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January 24, 2021

Darktrace Vers. 5: AI Transforming Enterprise Security

Darktrace's Immune System Version 5 revolutionizes cybersecurity with AI, cloud service coverage, and seamless integrations.
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Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
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24
Jan 2021

Today’s workforce is more dispersed and mobile than ever before, with critical operations increasingly residing in a diverse patchwork of cloud services and endpoints. This architectural shift has been met by attacks that have scaled up to capitalize on insufficiently protected data and devices, emphasizing the need for enterprise security to be adaptive, autonomous, and ubiquitous.

Increasing demands placed on the SOC have stretched security teams to breaking point, and CISOs now progressively seek to streamline workflows by favoring self-learning enterprise-wide security platforms over disparate and siloed point solutions with limited visibility.

Version 5 offers a series of innovations across Darktrace’s Immune System platform, bringing critical value to security teams grappling with the new normal. This free upgrade for existing customers allows for on-demand automated investigations, supports one-click integrations with a wide range of technologies, and showcases an improved Model Editor that allows security teams to tailor Darktrace even further to their specific business risks.

Darktrace’s Immune System has been enhanced in three critical areas: in the augmentation of its core AI capabilities, in extended coverage to SaaS applications and zero-trust environments, and an open architecture which streamlines workflows across the cyber security stack.

AI augmentation

Last year saw the introduction of new technologies, services, data flows, and topologies. Static rules and signature-based defenses were unable to adapt to changing users and working practices, no matter how diligently and rapidly they were rewritten. We have seen an urgent need for augmentation, and to that end Version 5 enhances Darktrace’s self-learning capabilities across two core areas of the platform: Autonomous Response and AI Investigation.

By containing machine-speed threats like ransomware in seconds, Autonomous Response enables security teams to prioritize strategic work even as the volume and speed of attacks continues to rise. Darktrace Antigena can either take self-directed action or integrate with existing investments, informing third-party systems about in-progress cyber-attacks.

With Version 5, Antigena can now neutralize attacks in a wide variety of SaaS services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as cloud file storage applications like SharePoint and OneDrive. In cases of account takeover, Antigena can autonomously respond, protecting sensitive data in the cloud without any human intervention.

Cyber AI Analyst also now automates investigations beyond network events to SaaS applications, cloud infrastructure, and cyber-physical systems. Version 5 enables on-demand investigations into users and devices of interest, the ingestion of third-party alerts to trigger new investigations, and seamless integration with any SIEM, SOAR, or downstream ticketing system.

Customers have already found that the new capabilities in Cyber AI Analyst have added substantial value, especially in the ability to launch on-demand investigations and query SaaS data at any time.

Dynamic workforce protection

In addition to the extension of AI-enabled investigations and response, Darktrace Version 5 complements native cloud and SaaS defenses with a range of critical enhancements, including a dedicated SaaS Console, and integrations with Zoom, Okta, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Duo, and more. Equally, new ingestion capabilities for zero-trust technologies enable Darktrace to protect employees wherever they operate.

Figure 1: Dedicated SaaS Console

Customers can also now choose to purchase Client Sensors that extend the Immune System’s visibility of the dynamic workforce on and off the VPN. With Client Sensors, organizations can take Darktrace’s existing real-time analysis and tie it in with risky or malicious behavior that may be occurring off the VPN.

Antigena Email, the world’s first self-learning email security solution, has also been enhanced with Version 5. Not only does the technology detect the subtle deviations in threatening emails that other tools miss, but with text-based summarization, the story behind every email is automatically generated in plain English so that even a non-technical reader can fully understand why specific actions were taken.

Open architecture and interoperability

Flexibility and the ability to integrate with existing enterprise security investments lie at the core of the Darktrace Immune System, and Version 5 extends its open and extensible architecture to seamlessly integrate with your existing investments. New functionality enables customers to enhance and extend their Darktrace deployment via one-click integrations. This includes the ability to immediately extend coverage to new cloud services, and enrich the platform’s analysis with new sources of log ingestion.

Version 5 also sees the introduction of bespoke new interfaces that cover the different areas of the digital infrastructure – from the aforementioned SaaS Console to a specialized OT Engineer View. These inclusions represent an overarching design principle of unification, and the interfaces are harmonized accordingly to facilitate seamless investigations and simplified workflows.

Figure 2: An autonomous investigation into anomalous cloud activity

Our customers are increasingly using the Immune System protect their business across email, SaaS, and industrial systems as well as the corporate network, and Version 5 makes it easier than ever to defend these environments.

