Swen Hoffmann, CEO of AIS, was pleased about the numerous attendance of representatives from industry and politics. He especially thanked the pilot customers who have accompanied AIS through the development phase over the past two years.
In a keynote speech, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.. Michael Backes, CEO and founding director of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, addressed the excellence of IT security in Saarland and the large-scale value it creates for Saarland. He took the audience on a journey through time of IT security research, talked about the challenges in science, the dynamic situation in which new threats are constantly emerging in the network and the potential of such a renowned research center, which is constantly facing up to the dangers in the internet.
As a spin-off of CISPA, the startup AIS can be considered as evidence of the successful transfer of innovative ideas from research to industry. Based in St. Ingbert, new jobs are gradually being created here. Within the last two years, the team has grown to 17 employees. There are plans to expand to more than 30 team members initially.
As part of the CISPA ecosystem, the startup AIS generates the value CISPA is committed to. Michael Backes: "For every IT job, there are up to five new jobs, whether in business, retail or restaurants." Consequently, purchasing power increases, the economy benefits and the region is upgraded - which is why CISPA is considered a driver of structural change in Saarland.
Dr. Oliver Schranz, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AIS, then explained what Findalyze is capable of. The platform was developed specifically to better understand the attack surface of companies and consequently minimize vulnerabilities. By taking the attacker's point of view, AIS can detect attacks before they even happen. The system acts beforehand and can thus prevent cyberattacks. Vulnerabilities range from forgotten servers to leaked passwords and phishing campaigns.
Schranz: "The attack surface is enormous, it changes by the minute. With Findalyze, you manage to keep track of that. We've developed an algorithm that finds the vulnerabilities, presents them in a user-friendly way, and lists solutions in an easy-to-understand way." The continuous scans run fully automatically every night. The platform subsequently compares the results and can draw intelligent conclusions, also assesses how critical the situation is. In addition, AIS makes expert knowledge associated with the vulnerabilities accessible, provides appropriate advice for IT staff to convey specific security knowledge.
In addition to the web application, AIS also offers services like pentesting and consulting. The startup checks protective measures that have already been implemented, prepares detailed reports and provides concrete recommendations for eliminating vulnerabilities. With regular screenings, companies make themselves resistant to real attacks and can even prove the security of their applications and infrastructure to customers.
