BT today announced an expansion of its managed secure SD-WAN solution for business and public sector customers in the UK with new SSE (Security Service Edge) capabilities, leveraging technology from Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security. The expanded software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) service will help customers seamlessly transition from managed SD-WAN to secure access service edge (SASE), and forge ahead with their digital transformation by protecting access to their applications and data in the cloud.

Customers’ use of cloud technology is intensifying as they increasingly digitalise their businesses, shifting apps and data from their own private datacentres into public cloud services. At the same time, their organisations are more dispersed than ever, with people and devices accessing digital services from everywhere. 

BT’s existing managed SD-WAN service already provides customers with the flexibility to mix different connectivity options for each of their sites with a leading next-generation firewall. The company is now partnering with Fortinet to enhance this with new AI-powered SSE capabilities to provide a firewall-as-a-service, secure web gateway, cloud access security broker and zero-trust network access to provide a complete, managed SASE solution. This will enhance customers’ oversight of their networks backed with AI-powered proactive threat detection and data protection via BT’s unified monitoring services in the UK. It can also help customers create a zero-trust infrastructure by continuously interrogating the credentials of users and devices attempting to access the network either on the edge or out and about.   

“Our partnership with Fortinet is another signal to customers that BT has their back as they invest to become even more successful, creative, digital businesses,” said Matt Swinden, director, digital connectivity, BT. “Our new managed service enables them to provide consistent, seamless and secure experiences to their users of cloud-hosted digital services regardless of where they are accessing them from. This will help customers manage risk as they innovate with the latest connected technologies from IoT to AI.”

“Building upon our decade-long partnership, we’re proud to collaborate on the new SASE service with BT to enable its UK customers to converge networking and security,” said Nirav Shah, Vice President, Products and Solutions, Fortinet. “SASE complements the cybersecurity platform approach to delivering integrated security and secure network access regardless of where users are located. By combining Fortinet’s cutting-edge SASE and secure networking solutions with a leading choice of fixed and 5G access networks from BT, customers can have a nimble, robust, and  more secure network to help them get the best from the cloud.”

As part of the companies’ longstanding collaboration, BT has earned over 750 Fortinet accreditations, including Regional Partner status as part of the Engage Partner Program and UK Partner of the Year 2023, while Fortinet achieved Critical Partner status with BT Security. The managed service is powered by Fortinet Secure SD-WAN which was recently named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SD-WAN, marking the fifth consecutive year it has been recognized.

ENDS

Notes to editors

SASE

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud architecture model that combines network and security-as-a-service functions together and delivers them as a single cloud service.  Conceptually, SASE extends networking and security capabilities beyond where they’re typically available. This lets work-from-anywhere and remote workers, to take advantage of firewall as a service (FWaaS), secure web gateway (SWG), zero-trust network access (ZTNA), and a medley of threat detection functions.  SASE is composed of Security Service Edge (SSE) and SD-WAN.

The term SASE (pronounced “sassy”) was first described by Gartner in an August 2019 report called, “The Future of Network Security in the Cloud.” Gartner notes that in the SASE market trend report, "Customer demands for simplicity, scalability, flexibility, low latency, and pervasive security force convergence of the WAN edge and network security markets.”

The BT-managed Fortinet service leverages a number of solutions, including:

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN, which sends application traffic via a customer’s wide area network (WAN) links, using policies set by them to optimise user experience
• FortiSwitch, which provides local area network (LAN) ports for connecting additional wired devices such as desktop PC's, access points and point of sale machines.
• FortiAP Access Points, which extend Wi-Fi coverage in larger buildings simply with zero-touch deployment, and no licences to manage. Enjoy broad visibility, automated protection, and integrated threat intelligence.
• Mobile Data Access provides instant connectivity over 4G or 5G for rapid site set up and short-term needs, as well as a backup or active-active with a primary connection. All underpinned by EE; the UK’s leading mobile network.
• Fortinet Next-Generation Firewalls provide enterprise security at any edge, and at any scale on all WAN and LAN traffic as it passes through.
• FortiSASE, a cloud-delivered service that combines network and security functionalities, protecting users and devices when they are off a company's network by using common security policies and functionality similar to on-premises environments.