Version 5 not only expands the Darktrace Immune System to new areas of the business, but also ensures that this expansion delivers a seamless experience for customers, regardless of where they start their journey with the platform. Delivery and expansion are entirely flexible, with the option of 100% cloud-delivered deployments, or hybrid deployments that cover on-premise and cloud environments.

Enterprise security: Innovating through times of change

As organizations accelerate digital transformation and prepare for the future of work, the ability to quickly adapt and integrate their security defenses will be more critical than ever. And with the new AI augmentation and extended coverage of Darktrace’s core self-learning technology, Version 5 ensures that customers can detect, contain, and investigate threats wherever they arise, without placing any additional burden on security teams.

Find out more about Darktrace Version 5

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Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
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June 18, 2025

Darktrace Collaborates with Microsoft: Unifying Email Security with a Shared Vision

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In today’s threat landscape, email remains the most targeted vector for cyberattacks. Organizations require not only multi-layered defenses but also advanced, integrated systems that work collaboratively to proactively mitigate threats before they cause damage

That’s why we’re proud to announce a new integration between Darktrace / EMAIL and Microsoft Defender for Office 365, delivering a Unified Quarantine experience that empowers security teams with seamless visibility, control, and response across both platforms.

This announcement builds on a strong and growing collaboration. In 2024, Darktrace was honored as Microsoft UK Partner of the Year and recognized as a Security Trailblazer at the annual Microsoft Security 20/20 Awards, a testament to our shared commitment to innovation and customer-centric security.

A Shared Mission: Stopping Threats at Machine Speed

This integration is more than a technical milestone,as it’s a reflection of a shared mission: to protect organizations from both known and unknown threats, with efficiency, accuracy, and transparency.

  • Microsoft Defender for Office 365 delivers a comprehensive security framework that safeguards Microsoft 365 email and collaboration workloads leveraging advanced AI, global threat intelligence and information on known attack infrastructure.
  • Darktrace / EMAIL complements this with Self-Learning AI that understands the unique communication patterns within each organization, detecting subtle anomalies that evade traditional detection methods.

Together, we’re delivering multi-layered, adaptive protection that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

“Our integration with Microsoft gives security teams the tools they need to act faster and more precisely to detect and respond to threats,” said Jill Popelka, CEO of Darktrace. “Together, we’re strengthening defenses where it matters most to our customers: at the inbox.”

Unified Quarantine: One View, Total Clarity

The new Unified Quarantine experience gives customers a single pane of glass to view and manage email threatsregardless of which product took action. This means:

  • Faster investigations with consolidated visibility
  • Clear attribution of actions and outcomes across both platforms
  • Streamlined workflows for security teams managing complex environments

“This integration is a testament to the power of combining Microsoft’s global threat intelligence with Darktrace’s unique ability to understand the ‘self’ of an organization,” said Jack Stockdale, CTO of Darktrace. “Together, we’re delivering a new standard in proactive, adaptive email security.”

A New Era of Collaborative Cyber Defense

This collaboration represents a broader shift in cybersecurity: from siloed tools to integrated ecosystems. As attackers become more sophisticated, defenders must move faster, smarter, and in unison.

Through this integration, Darktrace and Microsoft establish a new standard for collaboration between native and third-party security solutions, enhancing not only threat detection but also comprehensive understanding and proactive measures against threats.

We’re excited to bring this innovation to our customers and continue building a future where AI and human expertise collaborate to secure the enterprise.

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About the author
Carlos Gray
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Email

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June 19, 2025

Customer Case Study: Leading Petrochemical Manufacturer

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Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, this industry leading petrochemical manufacturer serves customers in more than 80 countries across diverse markets throughout Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia.

Cyber resiliency critical to growth strategy

This leading petrochemical manufacturer’s vision is to be one of the major global players in the production and marketing of designated petrochemicals and downstream products. The company aims to significantly increase its capacity to up to a million metric tons within the next few years.

With cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure increasing 30% globally last year, cyber resiliency is essential to supporting the company’s strategic business goals of:

  • Maximizing production through efficient asset utilization
  • Maximizing sales by conducting 90% of its business outside Saudi Arabia
  • Optimizing resources and processes by integrating with UN Global Compact principles for sustainability and efficiency
  • Growing its business portfolio by engaging in joint ventures to diversify production and add value to the economy

However, the industry leader faced several challenges in its drive to fortify its cybersecurity defenses.

Visibility gaps delay response time

The company’s existing security setup provided limited visibility to the in-house security team, hindering its ability to detect anomalous network and user activity in real time. This resulted in delayed responses to potential incidents, making proactive issue resolution difficult and any remediation in the event of a successful attack costly and time-consuming.

