10-12-2020 , 06:55 AM
https://blog.avast.com/allan-thomson-profile-avast From planes to AI, Allan Thomson has been playing wargames for decades
Emma McGowan, 8 October 2020 Introducing Avast's Chief Architect of Threat Defense Technology
Allan’s next move was into threat intelligence, where he developed software systems that use data to help identify and mitigate risks in real-time. That role, in combination with his three decades of industry experience, perfectly positioned him for his current role of Fellow, Chief Architect Threat Defense Technology at Avast.
His plan for this cybersecurity company?
Put simply, it’s to manifest Avast’s leadership in cybersecurity.
“Avast is a leader in antivirus solutions, supporting over 400 milion end users ,” Allan says. “However, cybersecurity is much more than antivirus protection. We will focus on the security of end users entire online presence, including privacy, identity and data.”
With that holistic approach to online security and privacy in mind, Allan’s particular interest right now lies in adversarial artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than reacting to online attacks after they occur, Allan plans to enable Avast to predict attacks before they happen. In order to do that, he’s working on creating a machine learning approach that is able to learn and adapt based on the gamification of the activities of malicious actors in order to figure out their next move.
This type of gamification in a lab environment is similar to the way machines were programmed to learn how to win at chess. The big difference is that, in cyber crime, the number of variables that need to be considered is significantly larger than in a chess game, making it much more complex to develop approaches that beat criminals in their game.
“Our objective is to be 10 steps ahead of the bad guys by developing systems and capabilities that can predict and learn from cyber attacks in real-time,” says Allan.
To win the cyber wars, it’s paramount to understand the adversaries strategies, motives, objectives and execution. And that, Allan says, requires a fundamental shift in the approach to cyber defense.
“I believe that the way most people in the security industry look at solving cybersecurity problems is too focused on defense and not enough on intimately knowing the attacker’s approaches,” he says. “Bad actors don’t follow rules and are extremely creative in developing new approaches to reach their goals.”
When asked if getting into the minds of cybercriminals has ever tempted him to go over to the dark side himself, Allan answers with a resounding “no."
“On a personal note, my father was a police officer, and I am following in his footsteps by focusing my career on protecting businesses and people,” Allan says. “I love solving hard problems and the opportunity to make meaningful advances in cybersecurity for the benefit of the world motivates me everyday.”
Emma McGowan, 8 October 2020 Introducing Avast's Chief Architect of Threat Defense Technology
Allan’s next move was into threat intelligence, where he developed software systems that use data to help identify and mitigate risks in real-time. That role, in combination with his three decades of industry experience, perfectly positioned him for his current role of Fellow, Chief Architect Threat Defense Technology at Avast.
His plan for this cybersecurity company?
Put simply, it’s to manifest Avast’s leadership in cybersecurity.
“Avast is a leader in antivirus solutions, supporting over 400 milion end users ,” Allan says. “However, cybersecurity is much more than antivirus protection. We will focus on the security of end users entire online presence, including privacy, identity and data.”
With that holistic approach to online security and privacy in mind, Allan’s particular interest right now lies in adversarial artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than reacting to online attacks after they occur, Allan plans to enable Avast to predict attacks before they happen. In order to do that, he’s working on creating a machine learning approach that is able to learn and adapt based on the gamification of the activities of malicious actors in order to figure out their next move.
This type of gamification in a lab environment is similar to the way machines were programmed to learn how to win at chess. The big difference is that, in cyber crime, the number of variables that need to be considered is significantly larger than in a chess game, making it much more complex to develop approaches that beat criminals in their game.
“Our objective is to be 10 steps ahead of the bad guys by developing systems and capabilities that can predict and learn from cyber attacks in real-time,” says Allan.
To win the cyber wars, it’s paramount to understand the adversaries strategies, motives, objectives and execution. And that, Allan says, requires a fundamental shift in the approach to cyber defense.
“I believe that the way most people in the security industry look at solving cybersecurity problems is too focused on defense and not enough on intimately knowing the attacker’s approaches,” he says. “Bad actors don’t follow rules and are extremely creative in developing new approaches to reach their goals.”
When asked if getting into the minds of cybercriminals has ever tempted him to go over to the dark side himself, Allan answers with a resounding “no."
“On a personal note, my father was a police officer, and I am following in his footsteps by focusing my career on protecting businesses and people,” Allan says. “I love solving hard problems and the opportunity to make meaningful advances in cybersecurity for the benefit of the world motivates me everyday.”