BT has announced the opening of a new Cyber Security Operations Centre (Cyber SOC) in Paris, as well as announcing upgraded facilities, new customer solutions and recruitment at its existing SOCs in Madrid and Frankfurt. These new investments in its cybersecurity capabilities in Europe further enhance BT’s position as a leading provider of security services in the region and globally.
BT’s global network of Security Operations Centres and 3,000 security specialists protect BT against 125,000 cyberattacks per month, as well as offering solutions to consumers, governments and businesses, including some of the world’s best known brands. BT’s latest round of investments will offer increased protection for customers who are looking to combat escalating levels of cybercrime while deploying new technologies based on the cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT). Customers will benefit from real-time intelligence sharing across BT’s global network of SOCs, coupled with in-country capabilities such as support in local languages and compliance with data protection regulation.
The Paris Cyber SOC will provide advanced incident detection, threat intelligence, orchestration and automation services. It has also been specifically designed to meet both PDIS and European NIS Directive requirements, which would allow BT to qualify as a ‘Security Incident Detection Service’ provider. Under French law, organisations that manage Critical National Infrastructure can only contract with security providers that have the PDIS certification, and BT is currently going through the qualification process.
Kevin Brown, Managing Director of BT Security, commented: “Our ongoing expansion of our security capabilities in Europe shows BT’s commitment to providing industry-leading services to customers in the region. We are increasingly regarded as the most trusted experts to mitigate cyberthreats and we’re continuing to invest and recruit in order to meet demand. Our services are designed to meet the most demanding standards in the world for cyberattack detection, as well as the rapidly evolving requirements of our customers.”
As part of the expansion, BT’s Cyber SOC in Madrid will soon relocate to new, purpose built facilities, with around 50 cyber experts due to be based at the centre. The enhanced Cyber SOC will offer cloud SIEM (Security Incident & Event Management), allowing its cyber experts to detect and remediate cyberattacks of all types and to generate on-demand compliance reports with real-time status of organisational risk posture.
In addition, as of July 2019, BT’s Frankfurt SOC will also offer cloud SIEM services directly to customers, further harmonising BT’s portfolio of services across Europe and worldwide. BT’s Frankfurt SOC opened in 2017, providing a broad range of security services to regional and international customers, while ensuring their data is handled and stored in compliance with German regulation.