Manual detection drains resources

Without automated detection and response capabilities, the organization’s security team had to manually monitor for suspicious activity – a time-consuming and inefficient approach that strained resources and left the organization vulnerable. This made it difficult for the team to stay current with training or acquire new skills and certifications, which are core to the ethos of both the company’s owners and the team itself.

Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure increasing

The petrochemical manufacturer is part of a broader ecosystem of companies, making the protection of its supply chain – both upstream and downstream – critical. With several manufacturing entities and multiple locations, the customer’s internal structure is complex and challenging to secure. As cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure escalate, it needed a more comprehensive approach to safeguard its business and the wider ecosystem.

Keeping and growing skills and focus in-house

To strengthen its cybersecurity strategy, the company considered two options:

  1. Make a significant initial and ongoing investment in a Security Operations Center (SOC), which would involve skills development outside the company and substantial management overhead.
  2. Use a combination of new, automated tools and an outsourced Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service to reduce the burden on internal security specialists and allow the company to invest in upskilling its staff so they can focus on more strategic tasks.

Faced with this choice between entirely outsourcing security and augmenting the security team with new capabilities, the customer chose the second option, selecting Darktrace to automate the company’s monitoring, detection, and response. Today, the petrochemical manufacturer is using:

Extending the SOC with 24/7 expert support

To alleviate the burden on its lean security team, the company augmented its in-house capabilities with Darktrace’s Managed Detection & Response service. This support acts as an extension of its SOC, providing 24/7 monitoring, investigation, and escalation of high-priority threats. With Darktrace’s global SOC managing alert triage and autonomously containing threats, the organization’s internal team can focus on strategic initiatives. The result is a stronger security posture and increased capacity to proactively address evolving cyber risks – without expanding headcount or sacrificing visibility.

A unique approach to AI

In its search for a new security platform, the company’s Director of Information Technology said Darktrace’s autonomous response capability, coupled with Self-Learning AI-driven threat reduction, were two big reasons for selecting Darktrace over competing products and services.

AI was a huge factor – no one else was doing what Darktrace was doing with [AI].”

Demonstrated visibility

Before Darktrace, the customer had no visibility into the network activity to and from remote worker devices. Some employees need the ability to connect to its networks at any time and from any location, including the Director of Information Technology. The trial deployment of Darktrace / ENDPOINT was a success and gave the team peace of mind that, no matter the location or device, high-value remote workers were protected by Darktrace.

Modular architecture  

Darktrace's modular architecture allowed the company to deploy security controls across its complex, multi-entity environment. The company’s different locations run on segregated networks but are still interconnected and need to be protected. Darktrace / NETWORK provides a unified view and coordinated security response across the organization’s entire network infrastructure, including endpoint devices.

Results

The petrochemical manufacturer is using Darktrace across all of its locations and has achieved total visibility across network and user activity. “Darktrace is increasing in value every day,” said the Director of Information Technology.

I don’t have a big team, and Darktrace makes our lives very, very easy, not least the automation of some of the tasks that require constant manual review.”

Time savings frees analysts to focus on proactive security

Darktrace / NETWORK provides continuous, AI-driven monitoring and analysis of the company’s network activity, user behavior, and threat patterns, establishing a baseline of what normal activity looks like, and then alerting analysts to any deviations from normal traffic, activity, and behaviors. Darktrace’s autonomous response capabilities speed up response to detected threats, meaning intervention from the security team is required for fewer incidents and alerts.

In October 2024 alone, Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst saved the team 810 investigation hours, and autonomously responded to 180 anomalous behaviors that were uncovered during the investigations. With Darktrace managing the majority of threat detection and response efforts, the security team has been able to change its day-to-day activity from manual review of traffic and alerts and belated response to activity, to proactively fortifying its detection and response posture and upskilling to meet evolving requirements.  

Layered email protection reduces phishing threats

The company’s email infrastructure posed a challenge due to petrochemical industry regulations requiring on-premises email servers, with some security delivered via Microsoft Azure. By integrating Darktrace / EMAIL into the Azure stack, the organization has reduced the volume of phishing emails its users receive by 5%.

“Now we have one more layer of security related to email – every email goes through two filters. If something is not being caught or traced by Azure, it is being detected by Darktrace,” said the Director of Information Technology. “As a result, we’re now seeing only about 15% to 20% of the phishing emails we used to receive before implementing Darktrace.”

Preparing for a secure future

The time saved using Darktrace has helped the security team take proactive steps, including preparing for new cyber resilience regulations for Saudi Arabia’s Critical National Infrastructure, as mandated by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA).

“The team now has ample time to prepare policies and procedures that meet the new NCA regulations and, in some cases, enhance the requirements of the new law,” said the Director of Information Technology. “All of this is possible because they don’t need to keep watch; Darktrace takes on so much of that task for them.”

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