Innovating for Cyber Defense With An AI Threat Analyst with BNF

In high-stakes security operations, staying ahead of evolving cyber threats requires speed, precision, and constant innovation. To address the challenge of ingesting timely Cyber Threat Intelligence into an air-gapped environment, HTX’s Home Team Sustainment Centre (HTSC) partnered with cybersecurity startup BNF through the Dimension X, Hatch’s open innovation challenge.

Solving Operational Noise with AI

For threat analysts, processing vast amounts of global threat data can quickly become overwhelming. BNF developed a secure AI SOC (Security Operations Centre) analyst designed to automatically digest global threat data and generate reports aligned with HTSC’s exact operational standards.

By filtering out irrelevant data, the tool allows security teams to focus on critical threat vectors. "The impact we're aiming for is giving analysts back real hours in their day and making sure that threats that actually matter surface first," explains Raz Ohayon, COO of BNF.

A Culture of Co-Creation and Agility

Collaborating across public safety and startup environments brings unique challenges, particularly when working within secure boundaries. Because HTSC operations are highly sensitive, BNF was provided with broad operational goals rather than exhaustive specifications.

Rather than working off rigid requirements, HTX Champions collaborated directly with BNF in real-time to refine product architecture and success metrics. "It was truly an eye-opening experience," shares Roy Kwok Low, HTX Engineer in Systems Management, of the Home Team Security Operations Centre at HTSC. "Startups bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to solve our operational challenges. This is definitely a gamechanger for us. We navigated uncertainties and refined our approach along the way, like which AI model to choose, and needing to continuously adapt it. Through this, it taught me to think more critically and stay resilient when things didn’t work initially."

The Role of Hatch in Bridging the Gap

Hatch served as a critical intermediary, managing alignment and providing end-to-end structure – from initial startup shortlisting to POC development. By offering clear milestones, pitch clinics, and direct access to Home Team Champions, Hatch enabled both teams to maintain momentum and focus entirely on execution.

Looking Ahead

With a successful proof-of-concept complete, HTX and BNF are preparing for the next phase: evaluating the trial results to transition the AI SOC analyst into a full production-grade system.

For Home Team colleagues considering startup collaboration, Roy’s message is clear: "Don't be afraid of the unknown. Go through this journey of innovation with Hatch." Raz adds that for startups, “Say yes to the whole process – the pitch clinics, the workshop, the onboarding week. It feels like a lot upfront, but every piece of it compounds into a stronger POC and process.”

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