3 minute read
Peter Russell
Columnist
Peter Russell
Managing Director of Telefónica Tech Ireland
Cyberattacks have shown that no company is immune
We haven’t had to look far or listen long for news about cybersecurity attacks in the past year.
They are all over the news, impacting organizations from all industries, all around the world, with severe consequences on infrastructure and supply chains – not to mention customer trust and brand reputation. These cyberattacks have shown that no company, large or small, is immune.
Aside from the big, headline-grabbing attacks, there has also been a marked increase in the number and frequency of cybersecurity attacks overall. It is a challenge for many organisations that simply cannot be ignored and it’s therefore a topic that should be front of mind for all organisational leaders.
Having employees working from home in unprecedented numbers quickly became a gateway to new forms of data theft at levels previously unseen. And while some workers have returned to offices, we know that the future of work is hybrid and many will continue to work from home in some form.
In the age of digital transformation, IT and cyber resilience are the foundations of a company’s future viability. However, with the threat of cybercrime increasing across every sector, IT departments are being pushed to their limits.
The reality is that very few businesses have the internal bandwidth and expertise today to undertake 24/7 attack monitoring and protection themselves. Fortunately, help is at hand. Outsourced security operations centres (SOCs) help businesses achieve comprehensive cyberprotection in the face of unprecedented demand. They can either work completely autonomously or hand-in-hand with the business’s existing IT department.
Telefónica Tech UK&I has significant expertise in cybersecurity. Indeed, we are doubling the size of our SOC in Belfast as part of a six-figure investment to expand our premises here.
The investment that Telefónica Tech UK&I is making in Belfast involves the acquisition of additional floor space at Catalyst’s Concourse 3 and will enable us to accommodate our growing headcount and offer our specialist cybersecurity services to a larger number of customers across the UK and Ireland.
Our enlarged SOC will provide services such as monitoring and analysis of customers’ IT systems to pre-empt and prevent security risks and attacks. The SOC is manned 24 hours per day, seven days per week, working for a wide range of clients including NHS Trusts and several housing associations.
It is business critical that organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors secure, protect and monitor their IT systems to prevent breaches that could have very significant repercussions. That’s why this investment is so important, enabling us to expand our offering to a wider range of customers. We have invested significantly in the SOC including in capital infrastructure, in our technology, and in our people to ensure we have an offering that meets the requirements of organisations with complex and sophisticated cybersecurity needs, such as in the health sector where we have market-leading expertise. Telefónica Tech UK&I is delighted to support this investment which highlights the business’s commitment to investing in Belfast and to continuing to grow our team and offering here, and across the UK and Ireland. It will also provide extremely valuable services to customers looking to accelerate tech adoption and drive their digital transformation in a secure and productive way.
