Startup finds malware intrusions by keeping an eye on processor radio frequencies

PFP Cybersecurity, a startup with roots in academia and the military, seeks out malware by analyzing the performance of hardware – not software and not the behavior of devices on the network.

PFP’s system compares ongoing radio-frequency output from processors to a baseline that is established when the device is known to be performing legitimate tasks. When it detects anomalies that might represent malicious activity, it triggers alarms. Then it’s up to other tools to figure out what exactly is behind the problem.

The system could be used to keep an eye on a large number of similar devices all performing the same task, such as those found in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks that support power grids, chemical plants and the like. Savannah River National Laboratory is considering the gear for to protect its smart-grid relays.

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