i4 Ops Product Release: i4 Zero Exfil

_{^{Categories covered: Credential Abuse Prevention, Data Breach, Cybersecurity, Data Exfil, Layered Security}}

i4 Ops recently announced the release of i4 Zero Exfil – its flagship product that accelerates innovation by preventing data exfiltration from credential abuse. This patented technology is used to create value and is not just revolutionary but also a pioneering approach to preventing data breach for data science, analytics and from the use of sensitive data by third parties.

Topics Covered in this Article

• Protecting sensitive data
• First principles approach for data security
• Industry investments in cybersecurity
• Impact of AI on sensitive data

Protecting Sensitive Data

Finding information on how much is spent annually on cybersecurity by vertical is easy by simply using your favorite AI engine. As an example, in the US more than $8B is spent on cybersecurity just for the Logistics sector; another $7B is on Manufacturing. With a projected total for 2024 reaching $185B this space continues to be a hot bed for investment and spending.  In the US, there are estimated 2,200 cyber-attacks per day, or one every 39 seconds.  It is estimated that 6.85B records have been breached, in the US alone in 2024. With all this investment, why is daily data breach still a thing?

First Principles Approach to Data

i4 Ops takes a first principles approach to data security by breaking down complex security challenges into basic or fundamental components. i4 Ops simply keeps the data in. 

With an $185B spend on cybersecurity each year, a logical expectation would be to see fewer data breaches and better data security. Each company that cashes in on that $185B offers a service or value to provide security. At i4 Ops, we work below the existing security solutions and allow efforts on network, IAM, MFA, RBAC, EDR, DLP and so on, to do their job. 

As a layered security product, i4 Zero Exfil gets to the basics and prevents data exfiltration. By taking a data-first approach, i4 Zero Exfil does not allow data to egress from a protected environment, regardless of credentials or approvals. Through this approach, i4 Zero Exfil is simple to deploy and with an easy-to-understand value that goes beyond reactive notifications and alerts that existing products offer after a breach has already happened.

Industry Investments

Leveraging work published by Richard Stiennon, an expert in the security industry, we look at the top 150 fastest growing mid-sized cybersecurity companies. Also published by Stiennon, there was a 9% consolidation in this space in 2024.

Four of the top 5 companies on the list are investing in identity access and credential validation. The fifth is working on vulnerability prioritization and remediation. Needless to say, 86% of data breaches in the US involve stolen credentials, including 60% from insiders and contractors misusing their credentials. 

The chart below shows how many stolen credentials are re-used and how often those lead to automated attacks.

Impact of AI on Sensitive Data

In a major movement using data to create value, companies are exposing sensitive or proprietary data to Machine Learning models. The chart below breaks down the impact of AI on sensitive information.

Using AI in data science has critical risks:

• Unauthorized access to training data
• Model inversion attacks
• Data reconstruction from outputs
• Membership inference attacks.

Looking at trends, emerging threats include unauthorized access to training data and model extraction attacks. Implementing safety standards in model training and access are key to securing data in any AI-based environment. Leveraging a local LLM in concert with i4 Zero Exfil provides a secure environment to prevent data exfiltration. Ensure the LLM is truly local and not a hybrid making API calls, including telemetry or crash reporting capabilities. 

Looking Forward

• i4 Ops and i4 Zero Exfil continue to create pressure in the ecosystem for exfiltration prevention. 
• Working with open source and standards bodies, i4 Ops will create demand for testing that bookends penetration-network with exfiltration-egress prevention. 
• From nefarious to accidental data breaches, share evidence of due diligence for legal reporting.

How to learn more: Contact info@i4ops.com.

Where to buy: Reach out to i4 Ops partner.

i4 Ops works directly through distribution and with integration partners in multiple geographies to rapidly deploy and protect sensitive data from exfiltration. Learn more about becoming a partner by contacting info@i4Ops.com.