IBM gears up to combat Security Threats

Vaidyanathan R. Iyer
Country Manager
Security Solutions, IBM India/SA

In a chat with VARINDIA, Vaidyanathan R. Iyer, Country Manager, Security Solutions, IBM India/SA, discusses about IBM Security Framework which delivers a unified approach to enterprise security that manages key functions ranging from threat detection to user access, compliance cost reduction and configuration management and much more – all with a foundation in worldwide research and development to help reduce the risk of today’s advanced threats. Edited excerpts:

What are the emerging trends in Mobile Security?

Security concerns consistently rank as the biggest barrier to widespread adoption of mobility solutions and corporate “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) programs. While there are reports of exotic mobile malware, most smartphone users are still at a risk of premium SMS (short message service, or texting) scams. These scams work by sending SMS, automatically from installed applications, to premium phone numbers in different countries. 

One game-changing transformation is the pervasiveness of Bring Your Own Device programs. Many companies are still in their infancy in adapting policies for allowing employees to connect their personal laptops or smartphones to the company’s network.

What are the impending cybersecurity threats, and how it has changed the way business is done?

Cyberspace provides the ultimate environment for asymmetric warfare. Determined individuals or small groups are attracted to the extremely low costs and the relatively low levels of technical expertise needed to conduct offensive operations against important government, military and economic assets. India has shown nearly continuous growth (with one major decline in the first quarter of 2012) and now dominates the scene by a large margin, sending out nearly 16% of all spams. This might be the result of a 25% growth in the number of Indian Internet users over the past twelve months.

The complexity of the security management environment is on the rise, from threats to IT environments to compliance mandates. Cybersecurity threats have changed and become significantly more sophisticated and ever-evolving with newer attacking techniques, which make it tough for the IT team to protect their mission-critical data. More sophisticated external attacks and insider threats are a constant protection issue. The increasing volume of data, accessed by employees and citizens via mobile devices, cloud environments, and social media amplifies the security challenge.

IBM understands the critical importance of cybersecurity and the broad range of risks confronting society. Our cybersecurity solutions provide an instrumented approach to protecting information assets, with software that scans and monitors systems and gathers the data you need to proactively detect and prevent threats and risks.

How has been the evolution of online threats in the era of Big Data?

Big data can mean big security risks. With major security breaches and fraud incidents making international headlines, organizations are taking steps to address the growing problems of advanced persistent threats, fraud, and insider attacks. Growing BYOD and Cloud trends and enterprises extending their data networks to partners or customers challenge the security system and make corporate data more vulnerable to external threats. Today’s security risks are fundamentally different. Businesses have to be proactive about security, anticipating the kinds of risks that will be created by expanding the business or opening up operations to more clients and partners. IBM Security Intelligence with Big Data provides exceptional threat and risk detection, combining deep security expertise with analytical insights on a massive scale. IBM has been providing a comprehensive security framework along with the service expertise to provide integrated security solutions customized for unique needs of big data customers. 

How is IBM gearing up to combat security threats?

Moving into mobile means organizations must address the increased risk of data loss and security breach, device management challenges, and complications introduced by the growing trend toward Bring-Your-Own-Device. To make mobility and BYOD solutions work within a company, a thorough and clear policy should be in place before the first employee-owned device is added to the company’s infrastructure. IBM extends its context-based mobile access control solutions and expands mobile application vulnerability testing, enhanced support for Bring-Your-Own-Device programs and increased security standards that are critical to governments and regulated environments. IBM provides solutions and services to help secure the entire mobile security environment.

How is the enterprise benefiting from your solutions? 

Our key security products include integrated, one-view dashboards and functionality to secure any type of endpoint or network, whether a smartphone, tablet, PC, a server or a router. IBM’s security solutions provide a comprehensive, integrated approach that combines real-time correlation for continuous insight, custom analytics across massive structured and unstructured data, and forensic capabilities for irrefutable evidence. With an extensive security framework spanning hardware, software and expertise, IBM is uniquely positioned to deliver that total solution. The IBM security framework includes many new updates to existing products along with customized support services provided across-the-board security with enhanced benefits including: Mobile – improved security posture with enhanced endpoint authentication and code security testing for iOS applications; Cloud – reduced attack threats and compliance risks with optimized patch management for dynamic cloud environments; Big data – continuous insight with real-time event data correlation and integrated security analysis of that data. 

moumita@varindia.com