Sophos in talks with telcos to offer cloud security services

• Keen to work with local telcos to offer cloud security to customers
• No business is too small to be a target, Sophos warns

IT security solutions provider Sophos Ltd said it is talking to Malaysian telecommunications service providers on the possibility of offering security solutions for the cloud.
 
“We have been providing security in the cloud for some time. We are working with Amazon, where users can instantly set up a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution from Sophos to protect their assets in the cloud,” said its director of sales for Asean, Sumit Bansal.
 
“We are also in talks with local telcos, including in Malaysia, to do the exact the same thing,” he told Digital News Asia (DNA) in Kuala Lumpur recently, declining to name the telcos concerned.
 
By tying up with a local partner, Sophos would have the opportunity to offer its security solutions to a wider group.
 
According to Sumit (pic), who said he hopes that an agreement can be reached in “the near future,” providing security solutions in the cloud would be one of Sophos’ main growth drivers moving ahead.
 
“In fact, we see attacks on cloud data as one of the key trends to watch out for in 2014.
 
“Today, businesses increasingly rely on various cloud services to manage their customer data, internal project plans, and financial assets.
 
“We expect to see the emergence of attacks targeting endpoints, mobile devices and credentials as a means of gaining access to corporate or personal clouds,” he added.
 
Besides addressing security needs for cloud users, the company is also keeping a close watch on Android malware.
 
“Cybercriminals will continue to explore new avenues for Android malware monetisation. Although their options on this platform are more limited than with [Microsoft Corp’s flagship operating system] Windows, mobile devices are an attractive launch-pad for attacks aimed at social networks and cloud platforms,” said Sumit.
 
He added that one of the ways that one can mitigate the risk of Android malware is by enforcing a BYOD (bring your own device) policy that prevents side-loading of mobile apps from unknown sources, and which also mandates anti-malware protection.
 
Meanwhile, he said that there is a misconception by some quarters that cybercriminals only attack big organisations.
 
“Most of the small and medium organisations think that hackers are only going after larger organisations, and that the hackers only want to steal information from large enterprises. This is completely incorrect,” said Sumit.
 
“If you think about it, what do large organisations do? They buy services from smaller organisations. If you are a large bank, you probably outsource your call centre to someone else.
 
“So, as a small or medium organisation, you have a responsibility to protect that information for your partner, yourself, your customers, and your employees,” he added.
 
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Security on the cloud: Myths dispelled
 
Cloud use in SEA facing 'rogue cloud' challenge: Symantec
 
Sophos aims for 25% revenue growth in Malaysia this year
 
Basic security products don't cut it anymore: IDC
 
 
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