Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    IBM Watson for Cyber Security Expands with Beta Launch

    Written by

    Sean Michael Kerner
    Published December 6, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      IBM is aiming to further advance its capabilities to help organizations fight cybercrime, with the launch of Watson for Cyber Security beta program, announced on December 6. With the beta program, IBM will have 40 organizations testing the Watson for Cyber Security system.

      
”Watson for Cyber Security is a cloud-based version of IBM’s Watson cognitive technology which is specifically designed for and trained on the language of cybersecurity,” Diana Kelley, Executive Security Advisor at IBM Security,” told eWEEK. “We’re creating a learned body of cybersecurity knowledge with Watson that can eventually be accessed by a number of technologies, via the cloud.”

      The Watson for Cyber Security effort was first revealed by IBM In May. The initial effort engaged with eight universities to help train Watson to patch, eliminate and monitor cyber security weaknesses. Kelley explained that the May announcement was all about training Watson for use in cybersecurity.

      The first stage of training Watson involved developing an understanding on the language of cybersecurity. For example, Kelley noted that in cybersecurity a ‘honeypot’ is a decoy server, not something that Winnie the Pooh is chasing after. She added that what makes Watson unique is its ability to digest and understand both structured and unstructured (natural language) documents. But first, Watson needs to be trained to understand the nuances of this data and language usage specifically for the security industry.

      “The training involved feeding Watson thousands of security related documents and manually coding them so that Watson could learn to understand different parts of cybersecurity vocabulary and how they related to one another,” Kelley said. “Our end goal is to have Watson learn to understand these documents on its own, allowing the system to stay current with all the data emerging daily on cybersecurity threats.”

      After months of training, Kelley said that Watson is ready to start testing its skills in real world security environments and across different industries—so it’s like Watson is moving from ‘schooling’ to ‘internship’ in cybersecurity.

      “With the beta, we’re testing and refining various use-cases, including threat intelligence analysis and behavioral analysis, for how Watson can help security analysts respond to threats more efficiently,” Kelley said.

      Among the organizations testing Watson for Cyber Security in the beta program are Sun Life Financial, University of Rochester Medical Center, Avnet, SCANA Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, California Polytechnic State University, University of New Brunswick and Smarttech. Kelley commented that after IBM’s initial announcement around Watson for Cyber Security in May, there was a significant amount of interest from organizations looking to get involved and learn more about the technology.

      “It was important to us to select beta users from a variety of different industries and with different levels of security operations, so that Watson could learn to operate in many types of environments,” Kelley said. “We also ensured the beta users had the right resources to provide us with timely and relevant feedback on Watson, to help us improve the technology.”

      From a product perspective, IBM Watson for Cyber Security is a technology that can be integrated or embedded into many different products within an organization’s security environment. Kelley commented that Watson for Cyber Security is not going to replace existing technologies, but rather enhance them by providing additional context based on its Watson’s cognitive, machine learning, and natural language capabilities.

      Looking forward, Kelley said that IBM and its partners will continue to build IBM’s knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity while testing and refining new use-cases for Watson that can be used in the real world.

      “We’re pleased to have reached our initial goal of testing Watson for Cyber Security with clients in beta by the end of this year, and we hope to make this technology more broadly available in coming months,” she said.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and writer for several leading IT business web sites.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.