About the cyber security threat

Cyber security breaches and attacks remain a common threat. According to its latest figures, BT detects over 2,000 signals of potential cyber-attacks every second — over 200 million per day. It also finds web-connected devices are scanned over 1,000 times a day by known malicious sources — an average of once every 90 seconds. While some scans are conducted legitimately for security monitoring, three in four (78 per cent) are not harmless — indicating that hackers are looking for weaknesses in the online systems of businesses and essential public services, as smart tech becomes common. BT’s data revealed a 1,234 per cent annual rise in new malicious internet protocol (IP) scanners recorded across its networks in the 12 months to July 2024. The increase reflects how cyber criminals are increasingly scanning for vulnerabilities through automated, ‘one time use’ disposable bots, in an attempt to evade existing blocking and security measures.

BT’s analysis also showed that IT, defence and financial services are the three most targeted industries for cyber-attacks.  

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally. Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for SD-WAN, Jonathan Forest, Karen Brown, Nauman Raja, 30 September 2024

About Fortinet

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet's solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including CERTs, government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.  

Copyright © 2024 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSEC, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM and FortiXDR. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments. 

BT and SEACOM today announced a strategic alliance which will help SEACOM further secure its own infrastructure and deliver new networking, security and communications solutions to enterprise customers in Africa.

As a leading Internet connectivity supplier that owns Africa’s most extensive ICT infrastructure, SEACOM will be leveraging BT’s services, vendor relationships and global expertise to expand its portfolio of services aimed at African businesses. Since the launch of its Business division, SEACOM has substantially grown its customer and partnership base to strengthen its offerings and serve customers beyond existing markets.

SEACOM’s customers will benefit from access to BT’s Cloud Security Incident Event Management (SIEM) platform. In today’s business environment data, business applications and users live beyond an organisation's traditional network. SIEM tools provide real-time visibility and monitoring across the organisation's entire IT environment, providing an ideal security overlay to SEACOM's existing ICT solutions.

BT protects some of the world's largest organisations from a myriad of fast-evolving cyber threats with a global network of dedicated 24/7 Security Operations Centres (SOCs). BT’s more than 3000 cyber security experts help customers detect, analyse and quickly respond to cybersecurity incidents as they happen.

“We’re excited to form this strategic alliance with BT and see the combined value of what we bring to our respective markets. With SEACOM’s global network and local presence, and BT’s global reach and expertise, we will be able to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of Cloud, security, and connectivity services that are reliable, scalable, and at the cutting-edge of industry,” says Oliver Fortuin, Group Chief Executive Officer of SEACOM.

Alessandro Adriani, director of system integrators and telecom service providers at BT’s Global unit, said: “We are thrilled to deliver BT’s world-class solutions to SEACOM and to their customers across the African continent. The areas of secure multi-cloud connectivity, next-generation networking solutions and collaboration services are the sweet spot where SEACOM and BT will combine their respective strengths.”

Business customers to benefit from BT’s resilient and secure solutions combined with MTN’s presence on the African continent 

Today, BT and MTN Business announced a strategic alliance which will offer world class security and communications services to business customers across Africa.

New and existing MTN Business customers will get access to a raft of solutions, including cloud-based security and consultancy, managed connectivity, and voice services which will be delivered seamlessly as part of MTN’s Enterprise portfolio, meeting local regulatory and compliance requirements. 

The two leading operators will collaborate closely to enhance each other’s strengths. Customers will benefit from BT’s leading-edge technology combined with MTN’s strong presence on the ground and proximity to customers.

The first offering by BT and MTN will be a Security Operations Centre (SOC)-service, which will enable customers to consistently monitor and improve their cyber-security while preventing, detecting, analysing, and responding to cyber-security incidents. The new service is based on BT’s cloud-based Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) service, which combines the leading technologies with BT’s unparalleled track record in securing leading global organisations.

