Spun out of the IDS lab at Columbia University, Red Balloon Security, is a cyber security firm developing Symbiote technology to defend embedded systems' firmware. The firm's mission is to provide embedded device manufacturers with strong host-based security. One of the firm's primary products and technologies is Firmware Reverse Analysis Konsole (FRAK), a system that provides the core capability automatically to unpack, modify and repack embedded system firmware to install Symbiote defenses, which was developed under the sponsorship of DARPA's Cyber Fast Track program. The company is a member of the Microsoft's startup accelerator focused on companies building gadgets, devices and software for the connected home and Internet of Things. Red Balloon Security is exclusively focused on development of robust security solutions for embedded device systems across all major industries, including consumer electronics, automobiles, manufacturing/industrial systems, building controllers, homeland security, military, etc. Red Balloon Securitys core technology is Symbiote Defense, a universally-compatible, OS-agnostic, real-time host-based intrusion defense system which is capable of protecting any embedded device from malware and malicious commands. Symbiote is a patented technology that already protects millions of devices around the world, and has logged more than 15 billion hours of runtime without a single recorded failure. It is currently under contract for use by the US government, as well as critical infrastructure and consumer devices, like HP LaserJet printers.
