Tag: operations

Integrity360 invests €8M in new Security Operations Centre in Dublin and creates 200 jobs

Integrity360, one of the leading pan-European cyber security specialists today announces that it has invested €8 million in its new Security Operations Centre (SOC) facility in Dublin.

As part of its growth plans, the company is also set to create approximately 200 jobs across the group over the next three years, with 50 of those based in Ireland. The majority of these roles will be for cyber security consultants, analysts and architects. Currently, Integrity360 employs circa 100 people in Ireland and approximately 500 across the wider group.

Based in the high-tech, fully secure Termini building in Sandyford, the new facility spans 16,000 square feet. It comprises the SOC and seven customer suites, as well as a training and innovation centre. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and infrastructure, along with modern collaboration areas, workspaces and meeting rooms.

The purpose-built facility will expand the company’s pan-European network of SOCs and will enable it to drive further business growth and client success in both Ireland and further afield through cutting-edge solutions and services – including Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions, all of which provide for the monitoring and management of customer IT networks on a 24/7 basis for potential cyber attacks and threats.

Furthermore, the Sandyford facility will be the group’s largest SOC utilising the latest technology and secure biometrics systems. The organisation has three other SOCs located in Sofia, Stockholm and Naples. As one of Europe’s leading cyber security specialists, Integrity360 has offices in the UK, Bulgaria, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Lithuania, and Ukraine and serves approximately 2,000 customers across the continent.

This investment follows a number of acquisitions by Integrity360 in recent years. Back in June 2021, Integrity360 received a major strategic investment from leading London-based private equity firm August Equity, operating in partnership with IT and cyber industry veteran Ian Brown who serves as the CEO and Chairman of the group.  Since then, it has acquired Caretower in the UK, Netsecure in Sweden, and Advantio which operates across continental Europe.

Through the rapid expansion of the organisation’s operations across the UK, the Nordics and continental Europe, group revenue is expected to exceed €115 million in 2023. Founded in Dublin in 2005, Integrity360 has built up an impressive customer base over the years which consists of both mid-market and enterprise companies across a wide range of sectors including financial services, insurance, government, healthcare, retail, telecoms and utilities.

The Integrity360 group specialises in and provides a comprehensive range of professional, support and managed cyber security services that identify and assess, protect and prevent, detect and analyse and respond and recover cyber risks and threats. These include incident response, penetration testing, consulting and compliance, cyber infrastructure design and project management.

Speaking at the opening, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney welcomed the announcement: “I am delighted to join the Integrity360 team in their highly impressive new Security Operations Centre. Integrity360 is an Irish indigenous company that has grown and developed to compete on a global scale and the announcement today of 200 new jobs globally with 50 based here in Dublin shows that Ireland is to the forefront of development and innovation in the cyber security space. The Government through Enterprise Ireland looks forward to continued engagement with Integrity360 to support their business development.” 

Ian Brown, Chief Executive and Chairman of Integrity360, said: “We are delighted to have made a further significant investment in Ireland with the opening of our new state of the art facility in Sandyford, which includes our largest SOC. The investment is another significant step in our growth plans as we look to expand our team, and enhance our service offering to help our customers stay ahead of the merging threat landscape. It will allow us to further strengthen our position across Europe and the UK as a leading cyber security specialist.”

Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland has been working with Integrity360 since 2012 and seen first-hand how this innovative company has gone from strength-to-strength, growing a strong customer base internationally and continuing to recruit here in Ireland. It is a testament to the vision and hard work of the team that this Irish company has grown to be a significant international player in the growing cyber security sector working with global brands. Supporting Irish companies with the ambition to scale globally is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland and we look forward to working closely with Integrity360 to optimise their full international growth potential, creating and sustaining jobs in Ireland.”

Features of a Security Operations Centre

Thinking of investing in a security operations center to protect your business against cybercrime? With hack attempts at the highest recorded level, there has never been a better time. 

Your PC, Mac, or Android requires protection against thieves. Just as it requires that protection in the real world, so too does it need virtual world protection. Cyber security systems are the modern must-have for any business, either within or without the world of IT. Statista notes 1,802 data breaches reported last year, with 422 million people affected by the hackers. Unless you want to run the risk of allowing hackers to bring your business to a standstill, organizing cybersecurity into a secure data operations center is the only way to stay safe online. 

What is a Security Operations Centre?

The modern workplace now has to concern themselves with both physical workplace safety and virtual workplace safety. And SOC allows you to monitor and control any security access points within your virtual office space. Maintaining this control allows for better protection against outside threats while simultaneously giving you one single, manageable platform from which to manage all your security needs in one place.

