X
Tech

IBM's X-Force Exchange to make decades worth of cyber-threat data public

IBM's X-Force Exchange aims to be one of the largest and most thorough catalogs of vulnerabilities in the world, helping companies to defend against cyber-crimes in real-time.
Written by Zack Whittaker, Contributor
ibm-hero.jpg
(Image: IBM/stock photo)

IBM has announced it will make its huge store of about two-decades worth of security and cyber-threat data available to private and public companies.

Through what IBM is calling its new X-Force Exchange, the company said Thursday it will offer its massive 700-terabyte (and growing) database of raw cyber-threat data and intelligence to companies who want it. That also includes malware threat data from 270 million computers and devices, as well as from 25 billion web pages and images, and spam and phishing attack emails.

The aim is to help those companies mobilize against ongoing threats to their systems. IBM's argument is that there isn't a single port of call for this information.

"We're taking the lead by opening up our own deep and global network of cyberthreat research, customers, technologies and experts," said Brendan Hannigan, general manager for IBM Security. "We're aiming to accelerate the formation of the networks and relationships we need to fight hackers."

Think of the new cloud-based service like a Pinterest-style board for subscribing companies. Its users can add, take, share, and download all kinds of intelligence with the aim of finding and warning others of ongoing or emerging attacks.

It comes at a time where the US government is trying to encourage the idea of companies sharing cyber-threat data with the government (and vice-versa) in an attempt to cut down on the number of cyberattacks faced by the technology industry.

Congress will vote later this year on the cyber-intelligence sharing bill the Obama administration put forward.

Editorial standards