PolySwarm, which operates a threat detection marketplace for anti-malware products, has launched a free community for security researchers to access threat intelligence and test new detection methods.
We're checking to see if or how MSPs and MSSPs can potentially consume the threat intelligence.
The company has named the new body polyX and describes it as a setting for threat intelligence sharing and free malware-sample downloads. Members can also tap into PolySwarm's marketplace to test new and experimental detection techniques against real-world threats. The polyX setup also offers researchers free access to the latest malware, collaboration with experts, support for developing malware detection ideas into products and the ability to validate those ideas against real-world enterprise traffic, according to its host.
Information-sharing, once shunned by companies for its transparency, is now recognized universally as a critical tool for security defenders to help sidestep the difficulties encountered by their peers to combat malware and to deploy proven defensive measures.
“polyX offers researchers free access to the latest malware, collaboration with top experts, support for developing malware detection ideas into products and the ability to validate those ideas against real-world enterprise traffic,” Paul Makowski, PolySwarm chief technology officer and co-founder, said. “polyX represents a truly unique opportunity for individuals and small companies that want to enter the malware detection space and help shift the balance toward defense,” he said.
PolySwarm’s polyX joins a number of similar communities, including VirusTotal, the name brand in the format, and open forums supplied by a number of security vendors. But Makowski said that polyX has a differentiator. “What we are seeing is that many of the samples found in PolySwarm have never been seen on VirusTotal or other multiscanners, and are not freely accessible elsewhere,” he said. In addition, PolySwarm is positioning polyX as a “place for niche and experimental scanning and detection engines to thrive.”
For security intelligence to be effective, it needs to be automated to be shared in real-time, especially considering how fast hackers can move. Shawn Henry, CrowdStrike Services president and chief security officer, recently told Bank Info Security. "Oftentimes I hear the phrase 'We need to have better information sharing' or 'We need to have a better public-private partnership,' but there often aren't parameters built around that," he said.
Those interested can join PolySwarm’s polyX community by filling out a questionnaire.