What are the Key Features of an SOC

There are several key features which make an SOC ideal for protecting your consumer data, company secrets, and securing staff members in the virtual world. Here are the best to keep in mind when shopping for your new Security Operations Centre.

All Security Resources in One Place

The first benefit and key feature of an SOC for your business is the ease of use. Simplifying all your security resources by collecting them on one platform is like keeping all of your files relating to one specific client in the same folder. If you know where all your online security products are, it is far easier to access them quickly. 

Easier Maintenance

When your security products are safely stored inside their own command center, you will find it far easier to maintain them. Prevention is better than cure when it comes to malware, spyware, and other nasty surprises. 

Preventative Protection

An often overlooked area of cybersecurity, prevention can offer a huge boost to your site. Using preventative, or proactive computing security measures, a security provider can anticipate attacks, loopholes, areas of weakness, and even problems with call handling or front desk support – all by running virtual scenarios which mimic your system. This process is known as virtualization, and if you are a business owner outsourcing your IT services to a cyber pro, it is the handiest thing that they will ever do for you.

Ongoing Monitoring

Another key feature of the SOC is that it allows either your IT department or your hired technicians to monitor online and offline security. Monitoring systems means you get alerts when someone is trying to break into your system. IT can alert you to streamlining issues, data loss, and even tell you when backing up your system is a good idea. 

Other Benefits and Features

Installing an SOC in your company can allow you to keep logs, recover data, remediate around security threats, define response strategies, and much more. Keep your business safe from attacks with your own Security Operations Centre.

NGMN Paves the Way for Disaggregated Networks’ Operating Models

The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance has launched its second publication on “ODiN – Operating Disaggregated Networks v2.0”, which provides a detailed breakdown on how disaggregation impacts an operator’s organisation and processes. The publication covers RAN, core and transport disaggregation and outlines how planning, deployment, service provision, optimisation and maintenance processes will be impacted. In addition, the publication highlights the impact on processes of cloudification and the need to move towards the use of greater network automation whilst embracing DevSecOps. The opportunities, challenges, and the impact on network testing are also explained. Developed by the NGMN Alliance’s Partners – operators, vendors, system integrators, and research institutes – the new publication builds on “ODiN – Operating Disaggregated Networks v1.0” from October 2021, which outlined the opportunities and challenges of network disaggregation.

Arash Ashouriha, SVP Group Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom and Chairman of the NGMN Alliance Board, states: “The successful and cost-effective adoption of disaggregated network technologies, enabling an agile implementation of innovative technologies with improved capabilities to react fast on customer demand, requires new modi operandi. In NGMN, we specifically focus on the operating model of disaggregated networks. We at Deutsche Telekom are glad to lead this initiative, working with our co-leads, who represent other geo-locations, and with the entire value chain in NGMN. “

Arvin L. Siena, Vice President & Head – Technology Strategy and Transformation Office, PLDT & Smart Communications and NGMN Alliance Board Director, adds: “The telecommunications industry has embarked on an exciting journey. One that has started to disrupt the foundations of how networks are planned, designed, built, and operated, through their adoption of network disaggregation leading towards cloud-native strategies. As Co-Lead of the ODiN Project, we are excited to push this forward together with our NGMN Partners.”

Javan Erfanian, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, Bell Canada and NGMN Alliance ODiN Project Co-Lead and Board Member, further explains: “Network disaggregation sets out the foundations for an agile and flexible future, setting the scene for operators to meet the needs of increasingly diverse use cases – across a wide range of industry sectors and with a wide range of requirements. We are very excited to work together with the operators and the entire value chain on industry solutions, enabling the industry to successfully embrace and bring to fruition network disaggregation and cloudification.”

Phase two of the NGMN Alliance ODiN Project demonstrates that, while the depth and extent of changes are indeed huge, there are broad concepts, initiatives and activities that aim to support and even accelerate the transition. From standardisation to alliances, from open proof-of-concept and integration labs to knowledge sharing and transfer, activities were collectively identified to support operators and the whole value chain in making disaggregation a success.

In the next step, the NGMN Alliance will work on more detailed guidance by outlining network disaggregation architectural options and related operating model blueprints, matched to specific deployment scenarios and operator needs. It is anticipated that “ODiN – Operating Disaggregated Networks v3.0” will be released in 2023.

Download the ODiN – Operating Disaggregated Networks v2.0 publication here.
All publications of the NGMN Alliance can be found on their website at www.ngmn.org.