With a subscription-based model that requires no capital investment, and BT’s accredited security team providing 24x7 monitoring and in-life support, the service will be scaled up and available immediately to MTN’s existing and new customers. The partnership is evidence of MTN Business’s ongoing drive to provide digital solutions, world class services and innovation to businesses across the continent.

MTN will also tap into BT’s wide range of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) solutions, including the provision of wholesale voice, Microsoft Teams voice, and global SIP solutions.

Alessandro Adriani, indirect sales director, BT, said: “The world’s leading banks, healthcare providers, energy companies and governments put their trust in BT to connect and secure their operations. We look forward to working with MTN to bring the same cutting-edge services and solutions to businesses across the African continent.”

“MTN Business continues to deliver innovative solutions to ensure the benefits of the digital economy are expanded to more people and entities across Africa. As this growth happens, however, it is imperative to manage risk. MTN Business is excited about the potential this alliance has to offer and is committed to providing solutions that ensure businesses thrive in the digital economy of the future”, says Wanda Matandela, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN.

ENDS

About the MTN South Africa

Launched in 1994, MTN South Africa is a subsidiary of MTN Group, a leading emerging market operator with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers. We are inspired by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code ‘MTN’. Our strategy is Ambition 2025: Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress.

Follow MTN:                                      

www.twitter.com/MTNza

www.linkedin.com/company/mtn

• First-of-a-kind programme to address industry-wide cyber skills gap will see BT employees retrained and placed into cyber security roles
• BT is investing in its people and is offering a life-changing career move
• Digital hands-on curriculum provided by BT’s accredited learning partner CAPSLOCK and developed around common cyber security workplace scenarios

BT is today launching a pilot employee cyber security reskilling programme in collaboration with award-winning cyber security training organisation, CAPSLOCK. The online 16-week course will retrain current BT employees and equip them with the skills needed to pursue a new career in Security – one of the fastest growing parts of BT.

The programme is being launched to help tackle the shortfall of people with cyber security skills, which has become a serious issue for businesses of all types. The Department for Digital Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) estimates that approximately half of UK organisations have a basic cyber skills gap, while at the same time, the ‘Great Resignation’ is signalling a thirst for change amongst the nation’s workforce.

After a rigorous recruitment process, 30 employees have been selected from BT’s Consumer and Global divisions across the UK and will start the scheme today with an in-person induction day in Birmingham. Course participants will secure a new cyber security role at the end of the programme.

BT learners will study an accredited, interactive and team-based learning curriculum. Developed and delivered by CAPSLOCK’s industry experts and academic professionals, it will simulate the full spectrum of real-world cyber problems from managing incidents, detecting malware and social engineering threats, to penetration testing, governance, risk and policy. This career-changing opportunity will provide BT learners with sought after skills and up to five certifications.

Perceptions of the cyber security profession unfortunately remain centred around those with a set of highly specialised technical skills. The reality is that the field needs a broad array of skills and experts to fill a range of roles, many of which rely on transferable skills that some people already possess or, importantly, can be easily developed through a programme such as CAPSLOCK.

Although BT will offer learners a number of roles suited to both technical and non-technical skillsets, it is the harder-to-fill more technical roles that this programme will address. Jobs available will include cyber operations, threat intelligence and technical design and will be located in Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow.

What’s more, during the course CAPSLOCK will provide dedicated learner support including one-to-one professional coaching, careers counselling and mental health first aiders.

The new launch of the programme reinforces BT’s investment in its people across the organisation and its commitment to training, development, and now reskilling to future-proof its employees’ careers. Learners will also be paired up with BT cyber mentors to ensure they are successful in their career transition.

Once graduated, BT’s new cyber employees will become a Protector, contributing to the protection of BT, its 30 million UK customers, governments, and critical national infrastructure.

Kevin Brown, Managing Director, BT Security said: “There simply aren’t enough people with the necessary skills to fill the amount of cyber security jobs available. The ‘cyber skills gap’ is a hot topic in the security industry, and this pilot reskilling programme with CAPSLOCK is a key part of how we’re working to develop the next generation of cyber security professionals. The scheme is all about opening doors for those who might not have seen an obvious way into a security career, and we’re welcoming people who have different skillsets, backgrounds and ages as we’re really looking for a diverse range of talent across our security team.”

