FULTON, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReFirm Labs, a trusted provider of firmware vetting and validation to the enterprise, was named one of 10 finalists for the 2018 RSA® Conference Innovation Sandbox Contest for its work in IoT firmware security. On Monday, April 16, ReFirm Labs will present its information security technology to a panel of industry veteran judges and a live audience in a three-minute quick-pitch, competing for the coveted title of “Most Innovative Start Up” at RSA Conference 2018 in San Francisco.
RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest is the leading platform for entrepreneurial cyber security companies to launch their ground-breaking research and innovation in front of venture capitalists, industry experts, senior level business practitioners and thought leaders. The event gives startups the kind of visibility and validation that turn into rapid growth and increased funding.
“If you look at RSAC Innovation Sandbox contestants from the last five years alone, you’ll see more than $1.38 billion in combined investments and 12 acquisitions, proving the businesses that take this stage gain exposure to the right people at the right time to launch them to success,” said Sandra Toms, vice president and curator for RSA Conferences. “The submissions this year were noticeably competitive as we received exceptional entries from across the globe. I have no doubt this year’s presentations will be a must-see at RSA Conference.”
There are no standards or regulations to ensure a security baseline for connected IoT devices and firmware is a commonly unprotected attack surface that, when hacked, can result in devastating consequences for users and manufacturers. Testing for vulnerabilities is difficult because firmware is often developed with less attention to security than software, and frequently involves the integration of third party components with unknown security postures. Additionally, firmware is tailor-made for each specific product, making it impossible to run the same firmware on all devices even within the same product line. Thus, each product contains a unique firmware image that needs to be vetted for vulnerabilities, exponentially multiplying the chance that an attacker could infiltrate a device.
ReFirm Labs’ IoT firmware security platform, Centrifuge, allows companies to detect and monitor the firmware in IoT and connected devices for vulnerabilities and security risks. Centrifuge rapidly analyzes firmware, prioritizes vulnerabilities and risks, and provides continuous validation of firmware on deployed devices, all without the need for source code. When deployed, Centrifuge identifies zero-day vulnerabilities, hidden crypto keys, and backdoor passwords in IoT firmware. The platform can help companies uncover firmware abnormalities and report the vulnerabilities in under thirty minutes.
“Our Centrifuge platform addresses a significant blind spot when it comes to IoT firmware security by providing a simple, and reliable way to diagnose internal vulnerabilities across an entire system of IoT devices,” says Terry Dunlap, Co-Founder and CEO of ReFirm Labs. “If a company is performing firmware evaluations manually or hasn’t thought to protect themselves in such a way, Centrifuge can save time, resources and shrink the attack surface to reduce risk.”
The RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest will begin at 1:30 p.m. PT on April 16 at the Marriott Marquis in the Yerba Buena Ballroom. Dr. Herbert (Hugh) Thompson returns to emcee the contest, and the panel of five judges includes Asheem Chandna, partner at Greylock Partners; Gerhard Eschelbeck, vice president of security and privacy engineering at Google; Niloofar Razi Howe, tech investor and entrepreneur; Patrick Heim, operating partner and chief information security officer at ClearSky; and Paul Kocher, entrepreneur, researcher and IT security expert. The winner will be announced in front of a live audience later that day at 4:30 p.m. PT.
More information regarding RSA Conference 2018, taking place at the Moscone Center and the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco from April 16-20, can be found at: www.rsaconference.com.
About ReFirm Labs
ReFirm Labs is an enterprise, consumer, and IoT security company that has developed a radically new approach to securing connected devices through a process of firmware validation. By rapidly identifying security vulnerabilities in networked devices, ReFirm Labs helps protect manufacturers and large enterprises from the devastating technical, social, and financial costs of firmware-level attacks. Built by a group of world-class experts in IoT security, the company’s Centrifuge Platform automates a proprietary firmware analysis process developed for high-stakes security applications. ReFirm Labs is backed by DataTribe and headquartered in Fulton, MD. www.ReFirmLabs.com
About RSA Conference
RSA Conference is the premier series of global events where the world talks security and leadership gathers, advances and emerges. Whether attending in the U.S., the EMEA region, or the Asia-Pacific region, RSA Conference events are where the security industry converges to discuss current and future concerns and get access to the people, content and ideas that help enable individuals and companies to win, grow and do their best. It is the ultimate marketplace for the latest technologies and hands-on educational opportunities that help industry professionals discover how to make their companies more secure while showcasing the most enterprising, influential and thought-provoking thinkers and leaders in security today. For information on events, online programming and the most up-to-date news pertaining to the information security industry visit www.rsaconference.com.
