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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 D E C E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 1 5 Dolci says that "dual use" empha- sis was very much in evidence at the summit, giving aizoOn USA addi- tional opportunities to meet not only Pentagon offi cials but also aerospace companies and a host of technology investors and universities to discuss next-step opportunities for its Aramis cyber-security software. "We're meeting not just potential customers, but potential partners as well," he says. Dolci expects that he and the other members of his team who attended the summit will spend several days discuss- ing what they've learned and identify- ing the most promising leads to pursue going forward. In some cases, prospects expressed interest in aizoOn's other areas of expertise, such as materials handling and "smart factory" processes using new technologies such as 3D printers that can produce prototypes in hours, rather than days, weeks or months. Tackling old problems in new ways Formed just a year ago, aizoOn USA is backed by aizoOn Group, a global technology consulting company based in Italy with 500 employees and sites in Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. Dolci says the company's unusual name is derived from a Greek word meaning "forever alive." " at's the foundation of the com- pany," says Dolci. "In terms of foster- ing knowledge, we're forever alive." Dolci is a 20% owner of aizoOn USA, with the remaining 80% owned by the Italian parent company. e U.S. operation is completely indepen- dent in its operations and manage- ment, he says, but benefi ts from the parent company's global network of academic and technology partners and the expertise of almost 500 engineers, mathematicians, software develop- ers and researchers. AizoOn USA has 10 employees — seven in Maine and three in Michigan — and 40 U.S. clients, including Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Both the parent company and its U.S. subsidiary provide consulting services that cut across all industry sectors, including information technol- ogy, engineering and manufacturing, innovation and business organization and processes. Both have deep ties to academic institutions, Dolci says, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, universities in Italy and the United Kingdom and the University of Sydney in Australia. AizoOn's Aramis cyber-security software is a good example of the company's approach to solving compli- cated problems. Working with leading researchers on "very specifi c, very detailed research on artifi cial intel- ligence and cyber security," Dolci says his company has developed proprietary algorithms that identify threats inside a computer network by highlighting deviations from its normal behavior. It immediately fl ags those deviations for closer scrutiny by the network's IT specialists, instead of passively waiting for further evidence that the deviation is, in fact, a type of malware. He says traditional malware detec- tion software, on the other hand, typically identifi es threats based on the "signature" characteristic traits of the various malware families. Problem is, those traits evolve and become harder to detect without an upgrade to the software adding new signature characteristics to its detection fi lters. e bad guys, obviously, are working constantly to improve the evasive abil- ity of their malware programs. By comparison, Dolci says, Aramis doesn't rely on signature-identifi cation to trigger its defense. Instead, it collects network traffi c passively, which makes it virtually undetectable by malware and malicious hackers. What it's looking for are deviations that seem suspicious enough to be fi ltered for an analyst to zoom in, analyze and then decide the best course of action. It's not unlike the human ability to intuitively sense potentially dangerous situations before the threat becomes evident and taking steps of avoidance or prevention. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » aizoOn USA 415 Lisbon St., Lewiston / additional offices in Cambridge, Mass., and Troy, Mich. Founded: 2014 President: Rob Dolci Services: Technology consulting firm that designs, develops and integrates smart technology to improve processes, enhance logistics and refine systems in manufacturing. Also provides software development and support, including cyber security with its proprietary Aramis malware recognition software. Employees: Seven in Maine, three in Michigan Revenues: $1.7 million Contact: 1-866-398-6567 / www.aizoon.us

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