Dr Andrea Cullen, Co-founder at CAPSLOCK said: “Our mission in partnership with BT is to enable anybody with potential to enrol and change careers into cyber security. Importantly, we want to change perceptions that it is not just technical skills that are required to do well in this sector. The reality is that the field needs a broad array of skills and experts to fill a range of roles, many of which rely on transferable skills that many people already possess, and the holistic cyber skills which are developed throughout the CAPSLOCK course. With the right attitude and determination, anybody – no matter their past experience, education or age – has the potential to start a career in IT, technology, or cyber security.”

-ENDS-

About BT Security:

As a global leader of managed security services, we help customers thrive in a digital world by delivering world-class security solutions. With operations in over 180 countries and a team of 3000 security experts around the globe, BT supports some of the world’s largest companies, nation states and critical national infrastructures.

We protect our networks against around 6500 cyber-attacks every day, and this deep expertise combined with our global reach gives us a unique perspective on the cyber landscape. We’re constantly analysing, predicting and responding to the latest threats, and we leverage the latest developments in technology and innovation to protect the UK’s infrastructure, business and citizens.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/security

 Further useful links:

• BT Security Careers Page
• Who are the Protectors? – YouTube
• Meet the Real Protectors - YouTube

About CAPSLOCK:

CAPSLOCK is an award-winning educational organisation that delivers cyber security bootcamps online, with no up-front costs. They help adults fully re-skill to become qualified cyber professionals in as little as four months, by removing barriers to career-changing education whilst bringing greater diversity into the cyber security sector. CAPSLOCK are interested in a learner's potential rather than in their past, so there are no academic entry requirements needed to enrol. Their graduates have been hired by the BBC, ITV, Allianz, BT, Dyson, PwC and many more. In 2021, they were named the 'Most Innovative Cyber Security SME of the Year' by the UK government.

By Lynn Studd, Director of Global Secure Solutions

Last weekend I had the honour of presenting prizes to the winners of the East of England Final at this year’s National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst Girls Competition.

The event, one of 13 finals held around the country, took place at the home of BT research and innovation, Adastral Park, Ipswich, where Watford Grammar School for Girls were announced the winners by the NCSC.

For a number of years, voices from across the security industry have highlighted a cyber skills gap – a profession that needs to attract more than 4 million more dedicated and trained colleagues globally.

And yet, the strong job stability and career path that cybersecurity offers aren’t so widely enjoyed by women and girls who are under-represented in the profession. So, what’s going on?

Well, as Sheryl Sandberg once said, “you can’t be what you can’t see.” Nearly a decade on, this still rings true. Just 16% of the cyber workforce identify as female.

Education from an early age is, of course, a major part of closing the gender gap in cyber. Schools are persistently working to encourage gender diversity in STEM. But it goes beyond education and requires encouragement and exposure to the world of cybersecurity from an early age.

We need to provide a forum for school children to engage with and understand the profession, using demonstrations, workshops and classes to inspire them to strive for cybersecurity careers.

The answer may lie in the perception of the cybersecurity profession as aspirational, only for those with a set of highly specialised technical skills. But, for girls who don’t fancy themselves as the next ethical hackers of the world, cyber security isn’t just about computers and coding, and it’s not only for hackers and geeks.

We too often focus on the components of cyber security (like coding networks and hardware), but not what the role itself looks and feels like. The reality is that the field needs a broad array of skills and experts to fill a range of roles, and these roles include people with all skill sets.

This is why collaborative initiatives like CyberFirst are focused on introducing girls aged 12 to 13 to the fast-paced world of cyber security and support those interested in a career in the industry, and the broad array of roles that come with it.  

By showing how accessible it can be to young women and girls we’re building momentum that will create the workforce needed to tackle the security problems of the future.

