Trend Micro debuts AI-powered digital twin for proactive security

Trend Micro has introduced a cyber resilience model using Digital Twin technology powered by agentic AI and built on NVIDIA AI, with the aim of shifting enterprise cybersecurity from a reactive stance to a predictive approach.

The Digital Twin technology provides enterprises with the ability to simulate cyber threats, validate existing security defences and adapt security policies without any risk to live production systems. According to Trend Micro, this technology represents a transition from periodic, reactive risk assessment to ongoing, real-time simulation for organisations managing hybrid and complex IT environments.

Mick McCluney, ANZ Field CTO at Trend Micro, said many security teams face challenges defending complicated and dynamic infrastructure. He stated:

"Enterprises are struggling to defend complex, dynamic infrastructure environments from highly adaptive, AI-powered adversaries. Rapid shifts in threat actor tactics and IT infrastructure mean reactive, point-in-time risk assessments are no longer fit for purpose. Our Digital Twin technology empowers customers to simulate threats and safely validate security controls without touching production systems - to finally close the gap between digital transformation and defensive readiness."

The Digital Twin capability developed by Trend Micro uses what the company describes as advanced agentic AI along with cybersecurity digital twin technology, built on NVIDIA accelerated computing platforms and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, including NVIDIA NIM microservices. This technology enables security teams to create a continuously updated, high-fidelity simulation of organisational infrastructure, which can be analysed for risk visualisation and scenario planning.

Bartley Richardson, Senior Engineering Director, Agentic AI at NVIDIA, said trends in cybersecurity require new approaches. He commented:

"In today's rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, organisations need proactive solutions that can anticipate and counter potential threats before they occur. Powered by NVIDIA NIM microservices, Trend's cybersecurity digital twins bring AI-driven protection to enterprise infrastructure."

This new model allows for several use cases, such as scenario planning, wherein AI agents simulate cyber threats and tactics within the virtual infrastructure before an actual incident takes place. Security teams can use the system to test existing mitigation strategies continually, leading to more refined and resilient plans for sensitive and complex environments.

Additionally, the technology assists decision-makers in making data-driven choices about security investments. They can test the impact of new security tools, policies, or architectural changes within the simulated environment prior to real-world deployment, potentially reducing investment risk and improving resource allocation. Business-critical failure scenarios can also be modelled, allowing organisations to understand how disruptions would ripple across interconnected IT and OT systems, strengthening incident response planning without causing downtime or disruption.

Stuart Samples, Chief Technology Officer at Northeast Georgia Health System, acknowledged the real-time risk visibility offered by Digital Twin technology, stating:

"Trend's digital twin approach completely changes our ability to understand risk in real-time. It helps us catch threats we didn't even know to look for, allowing our team to focus less on firefighting and more on confidently driving innovation."

Frank Dickson, Group Vice President, Security & Trust at IDC, also highlighted the value of simulation in proactive security:

"As threats migrate to OT, proactive security is critical. Trend Micro's Digital Twin technology introduces a new operational model for enterprise cyber security: simulation. Sometimes even probing a production network can result in downtime, often making it extremely difficult to expose vulnerabilities and confirm compensating measures. A continuous cycle of adversary simulation and defensive validation becomes a value tool to ensure that organisations stay ahead of cyber threats, while being sensitive to the fragility of some operational environments."

Industry trends indicate that as both government and industry accelerate investments in AI infrastructure, there is a growing demand for security solutions that can operate effectively across cloud, on-premises, legacy, and AI-powered systems. Trend Micro's Digital Twin is positioned as a tool to help organisations manage risks across these diverse environments, providing the flexibility to enhance security operations during ongoing digital transformation.

Trend Micro continues to focus on security solutions that incorporate AI and advanced simulation capabilities. The company has recently announced plans to open source its Trend Cybertron AI model and agent framework to support the autonomous development of cybersecurity agents. The company's research also covers security improvements for GenAI workloads and sovereign AI infrastructure.