Two D.C.-area startups, Virgil Security and Atomicorp, have teamed up to rejuvenate OSSEC, an open source hack detection system that acts as the underlying security foundation for several Fortune 500 companies like Netflix and Facebook.
In short, OSSEC acts as a silent alarm when hackers try to get to a company's data. The system allows companies to track what data hackers are looking for and who the hackers are — but OSSEC's underlying security is decades behind where it should be to better equip modern technology.
It’s no secret that large corporations are having cybersecurity issues as data breaches are becoming more common with the recent hack at Lord and Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue. According to a 2017 IBM report, data breaches cost companies an average of $3.62 million globally. With OSSEC's cryptology — the coding that keeps things secure — being so behind the times, it left many companies vulnerable to hacks and breaches.
Virgil Security and Atomicorp have combined their expertise to update OSSEC’s cryptology and prevent massive nationwide data hacks. OSSEC uses Virgil Security to protect the information via internet encryption and data validation, while Atomicorp protects companies' devices and other tools from illegal activity. Virgil Security co-founder says that Atomicorp is beefing OSSEC up with more robust features.
Atomicorp specializes in compliance and securing sensitive data on mission-critical systems. Founded in 2015, the company offers a suite of tools to help Fortune 500 companies achieve various compliance requirements by enhancing the OSSEC software they rely on. Atomicorp is used by a variety of both government and legacy systems. OSSEC uses Atomicorp's technology as a first line of defense.
Virgil Security focuses on using minimal lines of code to protect client apps and devices. The company's open-source encryption library helps provide customers with end-to-end encryption.
“Virgil Security helps companies make their applications and their data private,” said Dain. “We help them deploy highly secure ecosystems.”
Without OSSEC numerous companies would fall prey to hackers looking to collect consumer data. Virgil Security and Atomicorp have plugged the holes in the system to ensure consumers and companies are protected.
OSSEC uses volunteers like Atomicorp’s Scott Shinn and Virgil Security’s Dmitry Dain to perfect its system. The teams met during through Mach 37, a technology accelerator, in 2015.
"OSSEC is probably the most widely used HIDS systems in the world," Dain said. "It's an opened sourced project, so a lot of the larger enterprises feel comfortable deploying it inside of their ecosystems."
