Cyber Innovation Series 2022/23: ANTHEM

The ANTHEM team will be attending our sixth annual CyberASAP Demo Day on 22 February, where they’ll be presenting their pitch and demonstrating their Proof of Concept, alongside 14 other finalists.

Register here.

About ANTHEM

Nearly half of UK smart manufacturers have been targeted by cyber threats, and the cost of security investment in anticipation of cyber threats will reach $100 billion by 2030. Attacks are increasing and diversifying thanks to rapid asset digitisation, but security analysts are still relying on manual processes to investigate and devise attack scenarios (known as threat modelling).

Manual threat modelling processes are slow, taking 56 days on average – and up to 700 days in 12% of cases – to identify exploited vulnerabilities. Not only does it take time, but the mitigation actions generated are usually generic and difficult to put into context for individual companies.

Current security frameworks are unable to provide mitigation plans tailored to specific environments, and there are increased challenges to prioritise frequently-susceptible assets. There are solutions on the market, but they rely on manual, Visio-like diagrams. In addition, the prioritisation of security controls is general and not customised to the needs of the client.

ANTHEM is the only AI solution that rapidly and autonomously generates attack graphs for threat modelling. It utilises an innovative technology to prioritise mitigation actions quicker and cheaper than any of its rivals.

It stands apart from the competition in four key ways:

1. AI-driven automation of attack path generation
2. Rapid threat identification based on threat scenarios and risk profiles
3. Real-time and adaptive overlay of attack paths for threat assessment
4. Reduced cost of security investment by automated risk-led mitigation actions

ANTHEM adapts to environmental changes in an iterative and autonomous way, in order to identify paths that an attacker may take to reach a critical asset, by combining threat scenarios and risk profiles. It prioritises threats based on their criticality and likelihood, as well as mitigation controls within acceptable time frames.

The long-term goal is to generate a complete threat modelling suite based on AI that dramatically reduces execution time and optimises mitigation plans for different environments.

Meet the ANTHEM team

The team comes from Loughborough University and the University of Warwick and consists of:

• Dr. Kostas Kyriakopoulos – Senior Lecturer in Digital Communications at Loughborough University
• Dr. Gregory Epiphaniou – Associate Professor of Security Engineering at University of Warwick
• Dr. Iain Phillips – Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Loughborough University
• Prof. Carsten Maple – Professor of Cyber Systems Engineering at University of Warwick

Their aim is to support UK-based manufacturers and critical infrastructure organisations, such as automotive and pharmaceutical companies, having already had interest from end-users including Toyota and Rolls Royce.

They also hope to partner with security solution providers who specialise in Industry 4.0 or Smart Manufacturing sectors, as well as leveraging contacts with governmental bodies and organisations such as the National Cyber Security Centre.

The team are seeking support with the business development plan, as well as angel investment and seed funding. They’re also looking to identify further technical expertise within the smart manufacturing sector to help them better understand their challenges and any currently-deployed technologies.

Meet them at our Demo Day

Join us on Wednesday 22 February 2023 and be among the first to preview the team’s innovation, alongside a whole host of exciting cyber products and services from leading UK academic teams. Hear their pitches and learn more about each project in this unique showcase of ready-to-commercialise cyber innovations. Register here.

About CyberASAP

CyberASAP (Cyber Security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme) is the only pre-seed accelerator programme in the cyber ecosystem which provides expertise, knowledge and support to convert academic research into commercial products and services.

CyberASAP is funded by the UK Government Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Innovate UK KTN.