The finalists of the Innovators‘ Pitch 2022 in the category Cybersecurity are:
DeepSign | Psoido | Quantum Optics Jena
Who are you and what does DeepSign do?
DeepSign is a cybersecurity startup from Saarbrücken, Germany, that focuses on continuous, easy-to-use strong authentication. With our AI, we can verify human users in line with privacy requirements without any additional effort. To achieve this, we use the user’s interactions with the mouse and keyboard.
Why is Cybersecurity such a relevant topic?
Cybersecurity is the defining concern of the moment because attacks can be initiated at any time from and to any point in the world. However, the biggest obstacle in Cybersecurity is its usability for the „average user“. They don’t want to constantly unlock gates, follow complicated instructions, or ask for additional permissions – they want to use IT like they use water or electricity.
What makes your startup an innovator?
Thanks to cutting-edge AI, we can efficiently and accurately analyze mouse and keyboard inputs to verify that they actually belong to the expected human who is authorized to use the account. With DeepSign, we combine cybersecurity and usability. We make the secure IT world available like water and electricity are.
Who are you and what does Psoido do?
As a complementary team, we passionately fight for the compatibility of privacy and data analysis, for security plus usability. In a patented process, we generate authenticated, virtual IDs, whereby the real identities of things or people cannot be traced back either by third parties or by Psoido itself. This means that the origin of sensitive data remains secure and can only be resolved by the data owner, even in the event of data loss. In addition, we anonymize the corresponding data using automated, adaptive methods. Simplest data sharing à la Dropbox & Co. with automatic strong encryption based on a patented „distributed security“, whereby decryption by „offline brute force attacks“ is demonstrably not possible even in the event of data theft.
Why is Cybersecurity such a relevant topic?
Company processes, social life in a functioning democracy, and our private communication depend on trust, which is why the transport and storage of such information and the proof of its authenticity must be secure. If we manage to generate such trust transparently, i.e. at any time technologically or mathematically verifiable, then our business, social and private communication will become more secure as a basis. Unfortunately, usability east security for breakfast, therefore the industry must invest independently of what is technologically feasible, because this is the only way we will transform acceptance of security into trust for everyone.
What makes your startup an innovator?
We have a patented and unique authentication without identification and that is the only solution if a system requires authentication or accounting of data, demands protection of the real identities, and needs unique IDs for data analysis at the same time. And we can even use „distributed security“ to make server-side encryption secure against „offline brute force attacks“ and keep it easy to use without PKI infrastructure and certificates – patent pending.
Who are you and what does Quantum Optics Jena do?
We are a team of passionate engineers, physicists, computer scientists, and business developers. We believe that quantum technology allows us to achieve more: more confidence in data security via quantum communication; more insights into matter and biology via imaging and sensing; more information processing capacity in quantum computing and machine learning. Our team combines a unique combination of technological competencies: manufacturing of optomechanical & optoelectronic components and systems, space heritage, quantum technologies, and cryptography. By fighting quantum challenges with quantum technologies, we develop and deliver quantum key distribution (QKD) systems based on entangled photon sources. This allows the implementation of cybersecurity solutions based on physical laws.
Why is Cybersecurity such a relevant topic?
Today, the sovereignty and security of information are essential for society and economics. It forms the basis for collaboration and communication in the 21st century. We believe, that the implementation of cybersecurity solutions based on physical laws will enable confidential communication and long-term security of information. This additional trust will enable new business models and cooperation.
What makes your startup an innovator?
In our understanding, innovation stands for the transfer of an idea into a successful product on the market. In recent months, we have succeeded in transferring scientific fundamentals into commercial and highly automated systems. We are convinced of our unique selling points and are now working intensively on the further implementation of our solution with customers and partners.