Singtel and FireEye launch joint Advanced Security Operations Centre

• Latest technology, expertise and intelligence to counter rising attacks in region
• 29% of customers in SEA targeted by advanced attacks in second half of 2014 

SINGAPORE Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel) and FireEye Inc have launched a joint Advanced Security Operations Centre (ASOC), combining FireEye’s security expertise with Singtel’s extensive regional data infrastructure.
 
The Singtel FireEye ASOC provides organisations with the latest technology, expertise and intelligence to enhance their security protection against the rapidly growing threat of advanced attacks in the Asia Pacific region, FireEye said in a statement.
 
Located in Singapore, the ASOC is the first facility of its kind to be integrated into Singtel’s existing network operations centre. This gives cybersecurity experts end-to-end visibility of Internet traffic, corporate networks and user end-points, for a swift response to security incidents, FireEye said.
 
The ASOC has 50 security professionals locally, and access to a global network of FireEye SOCs (Security Operations Centres) and security experts trained in handling sophisticated cyber-threats and forensics.
 
Singtel-FireEye customers will have access to experts who provide ‘follow-the-sun’ capability 24/7 to detect, protect against and respond to cyber threats.
 
“The increased frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, is a major concern of top management and boards of many enterprises,” said Bill Chang, Singtel’s chief executive officer of Group Enterprise.
 
“Damage inflicted by a cyberattack extends beyond a technology issue. Enterprises recognise this and are seeking deeper cyber-defence capabilities to protect their assets, brand reputation and customers’ trust,” he added.
 
In conjunction with the launch, Singtel and FireEye have released their first South-East Asia cyber-threat report, which they said offers a detailed look at the threat landscape based on real-world attack data collected from customers in the region.
 
For example, the report shows that 23% of all customers in Singapore have been exposed to an advanced attack between July and December 2014.
 
“We are witnessing a new cyber-arms race with nation-states and sophisticated criminal organisations operating with anonymity to breach almost any network at will,” said FireEye chairman and chief executive officer David DeWalt.
 
“The economic growth and geographic proximity of South-East Asia has made it one of the most active regions in the world for advanced cyber-attacks.
 
“Together with Singtel, we can give our customers more visibility into these attacks and help keep their networks secure with what we believe are the best tools and expertise available,” he added.
 
The ASOC houses a local data store that allows enterprises or government agencies with data location restrictions to stay compliant by keeping their data within Singapore, FireEye said.
 
The ASOC is also connected to the cloud-based FireEye Dynamic Threat Intelligence network, which provides a platform for the real-time exchange of threat intelligence, such as covert callback channels, as well as new threat findings from FireEye Labs to protect customers around the world when new attacks are identified.
 
SEA cyber threat report
 
New findings have identified South-East Asia as a region that is increasingly under cyber-attack, FireEye said.
 
The joint Singtel-FireEye report, Southeast Asia: An Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape, details how Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors and other cyber-attack groups are among those keenly interested in targets located in Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei, it added.
 
From July to December 2014, 29% of customers in South-East Asia detected malware and attempts to compromise their networks by APT actors.
 
Industry verticals most often targeted by advanced attack groups include governments (27%); telecommunications (24%); financial services (16%); high-tech and transportation (10% each).
 
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