Cyberagents on Patrol
If Steven Goldsmith of Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque gets his way, one day every computer on the Internet will be part of a massive, cooperative security force. At the heart of the system are intelligent agents-artificial intelligence programs that interact with their environments. The agents watch the network, looking for irregularities such as those produced by intruders gently probing security defenses over a long period of time. Upon detecting abnormal activity, the agents can swing into action by closing data ports, rejecting viruses or cutting a computer commandeered by a malicious insider off from the network.
The strength of the strategy is that it is distributed, requiring no specialized security computers-machines that become favorite targets for attack. In addition, the agents can share information and form a consensus about the nature of an irregularity. The Linux-based system will be ready for use in government and businesses next year, with consumer versions available in three years.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

The dark secret behind those cute AI-generated animal images
Google Brain has revealed its own image-making AI, called Imagen. But don't expect to see anything that isn't wholesome.

Inside Charm Industrial’s big bet on corn stalks for carbon removal
The startup used plant matter and bio-oil to sequester thousands of tons of carbon. The question now is how reliable, scalable, and economical this approach will prove.

The hype around DeepMind’s new AI model misses what’s actually cool about it
Some worry that the chatter about these tools is doing the whole field a disservice.

How Charm Industrial hopes to use crops to cut steel emissions
The startup believes its bio-oil, once converted into syngas, could help clean up the dirtiest industrial sector.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.