The war between cybersecurity professionals and hackers is a never-ending one.
It's just a matter of time before one surpasses the other, to then being surpassed.
This time, an advantage to security researchers, as Flexxon has developed a computer drive that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to block hackers from stealing its data.
Called the X-Phy Cyber Secure SSD (solid-state drive), the Singaporean tech company that creates memory storage products said that the product can also automatically wipe its stored information in under a second if it is physically tampered with.
Flexxon launched the X-Phy after receiving funding from the Singaporean government.
According to the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), a "handful of public agencies are interested in this solution" and evaluating the possibility of using this piece of technology.
According to Flexxon on its website:
"Other SSDs come with hardware data encryption, effective only when the data is at rest. Also, some SSDs offer firmware digital signature that is limited to industrial applications."
And here, X-Phy Cyber Secure SSD "helps with continued protection in the event that an antivirus software fails."
Besides in computers like PCs or laptops, this SSD can also be used in devices like printers, medical devices and photocopiers where it is not feasible to install an antivirus software.
Companies interested in X-Phy include local and overseas military and defense firms, as well as global firms in the medical, aviation, server and printing businesses, added Flexxon, declining to give further details.
Flexxon received funding after the company took part in the CSA's Cybersecurity Industry Call for Innovation programme in 2018.
At that time, the projects supported by the programme could receive up to $500,000.
With it, projects are hoped to be able to develop cutting-edge products that meet national cybersecurity and strategic needs, and also have potential commercial applications.
As for X-Phy's SSD, it works by identifying unusual patterns in the way its stored data is being accessed.
The AI the SSD uses, is called the 'AI One Core Quantum Engine'. According to the company, it has been trained on known ways used by various malware accesses data. And also because it uses AI, it can learn for new threats that are yet-to-be-discovered.
Flexxon's CEO Camellia Chan said that X-Phy can detect malware programs even if they "change their looks" as it is looking out for how they behave.
If the AI finds something suspicious, it will instruct the SSD to lock itself up to prevent further access, and alerts its user.
During this process, it requires authentication from its owner from a PIN, which is the same way one would access their profile on an online banking website. before any data can be accessed.
The lock can be unlocked when the threat is gone.
Flexxon said there the security hardware is needed, especially when threats like ransomware have become common.
The CSA received 61 reports of ransomware from January to October of 2020 alone, a number that is nearly 75% higher than the whole of 2019.
The biggest advantage of this hardware-type security system, is in the way it is embedded. Because the system is built into the hardware, it can respond to threats a lot faster than software.
Member of the Singaporean Parliament that is also the Minister-in-Charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan, called X-Phy a "breakthrough" at its launch event.
"You do need ways to be able to detect unauthorized or unusual patterns of behavior at a company level and at a government level," Balakrishnan added.
He urged companies "to take advantage of the national ecosystem to enhance our local research and development efforts in AI, make use of the funding and support provided by the government, and find real-life applications for your innovations".
"Let me also warn you that every discovery made here, the hackers will also discover, and this is therefore a never ending arms race.“
There are questions whether the AI can deal with logic tampering, a bypass, fileless malware, and so forth. Others asked whether X-Phy Cyber Secure SSD is just a remote wiping tool and a glorified disk reporting.
But regardless, according to Chan, Flexxon's technology shall not replace antivirus in any ways.
"You still need software to get rid of ransomware in a storage system," she said.
