British firm set to beat hackers

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2000/09/03/stibusnws03024.html

September 3, 2000
Andrew Lorenz

A FORMER school dropout who invented a breakthrough anti-hacking
system and founded a company to develop it has won backing from funds
connected with two of the best-known technology investors.

Cryptic Software, founded by David Duke, 33, is completing a near-2m
fundraising that will value his company at about 8m. Investors include
Southwind, the trust established for his children by Bob Morton, who
has interests in companies such as Vislink, Jordec Group and Planit
Holdings.

Another stakeholder is Legendary Investments, the internet investment
house set up by Shami Ahmed, founder of Joe Bloggs Jeans. Its interest
in Cryptic has been aroused by Duke's product, trademarked CyberSight.
Duke has named the program's detection system Shape Technology.

CyberSight's features include a high-speed, precise scanning process
and automated indexing engine and analysis capabilities that enable it
to handle millions of threats. Such elements mean it provides much
faster, more accurate and more comprehensive protection than any known
rival system. The product, which has just won its first order, is
attracting attention from a host of big industrial names across a
spectrum of sectors, from automotive to financial services.

Cryptic has laid detailed plans to market it in Britain, Ireland,
America and parts of continental Europe. Duke, who left school in
Wiltshire at 16, has become one of Britain's foremost experts in
computer security. He has worked as a consultant for numerous large
companies and government bodies, including the Ministry of Defence.

Cryptic, founded last year, has attracted a high-quality management
team including Terry Bingham, the chief executive and a former
managing director of the Misys subsidiary ACT.

Other directors are Sandy Mackenzie, former international business
director of the software company, Dr Solomon's, and Nigel Moulding,
recently finance director of an EDS-Price Waterhouse Coopers software
joint venture. Zafar Khan, director of equities research at SG
Securities, is a non-executive director.


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