Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) has announced a new relationship with IBM to use IBM security technologies and solutions across its Digital Trust portfolio and its Cyber Defense Centre. With world-class data security becoming an even greater challenge and organisational imperative in today’s digital-first world, du’s latest partnership with IBM will allow the Company to accelerate innovation in this field, scale and improve services, and develop more unique service solutions to meet a wide range of end-user needs. The collaboration also corresponds with the National Agenda’s mission to develop sustainable digital infrastructure and encourage technological innovation without compromising security.
Martin Tarr, Chief ICT Officer (Acting), du, said: “Successfully combating cybersecurity threats through efficient incident detection, analysis, and the response has always been dependent on effective and comprehensive partnership. With digital transformation accelerating rapidly and new threats continually presenting themselves, organizations tasked with protecting communities of customers are required to expand their cybersecurity capabilities at every available opportunity. As such, we are delighted that we will meet this obligation once more with support from IBM. Constant engagement with best-in-class partners is an enduring principle our Company adheres to, and we look forward to working with IBM in the years ahead to deliver cutting-edge solutions that leverage global expertise and the very best technologies.”
“Digital transformation is now more critical than ever, and we have lately seen a tremendous increase in client demand for our capabilities and expertise across our region – especially on the cybersecurity front,” says Hossam Seif El Din, IBM General Manager in the Middle East and Pakistan.
He added, “In the Middle East, IBM’s business partner ecosystem is central to our growth strategy, and we are proud of collaborating with du to help businesses in the region to not only respond to the ever-increasing security incidents but also support them to proactively protect their businesses from emerging threats.”
According to a recent IBM Security report, the Middle East has the second-highest average breach cost among the 17 regions evaluated, based on an in-depth examination of over 500 real-world data breaches that occurred over the past year across 17 nations. IBM security solutions can assist businesses in overcoming their most difficult security concerns, such as responding to rising cybersecurity incidents and proactively managing emerging threats.
The cooperation with IBM will enhance operations focusing on defending their digital environments and infrastructure from cyber-attacks, which is an important next step in helping enterprise clients and government institutions engaged in digital transformation projects. In due course, du will combine cutting-edge technology with open standards, as well as internal intellectual property, to provide customers and consumers with next-generation Security Operations Center SOC services. At the same time, du will get access to unique global market expertise and specialist knowledge, which will undoubtedly aid efforts to further empower enterprise and government activities.
IBM QRadar Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is already a cornerstone of du’s Cyber Defense Centre, assisting security teams in accurately detecting and prioritizing enterprise threats, as well as providing intelligent insights that allow for prudent responses and minimize incident impacts. IBM QRadar SIEM correlates information and aggregates similar events into single alerts by aggregating log events and network flow data from thousands of devices, endpoints, and apps across client networks. This speeds incident analysis and remediation.
Due to the new agreement, du’s Cybersecurity Centre will be able to deliver even more value and support to clients in the commercial and government sectors. Multiple layers of integrated security solutions will provide comprehensive ICT ecosystem protection in addition to a process-driven approach, fully managed service, always-on security, and peace of mind through an established team of security specialists.
