Page 88 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

evolution of the cyber threat landscape. around in near real-time, quarantine data, by malicious cyber actors. Against
Bad actors are finding ever-more creative or limit an attacker’s access to resources. this background, it is important that,
and sophisticated ways to exploit digital This gives us a more flexible, nimble and as governments seek ways to improve
information for financial or other gain; one resilient response capability across our security across the digital economy, they
recent survey suggests that global cost organization. must preserve the ability of organizations
of cybercrime alone will reach $5.2 billion that are on the frontlines to determine
USD during a five-year window ending in In addition to bolstering our internal their unique risk profiles and calibrate their
2023. practices, we place tremendous defense efforts accordingly. Prescriptive
importance on advancing comprehensive security practices or government
At AT&T, cybersecurity cybersecurity solutions that help mandates for security features could have
and cyber resilience are companies like ours remain globally the unintended consequence of making
competitive, protect intellectual property,
companies less agile and less able keep
business imperatives. and foster a safe digital ecosystem. pace with more sophisticated threats.
Our company provides Industry has a demonstrated history of Even as we pursue greater public-private
engaging in effective, multi-stakeholder
cooperation and global coordination on
customers around the processes to develop best practices and cybersecurity, leaders must prioritize using
world with connectivity, standards – including on security – for voluntary, risk-based approaches that
technology, entertainment, ICT products and services. This model reflect the unique needs of every industry.
has been used to address challenges from
news, advertising and botnets to supply chain security issues, No one company – or government – can
more in more than 220 and is today being applied to assess key secure the digital ecosystem alone. As a
technologies such as IoT and 5G.
global leader in technology and innovation,
countries and territories, we are proud to work with government and
including business This also necessarily requires that we industry partners around the world to build
enterprise services to cooperate with government partners a safe and secure digital ecosystem so
around the world to develop effective and
that people across the MENA region, and
countries representing harmonized regulatory frameworks that globally, can thrive.
over 99 percent of the expand – not restrict – the benefits of the No one company – or
digital economy, while also addressing the
world’s economy. need for security. Today’s open environment government – can secure
for digital media, communications, and
In response to rising threats, we are trade has yielded tremendous benefits to the digital ecosystem
using a suite of technology tools and the MENA region and the global economy, alone. As a global leader in
best practices to safeguard our network, which are only expected to multiply as IoT technology and innovation,
infrastructure, and customer data from and other emerging technologies such
malicious activity. For example, today as 5G networks and Artificial Intelligence we are proud to work with
we operate multiple Security Operations (AI) mature. Virtually every major global government and industry
Centers (SOCs) that are monitored 24/7, industry stands to benefit from these
365 days of the year and provide advance advances, and none is immune from cyber partners around the world
notification of different security events in risk. to build a safe and secure
addition to reports and alerts. We are also digital ecosystem so that
preparing our infrastructure to better meet Cyber risks extend far beyond the
future threats. To that end, our adoption telecommunications and media sectors; people across the MENA
of Software Defined Network (SDN) and industry in general, including other region, and globally, can
Network Function Virtualization (NFV) operators of critical infrastructure – is
will make it possible to shift resources vulnerable to the various threats posed thrive.

88 FEBRUARY 2020