Illusive Networks , a cybersecurity startup based out of Israel that protects networks by building \u201cdeception\u201d frameworks to identify and trap malicious hackers, has added Microsoft Ventures \u2014 the software giant\u2019s young investment arm \u2014 as its newest strategic investor. In keeping with the startup\u2019s name and purpose in this world, Illusive is not disclosing any details about the terms of this investment \u2014 except that it\u2019s a new investment.
It brings the total raised by the startup to something more than $30 million, after Illusive picked up $22 million in 2015 led by NEA. Others investors include Cisco also as a strategic backer, Innovation Endeavors, Bessemer Venture Partners, Citi Ventures, Marker, and Team8 \u2014 a security incubator that spawned Illusive. Microsoft Ventures is also a new backer of Team8.
\u201cWe have made the investment just recently,\u201d Mony Hassid, who runs Microsoft Ventures in Israel, told TechCrunch of Illusive. \u201cWe have made a decision to invest in the deception market, and we believe there are more security opportunities, which is why we have invested in Team8 in addition to this.\u201d
Illusive was founded in 2014 and it is part of a new guard of security firms \u2014 they include other startups like Shape Security but also larger firms like Imperva that have built \u201cdeception\u201d products alongside their existing detection and response businesses \u2014 have emerged in the wake of a large, significant evolution in technology.
Large organizations all run their businesses in large, distributed, digital networks; and with that have arisen a very distributed and sophisticated cadre of malicious hackers \u2014 working independently; in teams; for governments; for crime syndicates; for themselves \u2014 dedicated to breaking into those networks and doing bad things. This confluence has caused an unprecedented number of destructive cyber attacks and hacks in the last few years.
Illusive accepts that malicious hackers will manage to find ways into networks: it doesn\u2019t deal in firewalls or anything that might keep them out full stop. Instead, it takes a page out of another development in tech \u2014 virtual and augmented reality \u2014 and creates an alternate, false version of a company\u2019s network to trap those hackers.
\u201cThere will always be a phishing or drive by attack,\u201d founder and VP of R&D Ofer Israeli said in an interview. \u201cHumans are the weakest link and always will be and will continue to make mistakes. But once the hacker is in, now we have an attacker who needs to orient himself.\u201d
Once a hacker finds himself (or herself) in the Illusive version of your network, Illusive identifies that individual and either keeps him locked in there forever, or ejects him for good.
Illusive does not specify who its customers are but Israeli describes them as large enterprises, of 1,000 or more employees, who are \u201c some of the largest in the world, household names in different verticals.\u201d They include large banks (recall Citi is an investor), tech companies, law firms and more.
It\u2019s not clear yet how Microsoft will work with Illusive, but the idea is to tap strategics to build products to fit their own and also to sell to their customers as well. This would make sense for companies like Microsoft and Cisco, who may already have security offerings but are working with customers who need extra levels of protection beyond what is already available.
Illusive is not disclosing its valuation in this round.<\/p>\n