Computer hackers could lose a huge advantage because of a system being developed by a team led by Justin Beaver of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

"As we have seen in recent months, attackers who breach a system's defense have a distinct advantage because their presence is difficult to detect, they have a window into potentially sensitive data and their true identity and location are hidden," Beaver said.

The ORNL technology detects exfiltration, or the unauthorized release of data, through the analysis of a user's behavior.

In response, the system isolates a malicious user from access to any sensitive data by diverting the attacker to a virtual host.