Crossword Cybersecurity Plc : iomart Works with Crossword on Machine Learning Approach to Cyber Defence

8^th September 2016

PRESS RELEASE

iomart Works with Crossword on Machine Learning Approach to Cyber Defence

iomart and Crossword today announced that they will be co-operating to work on a Machine Learning based approach to preventing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on iomart customers based on Crossword Cybersecurity's Nixer technology.

The partnership is part of a move by iomart to provide an enhanced package of cyber defence measures for its customers. It will help iomart combat the growth in complex, ever-changing application-layer DDoS attacks that are designed to mimic normal human behaviour, making them hard to block without cutting off real users.

Bill Strain, Chief Technology Officer for iomart said, "Application-layer DDoS attacks vary so much that a defence based on looking at the signatures of previous attacks just doesn't work.  We have DDoS protection at network level but have been looking for a machine learning based defensive technology that evolves with the attacks down to the application layer, and we really like the approach that Crossword Cybersecurity have taken with Nixer."

Tom Ilube, CEO of Crossword continued, "iomart is the perfect partner for us because they provide hosting and cloud services to customers at every level from SME up to some very big Corporates.  We will be able to bring the AI capabilities of Nixer to bear on creating and evolving an adaptive additional layer of defence for their customers, giving them the option of even better application security."

About Crossword

Crossword Cybersecurity plc (ISDX: CCS) is a Technology Transfer company specialising in cyber security.  Crossword works with universities who undertake advanced cyber security research in order to take their research through productisation to market.

As well as universities, Crossword works with Industry Partner organisations who want to distribute, embed, re-sell, license or add value to our products and technologies.  These can be large end-users, consultants, advisors, systems integrators, prime contractors and cyber security product vendors.

About iomart

iomart Group PLC (AIM: IOM) delivers managed cloud services and hosting to ISVs, SMEs, enterprises and the UK public sector. The highly ISO accredited hosting company provides public, private and hybrid cloud solutions - including managed AWS and Microsoft Azure - from a network of secure UK data centres connected by a high capacity private fibre network. www.iomart.com

Further information, please contact:

Tom Ilube
CEO, Crossword Cybersecurity
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8973 2350
Email: info@crosswordcybersecurity.com

Jane Robertson
Communications manager, iomart
Tel: +44 (0) 141 931 6400
Email: jane.robertson@iomart.com

ISDX Corporate Advisor
Nick Michaels and Jon Isaacs, Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Limited
www.alfredhenry.com
Tel: +44 (0)207 251 3762

ISDX Corporate Broker
Claire Louise Noyce - CEO, Hybridan LLP
Tel: +44 (0)203 764 2341
Email: claire.noyce@hybridan.com

Keywords: iomart, crossword cybersecurity, cyber security, ddos, nixer, ai, machine learning