Tag: predictive analytics

In cybersecurity, reacting quickly is good, but anticipating what’s coming next is even better.  

What are Predictive Analytics? 

Predictive analytics combine network data and threat intelligence with machine learning techniques and natural language processing to anticipate an attacker’s next moves.

How does it work? Algorithms analyze mountains of data—network traffic, login patterns, file sizes, IP addresses, and more. If something unusual occurs, predictive models flag the activity as suspicious.

But these models don’t just tell you what’s happening now, they tell you what will likely happen next. Attackers don’t break into a network and immediately begin stealing data. Instead, they typically follow a recognizable sequence of behaviors before reaching their final objective.

For example, if a user who never runs PowerShell starts executing a script, gathers login credentials, and accesses machines they don’t typically use, predictive analytics can link these behaviors and recognize them as the early stages of a potential data exfiltration attack. Next steps will likely involve data collection, connecting to an external system, and stealing data.