions on the continent, including the Best Startup Pitch in Africa, for our work in the mobility sector across four countries”.
“We are also grateful to Jo Griffiths, Founder of GIIG for the extended invitation to pitch at the prestigious African Union private sector conference.
“The invitation speaks to our footprints in Africa and how we have consistently delivered exceptional mobility services to our customers, both home and beyond”, Onyeka added.
Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIGvelopment and People at Treepz delivered the pitch and received the award on behalf of the startup.
She expressed her excitement, noting that Treepz is well-positioned to significantly empower millions of daily commuters through the advancement of shared mobility across Afric) is a venture capital investment firm committed to enabling African tech entrepreneurs to thrive in businesses that pioneer innovative global solutions that meet the most pressing challenges of the time.
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