Modernizing Threat Detection in AdTech
Enhancing malware detection technology to prevent malvertising, improve turnaround time, and reduce costs for a leading AdTech company.
Improved Turnaround Time
The revamped system enhanced threat detection and reduced response times, doubling the speed of previous efforts.
Efficiency
The flexible architecture allows for seamless integration of new detection methods as threats evolve.
Scalability
The robust infrastructure supports scalable scanning capabilities, ensuring effective detection even during high-activity periods.
Cost Savings
Streamlined operations led to over $200K in annual cloud cost savings, freeing up resources for other strategic initiatives.
Overview
Preventing malvertising in the AdTech space requires swift detection of new threats to mitigate the impact of malware campaigns. Our client, a leader in this sector, faced significant challenges in identifying novel threats. To stay competitive and maintain high customer confidence, they needed to modernize their threat detection technology and quickly adapt to the constantly evolving tactics of malware advertising.
Objective
The main objective was to upgrade the client’s threat detection technology and gain a deeper understanding of malware delivery tactics. We aimed to design a flexible architecture that would allow engineers to seamlessly implement new detection techniques, ensuring the client could stay ahead of emerging threats.
Challenges
Operating in a hostile environment where adversaries constantly attempted to bypass detection, the client faced several key challenges. One major issue was the evolving nature of threats, as malware advertisers actively sought ways to circumvent existing detection technology, necessitating continuous adaptation. Additionally, the solution needed to minimize latency to prevent disruptions within the ad delivery ecosystem. Lastly, maintaining a proactive defense was critical, as staying a step ahead of malicious actors was essential to minimize disruptions and uphold client trust.
Solution
We aligned the technical roadmap with the client’s business and sales goals to deliver a comprehensive solution. We designed a new architecture that leveraged open-source tools to create a framework for managing signatures and fingerprints, enabling immediate detection of new threats upon deployment. This approach effectively erased our footprint, allowing for enhanced flexibility where engineers could quickly implement new detection techniques, improving adaptability against emerging malware tactics. Additionally, by identifying and resolving inefficiencies, we reduced the client’s annual cloud spend by over $200K, ensuring a more cost-effective operation. The new architecture also accelerated the understanding of threats, doubling the turnaround time and enabling faster identification and response to new attacks.
