Tuesday 20 June 2017

Cisco Is Launching A New Type Of Network To Help Stop Cyberattacks

  • Cisco's new "intentional-based" networking solution can detect malware even when it is hidden in encrypted traffic.
  • Cisco says it is using automatic learning and artificial intelligence to help detect these threats.

Cisco announced the launch of a completely new network based on intentions that will be able to detect malware when hidden in encrypted traffic, something that states no other company can do.

The new technology could make it more difficult for cyber-attackers to carry out attacks against organizations using Cisco equipment.

"We are ushering in a new age of networks that is driven by intent, informed by context and over time continues to adapt and learn," Cisco president Chuck Robbins told CNBC's David Faber. "This is a seminal moment in networking."

Cisco says that this new intentions-based software, Encrypted Traffic Encryption, is the most advanced way to detect anomalies in billions of devices and data. ETA is able to detect pattern abnormalities in encrypted traffic without compromising privacy, Cisco says.

The software, which will be offered as a subscription service, is currently in field trials with 75 clients, and according to Robbins, it is 99 percent effective.

"With our investors we've been talking about this ongoing shift toward greater software content in our business," Robbins said. "We believe this launch today is the start of a journey to help us launch that software and subscription model in our core, which is what our investors have been asking us."

Shares of Cisco were under pressure last month when the company gave fourth-quarter revenue guidance that was below expectations. So far this year, shares have risen about 7 percent.