For more information on careers at BT Security, visit: https://www.bt.com/careers/careers-at-bt/security

For more information on the CyberFirst programme, visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/overview

^{IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT suppliers in a given market.  The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures vendor product, go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of vendor strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Vendor market share is represented by the size of the circles.} 
 

• BT named as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: European Managed Security Services 2022 Vendor Assessment
• Report recognises BT’s security capabilities, research and investment, and collaborative relationships with customers, vendors and academia
• The positioning follows BT’s investment in cyber risk assessment company Safe Security and the launch of transformational Eagle-i platform in 2021

BT was today named as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: European Managed Security Services 2022 Vendor Assessment report. BT’s security team provides solutions to consumers, governments and businesses around the world, and protects the company’s global network against around 200,000 cyber-attacks per month. The placement reflects BT’s “combination of pan-European network assets and proven experience and capabilities in security”.

BT was recognised for its ability to seamlessly integrate its security portfolio with wider network and cloud solutions, and for its wider emphasis on security innovation and partnerships across leading academic and research institutions. Its recent investment in Safe Security was also highlighted, as their risk assessment and prediction capabilities were seen as becoming increasingly important in light of recent supply chain attacks such as SolarWinds.

Last year, BT launched its transformational new cyber defence platform ‘Eagle-i', which incorporates AI to advance the speed and capability of its security operations. The IDC MarketScape report stated that the use of proprietary technology in Eagle-i, and the platform’s ability to draw on threat intelligence from BT’s extensive European network infrastructure, “makes it hard to match precisely by other MSSPs (Managed Security Service Providers).”

Joel Stradling, Research Director, European Security at IDC, said. “BT is a Leader for MSS in Europe thanks to its extensive routes to market, its significant footprint of regional security operations centres, and having qualified local security practitioners in place. Whilst BT operates globally, it is in Europe where it possesses its deepest threat landscape intelligence and customer intimacy. BT’s investment in Safe Security allows BT to layer on risk quantification and breach prediction capabilities along with visibility and control features that are available in its Eagle-i platform into a single integrated fully managed service for European customers."

Kevin Brown, Managing Director of Security at BT, said: “With the market becoming more competitive every year, we’re delighted to be recognised by the IDC MarketScape as a leader for MSS in Europe. We know the security industry and our customers rightly place a huge amount of value on IDC MarketScape assessments, which provide an objective and insightful view of organisations’ current and long-term capabilities. This positioning is a great validation of not only our strategy, investments and portfolio, but more importantly of our fantastic team across the globe who underpin everything we do.”

The IDC MarketScape report is based on a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment of the region’s leading security organisations, which evaluates both direct company submissions and their customers’ feedback. The report judges both their current capabilities and expected future success in the marketplace.

For more information on the IDC MarketScape: European Managed Security Services 2022 Vendor Assessment [Ref: EUR146178820, January 2022] report, visit the BT website.

Under the terms of the agreement, BT hybrid cloud services will be based on Rackspace Technology’s cutting-edge solutions, which the company will deploy in BT data centres along with its Rackspace Fabric management layer.

Customers will benefit from the integration of Rackspace Technology’s cloud management expertise and automation, analytics, and AI tools with BT’s world-leading network and security capabilities.

This will enhance customer experience and enable BT to further evolve its managed cloud services.

Bas Burger, CEO of BT’s Global unit, said: “This innovative partnership with Rackspace Technology accelerates our plans to build a world-class hybrid cloud portfolio. It will deliver outstanding experiences for our customers and ensure they benefit from the best services, backed by our partner’s leadership in cloud.”

Kevin Jones, CEO of Rackspace Technology, said, “This exciting partnership with BT validates Rackspace Technology’s expertise in helping large, multinational enterprises in their cloud transformation journey and provides both companies with unique industry positioning. It highlights the enduring long-term value of a hybrid cloud model, as BT customers will now have access to the best of public cloud, private cloud, and traditional hosted environments alongside the speed, security, and resilience of BT’s worldwide networks.”

The companies have also committed to extend their partnership in the future to create new joint cloud offerings for their customers.

BT today announced it is working with ABB to elevate its internationally managed communications infrastructure to new levels of performance, choice and agility to support the company’s new operating model. It follows the signing of a new contract between the two companies.

