Press Release

“Augmented Whitelisting” Cyber Security Technology Helps Lower the Barrier for SME Cyber Insurance

Hong Kong, November 11, 2021 – AP Lens (Parent company: Hoplite Technology), established in 2018 which aims to provide SMEs with low touch, simple to use and cost-effective cyber security tools, today announces its collaboration with several insurance brokerage firms in Hong Kong and Singapore for the launch of a new cyber security SaaS solution and product guarantee named “Anti-Phishing Care for SMEs”, marking its official foray into the InsurTech industry. The solution is designed with the objective of diversifying insurance firms’ coverage for SMEs, as well as lowering the barrier for SMEs to purchase cyber insurance products.

The prevalence of remote work, digital transformation and shortage of cybersecurity professionals are pushing up cyber risks for SMEs. Proliferating ransomware attacks also affect organisations globally causing a spike in insurance premiums. It has become increasingly difficult for SMEs to keep up with the latest trends and to maintain a secured cyber environment for both their employees and customers. This has in turn resulted in higher cost of cyber insurance coverage aimed at offsetting the cost of responding to and recovering from cyber-attacks.

Detecting cyber-attacks, often via blacklisting have been the practice over the past three decades and since the development of the first generation of anti-virus technology. As an activity based on constantly collecting data (such as logs, user activities or file hashes), blacklisting is a resource-intensive and costly process which is only effective when companies can afford a team of cybersecurity professionals and arguably a never-ending cat and mouse game against cyber threat actors. Furthermore, blacklisting has been made highly ineffective by, on one hand, spear-phishing scams and targeted social engineering that rely on the successful exploitation of human psychology and emotions (usually fear, anxiety, distractibility) and, on the other hand, by attacks that are either new (zero-day) or built as a variant of old attacks.

On the contrary, AP Lens’ AI-powered solution utilizes a “whitelist” strategy, whereby users can freely browse the web or conduct online activities in an environment that has been identified as safe by AP Lens algorithms. Furthermore, the AP Lens cloud-based Remote Browser provides users with another layer of security if they need to visit websites that are not whitelisted, providing users with a disposable virtual machine. AP Lens’ technology runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS) global network to deliver low latency connections.

Whitelisting isolates company networks like cities lock-down, preventing virus from entering. AP Lens’ remote browser is like a VR-headset that enables users inside the locked-down network to experience the outside world in a safe environment. It is a more balanced approach and offers total cyber protection, which is low touch, simple to use and cost-effective for SMEs. Solutions provided by AP Lens largely reduce cyber security maintenance costs for SMEs, while motivating insurance brokerage firms to offer cyber insurance coverage for SMEs.

The “Anti-Phishing Care for SMEs” is valid immediately for customers in Hong Kong and Singapore with AP Lens solely offering a product guarantee valid for 12 months, available to clients referred by insurance brokers partners ( MI Insurance Brokers Ltd , LSC Insurance Consultants Ltd and Sky Central Ltd). Customers will also be guaranteed a pay-out of 10-times the purchase price if they suffer a ransomware attack while using AP Lens solution. AP Lens pledges up to HK$100,000 ransomware protection for each company using the product. Terms and conditions apply.

Antony Ma, Founder and CEO of Hoplite Technology commented: “Low touch, simple to use and cost-effective cyber security tools for SMEs were notably missing in the market, so our founders decided to fill this gap in the market with the introduction of AP Lens and we are determined to create something that is more SME friendly. The latest offering is welcomed by our partners from the insurance industry, as AP Lens largely reduces uncertainties in cyber risks. By actively collaborating with insurance industry, we promote a more inclusive cyber security and cyber insurance scene.”

(PR Correction is published on 3 Dec 2021)

「白名單」網絡安全科技降中小企網絡保險門檻

香港，2021 年 11 月 11 日 – 創立於 2018 年的香港初創企業 AP Lens（母公司為 Hoplite Technology），旨在為中小企提供易接觸、操作簡便且具成本效益的網絡安全工具，並於今日正式宣佈涉足 InsurTech（保險科技）領域，與本港及星加坡數間保險經紀公司，向市場推出其全新網絡安全 SaaS 解決方案「防釣十萬保」及產品保證承諾「防釣十萬保」，並降低中小企購買網絡安全保險的門檻。

數碼轉型及遠程和居家辦公的流行，以及網絡安全人才的短缺，導致中小企網絡安全風險系數上升。全球範圍內激增的勒索軟件攻擊亦影響各公司及推高網絡保險保費，亦令中小企難以跟上最新趨勢，並保障公司及員工的網絡環境安全，變相增加網絡保險投保難度及成本。網絡保險本可助抵消應對網絡攻擊和從網絡攻擊中恢復的成本。

電腦保安技術於過去三十年均以監測網絡攻擊及建立「黑名單」為行業標準。然而「黑名單」過程對資源需求密集，成本高昂，其不斷收集數據，包括資訊系統軌跡資料（log）、用戶活動及文件散列（file hash）等，唯有公司有能力負擔整個網絡安全專業團隊，才得以有效抗衡無止境的網絡威脅。另外，層出不窮的魚叉式（spear-phishing）網絡詐騙及針對企業員工的社交工程陷阱（targeted social engineering）亦令黑名單機制收效甚微， AP Lens 的解決方案則利用人工智能反向建造「白名單」，用戶可於已被認證為安全的網絡環境內，隨心瀏覽網頁或進行網上活動，而毋需擔心誤入釣魚或有安全漏洞的網站。同時，當用戶需要訪問非白名單網站時，AP Lens 搭建於雲端的虛擬遠程瀏覽器（或稱「一次性虛擬終端」）便為用戶提供「二次保證」。AP Lens 的技術及公司營運採用業界及國際領先的 AWS雲端服務，以確保順暢及低延遲的用戶體驗。
白名單機制封鎖公司網絡，防止病毒入侵，而遠程瀏覽器猶如在封鎖網絡內加入 VR 裝置，令用戶仍然可以體驗封鎖網絡外的世界。此解決方案為企業取得更佳平衡，完全保障網絡安全的同時，降低門檻並增加成本效益，不但令中小企網絡安全維護費用更加低廉，亦增加網絡安全保險對中小企的吸引力。

「防釣十萬保」已即時生效，並適用於香港及星加坡的企業客戶。該解決方案與多間保險經紀公司合作，為合作夥伴轉介的客戶提供12 個月的保障 (合作夥伴為多間保險經紀公司 ​LSC 國際保險顧問有限公司、MI Insurance Brokers 有限公司及 Sky Central Consultant 有限公司等)，提供為期 12 個月的保障，客戶購買 AP Lens解決方案後，可即享等值十萬港元的保障。若於使用 AP Lens 的解決方案時受到勒索軟件攻擊，用戶將會收到原本購買價格十倍的產品保證承諾。（使用條款及條件適用，詳情參見此連結）

Hoplite Technology 創始人及行政總裁馬裕杰表示：「大部分中小企在面臨網絡安全部署決議時，通常由於缺乏易接觸、使用方法簡單、具成本效益的網絡安全工具、缺乏適宜的網絡保險產品保障等望而卻步。AP Lens 的創始人團隊決心彌補該空缺，創造合適中小企的解決方案。本次推出的方案受到保險業合作夥伴的大力支持，大幅度減低合作方對網絡風險不確定性的憂慮。同時公司希望透過積極與保險界別合作，推動惠及更多人的網絡安全和網絡保險發展。」

(文件更正版本於2021 年12月3日發佈)