Illuminating the shadowy world of cybersecurity

Cyber Security Response Centres bring security threats into focus

Modern cybersecurity depictions and commentary in the media are often accompanied by a shadowy, hooded figure. The image embodies the uncertainty and anxiety around cyberattacks but holding on to this perception perpetuates the concept of cybercriminals as intangible villains who fly under the radar. This gives the impression that we’re in the dark on cybersecurity. By bringing these potential threats into the light and visualising them, we see them in sharper focus and can make clearer, informed decisions on how to tackle them.

This is something we’ve taken quite literally here at Tata Communications, having recently launched a new Cyber Security Response Centre (CSRC) in Dubai and followed by Chennai, today. The Chennai CSRC visualises the entire security experience so that business leaders can better understand and see the threats that they are fighting; knowing that they will be serviced with 24/7 security support, 365 days a year, to stay one step ahead of evolving cyber threats around the world.

Turning the spotlight on emerging threats

As high-profile cyber-attacks keep growing in numbers, security threat mitigations have quickly become a top priority. Interactive visual walls, dashboard displays, 3D object recognition and a virtual reality experience provide a glimpse of the security capabilities that can help organisations build and monitor cyber security platforms, as suited to their business needs.

Security concerns are further amplified as organisations move forward in their digital transformation journey and adopt new technologies. According to Gartner, nearly 20 percent of organisations observed at least one IoT-based attack in the past three years. Similarly, cloud security is also a concern for businesses and this market is expected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2017 to $3.5 billion in 2021. As organisations use new technologies, the chinks in their armour begin to show. Sophisticated security providers know how to leverage the same emerging technologies to provide higher end security prediction and mitigation – for example, using machine leaning and big data analytics.

So as the threat landscape continues to evolve rapidly, so does the need for agile security tools to combat these threats. Even as we look to deploy productivity tools like automation, it can well be weaponised by hackers in the form of damaging attacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS). This is what makes today’s cyber space and threat landscape so different. What was once a single hooded figure, now closely resembles a multi-headed hydra. As such, organisations need to be equipped with a wide variety of security tools across their network and application layers such as security information and event management (SIEM), cyber threat intelligence, cloud-based security and an attack prediction platform based on machine learning.

Lighthouse to the world

More than ever, businesses must be proactive and predictive. By selecting the right security partner they can adopt a more strategic approach to cyber security, as opposed to remaining reactive. There is also a role to be played by the combined forces of the security services providers, governments and private organisations. Risk and compliance, data privacy laws, regulations around data sovereignty are all critical pillars of defence which play a key role in protecting against cyber threats. This makes it critical to have a provider that has a strong regional presence and expertise and can comply with national laws.

As we look to expand our global footprint, we will soon introduce a CSRC in Europe later this year to help customers comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), followed by a US facility in 2019. We aim to continue to provide real-time security and analytics to customers globally – with advanced intelligence that enables them to keep their cloud operations secure across all points of access. Considering the damage cyber-attacks can wreak on an organisations’ reputation and bottom line, it’s more important than ever that businesses invest in the right security tools, talent and presence. Businesses who do so mitigate the risk of an attack and enjoy a competitive advantage over lesser prepared competitors.

Read more information on minimising business risks and protecting user experience here.