Horne Cyber has debuted a proprietary security product for its cybersecurity clients. Threat Runner emulates an authentic malware infection on an organization’s network, exposing vulnerabilities in need of remediation without encrypting files and sensitive data.
The product release comes at a time when firms are paying extra attention to cybersecurity, in the wake of several high-profile breaches both within the accounting industry and without.
Threat Runner was designed by reverse-engineering malware from the ground up, emulating threats while de-weaponizing them. This means security testing can be done against real threats, instead of hypothetical ones, providing a picture of where an organization’s security stands.
“There is no better way to know your own cybersecurity threshold than witnessing how your network will react to real world threats,” said Wesley McGrew, director of cyber operations at Horne Cyber, in a statement. “We believe Threat Runner is a revolutionary advancement for IT and cybersecurity professionals. It delivers easy access for organizations of any size to take an offense-oriented approach to cyber resilience and strengthen their overall security postures.”
Threat Runner offers the option to test six of the most damaging malware types ever seen, including:
- WannaCry is one of the most prolific threats today, impacting major organizations such as the U.K. National Health Service, Boeing, FedEx and Nissan. WannaCry has caused more than $8 billion in global damage costs since it aggressively emerged in 2017. In addition to WannaCry, this simulation will show the impact of other ransomware variants that use the “EternalBlue” exploit, including Bad Rabbit, Yatron and Not-Petya.
- Satan is a ransomware variant sold on the dark web, allowing users to tailor their own code and ransom demands through an easily accessible program.
- Cerber has attacked millions of Microsoft Office 365 users by bypassing security tools. It is constantly being updated by its developers to ensure its place as a continued threat.
Threat Runner developers will be continually updating the product with the latest malware and ransomware variants impacting businesses worldwide.
“Our goal is to help organizations of any size be proactive in preparing for the worst malware that exists, and we will achieve that by emulating the latest threats quickly and by making our product easily affordable and accessible,” stated Kendall Blaylock, director of cyber intelligence at Horne Cyber.
Threat Runner starts at $750 for four runs of a chosen threat variant. Price packages go up with the number of variants and threat runs. Custom packages are available for larger companies who want regular access to all the variants and unlimited test runs.
Threat Runner can be downloaded directly from the Threat Runner website. Once Threat Runner has completed its work, organizations receive an interactive report with detailed findings and recommended steps for remediation. The report includes a list of compromised nodes and a network tree to visually show how far the emulated malware has spread across a network.
For more information on Threat Runner and how you can run it, visit
