When it comes to innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, DeepMind is the de facto industry leader. It is they who developed an AI system that defeated Lee Sedol in the game of Go back in March 2016. In the world of cyber security, there is one startup that wants to be the DeepMind of the sector, and that is Deep Instinct. Deep Instinct, an Israeli based startup is the first cyber security company to base its entire platform on deep learning technology. And we concur, they are the first but definitely not the last. We’ll see more startups like them in 2017.

With some many acronyms and meanings flying around in the AI community, what exactly is the difference between machine learning and deep learning? Machine learning is the poor man’s version of AI, which uses “statistical (or mathematical) techniques to construct a model from observed data” and can be as simple as “linear regression”. On the other hand, Deep Learning is the C-3PO of AI, which means it basically has a mind of its own. The Deep Instinct platform is able to detect 99.2% of malware based on recent benchmark test. Started in 2014, Deep Instinct recently launched a commercial product. We’ll keep a close eye on them.

Background

• Company: Deep Instinct
• Founded: 2014
• # of Employees: 65
• HQ: Tel Aviv
• Raised: Private
• VCs: Cushman & Wakefield, plus others
• Executives: Guy Caspi (CEO) and Dr. Eli David (CTO)
• Product: Endpoint APT Detection and Prevention

Product Features

• Real-Time detection and prevention of zero day threats and APT attacks for mobile and endpoints
• Core technology is based on deep learning algorithms and technology, as opposed to reactive sandboxing and machine learning technology
• D-Brain: Core component of the deep learning system, hosted at company HQ, which provides real-time threat intelligence
• D-Appliance: Visualization and management tool for configuring security policies and monitoring
• D-Client: Lightweight client-side agent that scans mobile devices and interacts with home-base