Karamba Security Announces Asgent will Introduce Autonomous Security to Protect against Cyberattacks in Japan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and HOD HASHARON, Israel and TOKYO, Dec. 05, 2016 -- At a press conference held last week in Tokyo, Asgent, Inc. (JASDAQ:4288), a Tokyo Stock Exchange-traded pioneer in network security and operations management solutions, announced that it has contracted with Karamba Security to introduce its Autonomous Security technology to the automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) markets in Japan. 

“By reselling and distributing Karamba Security technology, Asgent is putting Japanese manufacturers at the leading edge of global efforts to protect vehicles and Internet of Things devices from cyberthreats,” said Takahiro Sugimoto, CEO and founder of Asgent. “Applications not only include the connected car but also smart home devices such as security systems and cameras monitoring a baby’s room to appliances and lighting. Each of these seemingly innocent devices could be turned into an attack vector if not properly protected. Asgent and Karamba take seriously the responsibility to save lives and preserve people’s safety.”

“We are excited to have Asgent as our VAR in Japan,” said Ami Dotan, Karamba Security co-founder and CEO. “We know Asgent from our previous companies, we have been following them for the last decade, and we were impressed with their deep technological and business expertise. Asgent can provide local support to the strong demand we have been experiencing for Karamba’s Autonomous Security in Japan.”

Karamba’s products will be provided to automotive and electronic device manufacturers for embedding in electronic control units (ECUs).  Autonomous Security enables ECUs to autonomously protect themselves in run time and prevent cyberattacks. Karamba’s software is seamlessly embedded in the ECU’s operating system, blocking hackers from compromising connected cars and IoT devices and using them for nefarious purposes.

The people using these connected devices and vehicles should be able to trust that they are adequately protected from malicious actors trying to do physical harm via hacking.

Connectivity introduces risks and vulnerabilities, as demonstrated by the massive DDoS attack that completely halted internet access to popular websites in recent weeks. The botnet attack was carried out using compromised security cameras, routers and other connected devices. Karamba Security’s technology could prevent these types of hacks from occurring in the future.

Unlike enterprise technologies, whose greatest cybersecurity risk is data loss, the risk from a hacked connected car or other internet-connected device can be as serious as the loss of life. Autonomous Security is necessary to secure systems while avoiding enterprise cybersecurity pitfalls that may endanger peoples’ lives. It does that by adhering to the following criteria:

• Cyberattack prevention is done locally on the controller itself
• Zero-day prevention; blocks new malware without requiring updates to the security policy
• Returns no false positives that may impede the car’s or IoT device’s proper operation
• Negligible performance impact that doesn't interfere with real-time decisions

Karamba’s Autonomous Security approach works by automatically locking down the controller according to factory settings. It blocks operations outside of factory settings at the controller level and avoids the risks of false positives inherent in other approaches. False positives can lead to legitimate commands failing to execute, consequently risking lives.

Karamba’s Autonomous Security products would have prevented all potentially mass hacks published by white hat hackers, including the Corvette and Tesla attacks.

The company has raised $5 million (in two rounds, five months apart from each other) from Fontinalis Partners, YL Ventures and Glenrock Capital.

About Asgent
Asgent, Inc. (4288:JASDAQ) is a Developer and Distributor of pioneering Network Security solutions for enterprise and medium-sized organizations. With an eye on the future and a reseller base of more than 100 Systems Integrators, we command an impressive reputation for creating markets for new products and for making overseas and domestic network security products best-sellers in Japan. By providing 24 hours a day/7 days a week, first and second level pre- and post-sales technical support to our distribution channel, we create an extremely high level of product trust and confidence. Asgent is an extremely reliable partner for profitable business relationships. In addition, Asgent provides security services such as Managed Security Services (MSS) via SOC, risk assessment, vulnerability testing, incident response, etc. To learn more, please visit www.asgent.com.

About Karamba Security
Karamba Security is a leader in Autonomous Security. Karamba’s software products suite hardens the electronic control units (ECUs) of connected and autonomous cars and IoT devices, preventing hackers from manipulating and compromising those ECUs. Karamba’s Autonomous Security prevents cyberattacks with zero false positives, no connectivity requirements and negligible performance impact. To learn more, please visit www.karambasecurity.com. 

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