There are many techniques that can be used to both analyze and control data from a security aspect. Data inspection by automation programs uses statistical analysis to differentiate random events versus specific targeted attacks or stealthy probing within a network. Using simple statistics can help analyst uncover hidden malware within files and validate authentic versus bogus web keys andcredentials. In other cases, metrics reporting is used to illustrate previous malicious activity and probabilities that such activity can reoccur.

Many security companies now rely on mathematicians and statisticians for the basis of their company’s security models.  Many companies, such as Akamai and SAS were founded on the principles of mathematics and statistics to solve complex problems such as discovering hidden threats as well as automated efforts to defend or counter them. Once of the interesting aspects is that the attackers are using takeover methods that require them to hide their efforts in high volumes of web traffic.  It’s now not humanly possible to inspect every single packet that comes in through a network connection.  The use of mathematical analysis helps to design Big Data Analytics programs that can understand , process, detect, and report on these types of malicious events.  In the future(and now really) Artificial Intelligence is also being implemented to counter and adjust to threats.

The key for attacks now and in the future is that the threats slowly evolve, sometimes just enough not to be detected again.  It’s important for companies to understand that they must start using AI services to continually adjust to this evolution of threats.  It’s a never ending arms race of adapting to new threats and vectors and predicting what their next step might be.  In the future there are likely to be very smart mathematicians who are both the attackers and defenders of networks. This is especially true when Nation-State actors come into the fold. Governments sometimes have to provide the funding to help corporations and organizations defend their assets due to the highly sophisticated(and expensive)methods being used by other bad actors.  Cooperation is required by all in helping defend property, secrets, and financial assets.