The new contract builds on an existing agreement, signed in 2014, under which BT consolidated and optimised the leading global technology company’s international communications infrastructure. Working with ABB’s Information Systems team, BT will now transform the network infrastructure to create a sustainable, resilient and secure core platform featuring a highly automated and data-driven managed service.

Security is a top priority for ABB as it executes its cloud strategy, which includes consolidating data centres and moving more applications and data into the cloud. BT will enable ABB’s cloud-first ambitions with an end-to-end, compliant, multi-layered cyber security environment. It will deploy, manage and monitor over 1,100 end-point devices, continuously verifying every device, user and application accessing the network.

The communications infrastructure will reliably and securely connect people, devices and machines at over 600 facilities in 60 countries. Using the latest software-defined networking technology, it will offer ABB a choice of connectivity options for each site, including 5G access.

It will also provide ABB with a new software-driven platform delivered over Wifi 6 to enable mobility and digital manufacturing concepts, such as robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies at production sites. Both companies have committed to a co-innovation fund as part of the contract.

By choosing BT, ABB is ensuring its network is delivered by a provider using 100 per cent renewable electricity globally with a commitment to achieving net zero emissions across all its operations by 2030.

“ABB’s world-class technology and digital capabilities are deeply embedded in our DNA. Maintaining and improving our innovation, technology and digital leadership is a strategic priority across the company,” said Alec Joannou, Group CIO, ABB. “BT is a great fit for our Information Systems function. As our trusted partner, it has helped us keep pace with a dynamic digital landscape and is now evolving our communications infrastructure to support our digital ambitions.”

“The cloud-first network and digital managed services we’re delivering will further enhance agility across ABB’s businesses,” said Bas Burger, CEO, Global, BT. “The unique trust between our two companies empowers us to push ahead as we connect ABB’s people, devices and machines in a sustainable and responsible way.” 

BT today announced that it has developed an epidemiology-based cybersecurity prototype, “Inflame”, which uses deep reinforcement learning to enable enterprises to automatically detect and respond to cyber-attacks before they compromise a network. Using the spread of viruses in human populations as a model to inform its AI, Inflame is a key component in BT’s recently-announced Eagle-i platform.

Epidemiological modelling is typically associated with the spread of viruses and diseases amongst human populations, and has been critical in analysing and managing the spread of COVID-19 over the past 20 months. Using the same principals of epidemiology, BT’s Inflame solution has been developed to understand how computer viruses and cyber-attacks spread across enterprise networks, and how to prevent them from happening.

To develop the technology, security researchers at the BT Labs in Suffolk, UK, built models of enterprise networks which were used to test numerous scenarios based on differing R rates[1] of cyber-infection. This testing enabled the research team to understand how these threats can penetrate and compromise a network, and develop optimal automated responses needed to contain and prevent the spread of viruses across them.

The deep reinforcement training and learning undertaken in the development of Inflame means the solution can automatically model and respond to a detected threat within an enterprise network. These responses are also underpinned by ‘attack lifecycle’ modelling, which assesses real-time security alerts against established patterns to understand the current stage of an ongoing cyber-attack. This insight is used to predict the next stages of an attack and rapidly identify the best response to prevent it from progressing any further.

BT recently announced its transformational cyber defence platform ‘Eagle-i', which uses AI to provide real-time detection of issues and intelligent automated responses. The platform has been designed to self-learn from the intelligence provided by each intervention, so that it constantly improves its threat knowledge and dynamically refines how it protects other users going forward.

“We know the risk of cyber-attack is higher than ever and has intensified significantly during the pandemic. Enterprises now need to look to new cybersecurity solutions that can understand the risk and consequence of an attack, and quickly respond before it’s too late,” said Howard Watson, Chief Technology Officer, BT. “Epidemiological testing has played a vital role in curbing the spread of infection during the pandemic, and Inflame uses the same principles to understand how current and future digital viruses spread through networks. Inflame will play a key role in how BT’s Eagle-i platform automatically predicts and identifies cyber-attacks before they impact, protecting customers’ operations and reputation.”

