Four of the big telecom service providers, Etisalat, Singtel, SoftBank and Telefónica joined hands to create the first Global Telco Security Alliance to offer enterprises a comprehensive portfolio of cyber security services.
The alliance will be one of the world’s biggest cyber security providers, with more than 1.2 billion customers in over 60 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Through their combined resources and capabilities, the group can protect enterprises against the rising cyber security risks as the information security environment becomes increasingly complex.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior Vice President at Etisalat Digital, Francisco Salcedo said: “With digital technologies gaining widespread adoption and driving innovation across industry verticals, the security landscape has evolved. Organizations now face a new breed of threats and need to manage digital risks in their environments. Today’s strategic alliance will give us a unique opportunity to work hand in hand with our telecom counterparts and deliver innovative security services for digital risk management.”
Through the alliance, members can achieve operational synergies and economies of scale that will eventually help lower costs for their customers. The group’s members operate 22 world-class Security Operation Centres (SOCs) and employ more than 6,000 cyber security experts. To expand their global footprint, the alliance is open to bringing in new members over time.
The group will share network intelligence on cyber threats and leverage their joint global reach, assets and cyber security capabilities to serve customers worldwide. Leveraging each member’s respective geographic footprint and expertise, the alliance is able to support each other’s customers anywhere and anytime, allowing them to respond rapidly to any cyber security threats.
To enhance their cyber security portfolio, the members will also look into the possibility of developing new technologies such as predictive analytics using machine learning and advanced cyber security for the Internet of Things. The alliance will also consider developing a joint roadmap for the evolution of their security portfolios and explore joint investments in security products and services, SOCs, platforms, start-ups and R&D.