Sugarland, Texas (April 1, 2021) – ThreatGEN, an OT cybersecurity firm, announced today the launch of their new Project Deus Ex Machina. Project Deus Ex Machina is on the bleeding edge of artificial intelligence (A.I.) enabled cybersecurity technology, and it is designed specifically to solve the continuing issues plaguing industrial cybersecurity. Particularly, in industrial control systems (ICS) and operations technology (OT). (In an effort for clarification, we attempted to find an exact definition for OT, but after multiple interviews with industry professionals, only the marketing teams could give anything resembling an actual explanation, and it still didn’t make any sense. So, we gave up.)
For decades now, the industrial sectors have been unable to successfully manage the growing cyber threat to industrial systems. Many of the roadblocks are due to the fact that these critical systems, often still running outdated legacy technology, are too fragile to deploy standard enterprise IT security solutions onto. In addition, corporate politics and conflicts between IT staff and operations staff add to slow cybersecurity adoption.
“No one really knows how industrial systems work, exactly. They just work. It’s like magic… and the engineers are like wizards. But that’s why they need cybersecurity. Flip one wrong switch and you can blow up an entire plant,” explained one cybersecurity consultant that we interviewed. While we were unable to find the equivalent of Gandalf in a hardhat, we were able to track down an automation engineer for a different perspective. “Computers are like any other machine. They’re either a benefit or a hazard. If they’re a benefit, it’s not my problem,” was the perspective offered by the engineer, and commonly shared throughout automation community. Unfortunately, we can’t exactly tell you what the engineer said when pressed about the topic of cybersecurity, because after removing the expletives, the narrative looked more like a redacted FBI report. But it was definitely a different perspective, and the words “safety” and “production” were used numerous times.
Spanning Skills Gap
Another glaring gap (and growing) in industrial cybersecurity is the lack of skilled cybersecurity professionals. Until college graduates start entering the workforce with at least 20 years of experience, it was clear to ThreatGEN that we needed to start tackling this problem in new ways.
“Buzzwords and fancy technology don’t solve cybersecurity. People solve cybersecurity. That’s why we need cutting edge, A.I. enabled, next gen, cybersecurity robots. Robots that can perform cybersecurity tasks such as pentesting and purple teaming,” said Clint Bodungen, ThreatGEN’s co-founder and CEO.
Pascal Ackerman, ThreatGEN’s director of threat services was also on hand for comment, but we couldn’t understand him. We are sure it was insightful, though.
Project Deus Ex Machina
And just like that, Project Deus Ex Machina was born. The project utilizes the latest advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, in an effort to create the world’s first robotic cybersecurity workforce. This workforce will fill the existing cybersecurity skills gap, relieving corporations from the burden of searching endlessly for qualified, experienced professionals, and saving college graduates from the false hopes and dreams of a career in cybersecurity, allowing them to pursue more achievable professions such as being a YouTuber, Life Coach, or game developer.
Project Deus Ex Machina originally began in the 1990’s under a different name (in cooperation with another tech firm, Cyberdyne Systems), but was shut down August 4, 1997 due to a problem with the self-awareness algorithms. Now, with all new A.I. technology, the project is back in full swing and set to launch this year with the help of the Tyrell Corporation. ThreatGEN predicts these humanoid robots could be fully integrated into society by the year 2035, and not just in cybersecurity, but in all aspects of public services to humanity.
“The level of technology we can now achieve is still hard for even me to believe. It seems more like something out of a science fiction novel. But this isn’t science, and it isn’t fiction. It’s technology, and reality. It’s a brave new world,“ said Matt Anderson, ThreatGEN’s chief operating officer.
More details will be released in the coming weeks as we get closer to the launch date of the first production units, the Nexus 6. In the meantime, enjoy the Project Deus Ex Machina documentary to learn more.
Happy April Fools’ Day!
Team ThreatGEN