• Relentless growth and ever-changing nature of the threat landscape dictates a new, proactive approach to cyber security
• Customers to benefit from advances in AI and automation, combined with BT’s networking expertise, in transformational cyber defence platform
• Eagle-i builds on BT’s recent security investment and partner ecosystem to address issues such as a more than 50% increase in malware traffic over the last 6 months

Business and public sector bodies continue to face an exponential growth in the volume and complexity of cyber attacks, with new research from BT identifying a more than 50% increase in malware traffic over the last 6 months. Alongside a global shortage of skilled security professionals, organisations around the world are struggling to keep a lid on evolving cyber threats and maintain their defences.

In response, BT is launching its most sophisticated cyber defence platform yet — Eagle-i. It combines BT’s industry-leading network insight with advances in AI and automation to predict, detect and neutralise security threats before they get a chance to inflict damage. The platform has been designed to self-learn from the intelligence provided by each intervention, so that it constantly improves its threat knowledge and dynamically refines how it protects customers across a multi-cloud environment.

Eagle-i will utilise an AI layer to provide real-time detection of issues and intelligent automated responses, enabling users to significantly speed up their reaction to security issues and outpace their cyber threats. It is also uniquely able to integrate with technologies from across the security ecosystem so that organisations can both optimise their capabilities and spot any holes in their defences without having to replace existing investments. The platform will underpin how BT protects its global operations and provide phased enhancements and increased functionalities for all BT’s managed security services.

Kevin Brown, managing director, BT Security, said: “Security is now at the top of the boardroom and government agenda – yet many organisations are seeing their cyber risks increase to unmanageable levels. This situation demands a new, proactive approach. Eagle-i leverages the latest advances in AI and automation to continually monitor, learn and evolve so customers can stay a step ahead of cyber criminals.”

For more information on Eagle-i, click here.

BT was recently designated a ‘Partner’ of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) ‘CyberFirst’ programme. In this blog, Kevin Brown (Managing Director, BT Security) and Chris Ensor (Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, NCSC) look at the cyber skills gap, and how initiatives such as CyberFirst are helping to tackle this issue.

For a number of years, voices from across the security industry have highlighted a cyber skills gap, where there simply aren’t enough people with the right knowledge and skills to fill the number of cyber security jobs available. Both private & public sector organisations from across the world are impacted by this, with many publicly committing to work collaboratively to tackle this issue.

Developing the next generation of skilled cyber professionals is understandably a long-term process – whether that be training young people from school onwards through to reskilling current professionals with transferable experience. Yet the need for new talent is already immediate. The unprecedented growth in people spending more time online over the past 18 months has highlighted the importance of the cyber security industry and some estimates suggest there could be currently 3.5 million unfilled cyber security vacancies across the globe.

The CyberFirst programme, run by the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – is at the core of the UK’s response to this issue. The programme was set up in 2016 to help young people aged 11 to 21 explore their passion for technology through cyber security and to support those with an aptitude for the subject to pursue careers in the field.

It also has a clear objective to improve diversity in the cyber sector, with initiatives aimed at inspiring more girls to take up opportunities to enter cyber security jobs. The CyberFirst Girls Competition, for example, is the UK’s flagship cyber contest for schools, and through online challenges and puzzles, girls aged 12 to 13 are introduced to the fast-paced world of cyber security.[1]

BT has supported CyberFirst since its inception, and in recognition of its long-term advocacy and increased support over the past 12 months it was recently awarded ‘Partner’ status. BT is one of only 7 companies[2] to have this status, which will allow it to play a more active role in defining the strategy and direction of the programme. It also recognises how BT has engaged with the CyberFirst programme to develop its recruitment processes and provide real near-term benefits to its workforce.

BT has achieved this by ensuring that its work with CyberFirst is focused on one key principle – that, fundamentally, everyone benefits if we can make it easier for skilled and passionate people to actually enter roles in the cyber industry. It may sound simplistic or obvious, but one of the most impactful things we can do is to remove some of the hurdles, complications and delays that young people face when trying to join the sector.

For example, every year, the CyberFirst programme sets up hundreds of summer placements for carefully selected and security-checked university students on its bursary programme and they are placed at organisations across the cyber industry, including BT.

