IBM launches Asia Pacific cyber security hub in Bangalore

IBM Asia Pacific Ltd organized a conference today, announcing a key development in the IBM Security business for India and the Asia Pacific. The investment by IBM will help strengthen the cyber-resiliency of organizations in the region. The discussion unveiled significant findings of a study on the state of cybersecurity in Asia.

Growing importance

Sandip Patel, MD, IBM India, spoke about the growing importance of cyber security and the need to equip people with the right skills as being very important. IBM intends to train a further 500,000 people in India. We have tied up with colleges and universities for that. We are also working with DGP and Ministry of Skills Development. IBM's state-of-the-art security command center is located in Bangalore.

Today, we are exposed to threats of cyber security. Apac is at the top of the list. India, Japan, and Australia are the top three areas. Manufacturing is a leading sector that is under attack. There are gaps in managing security risks. India is undergoing digital transformation. Cyber security is the challenge for this decade. IBM's launch of cyber security hub is the answer for the challenge. SOC is the convergence of all security solutions and joins all of IBM's global SOCs. The next-gen SOCs leverage IBM tools for tracing malware, etc. We also have advanced threat disposition scoring (ATDS). We are trying to stay ahead of the threats. Organizations can now strengthen their security strategies.

Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, and Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, inaugurated the Asia Pacific cyber security hub in Bangalore, India. IBM is now securing Asia from India. The Prime Minister had three points. Technology must transform lives. It should expand opportunities. India should also have leadership capabilities in future.

It was necessary for open democracies and societies to lead the charge.

We have been the second-most attacked country. We need to secure the cyber space. We are investing heavily on institutional capabilities. We have set up CERT, NCII-PC, NCCC, etc. We are also building awareness within corporates about cyber security. The government also needs absolute clarity about the threat matrix. IBM's SOC has created the need for more talent and capabilities. We need to ensure that India's cyber space remains safe and connected.

Rising threats in Asia

Christopher Hockings, CTO, IBM Security, IBM Asia Pacific, said there is rising threats in Asia. Over 1 in 4 attacks worldwide happen in Asia. There are unpatched vulnerabilities (43%) and phishing lures (43%) in Asia. There are 20K new vulnerabilities worldwide.

Data breaches take companies 233 days to detect, and an additional 85 days to contain in Asia Pacific. The average cost of data breach was $2.6 million. Only 26% of companies have a co-ordinated incident response plan for the entire business. Globally, companies that responded more quickly (200 days or less), were able to save some money.

IBM consults with dozens of people from different industries. We are now building leadership in crisis. The SOC in Bangalore benefits 2,000+ clients. The cyber range leverages the knowledge and practices of real-world experiences of the SOC. The SOC is also benefitted from simulations, etc.