The benefits of these placements are evident, for the students who gain practical real-world experience of cyber careers and for the organisations in identifying talented people. However, some organisations do not take the logical next step and set up a process which allows talented students to create a future commitment with the company they were placed with. Instead, upon graduating from university, students simply go onto the job market.

In response to this, BT has streamlined its recruitment processes to improve its conversion of CyberFirst summer placement students onto its graduate programme. We have worked collaboratively to align our respective recruitment and assessment processes, resulting in a model where CyberFirst placement students receive an offer to join BT’s graduate scheme prior to their return to the final year of university (rather than needing to wait until they’ve finished their degrees).

This year, 22 CyberFirst bursary students were recruited by BT for its 2021 Summer Placement programme, which is the largest number since it started working with CyberFirst. The placements began in June and will run for 10 weeks, and provided the students meet the criteria we hope that many will go on to join the graduate programme.

Solutions for the cyber skills gap, and the impact of initiatives to tackle it, will not be instant. However, by working collaboratively across the public and private sector, we can build momentum that will create the workforce needed to tackle the security problems of the future. Shorter term, removing the obstacles that can hinder young people starting and progressing their careers provides an excellent way of encouraging more immediate entrants to the industry.

For more information on careers at BT Security, visit: https://www.bt.com/careers/careers-at-bt/security

For more information on the CyberFirst programme, visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/overview

With the number and impact of cyber attacks continuing to increase rapidly, BT has today announced a multi-million pound investment in Safe Security, an industry-leading cyber risk management firm. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, their SAFE (‘Security Assessment Framework for Enterprises’) platform allows organisations to take a health check of their existing defences and understand their likelihood of suffering a major cyber attack.

Industry analysis estimates that the cost of global cyber crime reached over US$1 trillion in 2020, as criminals exploited seismic changes in everyday life to target both individuals and organisations of all sizes. With high-profile recent incidents impacting critical areas such as energy infrastructure and medical care, businesses and governments are under huge pressure to objectively assess how protected they are against the latest forms of cyber attack.

The investment will allow BT to combine the SAFE platform with its world-leading managed security services to provide customers with a real time view of how safe they are against an incredibly fast-moving cyber threat landscape. SAFE is unique in calculating a financial cost to customers’ risks and giving actionable insight on the steps that can be taken to address them. The platform ultimately enables organisations to surgically target gaps in their defences, and already protects multiple Fortune 500 companies and governments around the world.

Philip Jansen, Chief Executive of BT, said: “Cyber security is now at the top of the agenda for businesses and governments, who need to be able to trust that they’re protected against increasing levels of attack. Adding SAFE to BT’s proactive, predictive security services will give customers an enhanced view of their threat level, and rapidly pinpoint specific actions needed to strengthen their defences. Already one of the world’s leading providers in a highly fragmented security market, this investment is a clear sign of BT’s ambition to grow further.”

Saket Modi, Co-founder and CEO of Safe Security, said: “We’re delighted to be working with a proven global security leader in BT. Their investment and strategic partnership with Safe Security will further accelerate our vision of making SAFE scores the industry standard for measuring and mitigating cyber risks. By aligning BT’s global reach and capabilities with SAFE’s ability to provide real-time visibility on cyber risk posture, we are going to fundamentally change how cyber security is measured and managed across the globe.”

As part of this investment, BT will be granted exclusive rights to use and sell SAFE to businesses and public sector bodies in the UK, and will incorporate the platform within its wider global portfolio. In recognition of its experience in providing security solutions to organisations across the world, BT will be designated as the recommended global partner for improving a customer’s SAFE score. BT will also work collaboratively with Safe Security to develop future products.

BT today announced it is upgrading the global network of leading commercial explosives and blasting systems provider Orica with the latest cloud-optimised technology and cyber security solutions. The upgrade is part of Orica’s digital transformation and will support the migration of applications and services to the cloud.

Orica, which operates in more than 100 countries, utilises innovative, market-leading digital solutions built on cutting-edge technology and automation to create safer, more productive blast outcomes for customers.

The new managed network service, based on Cisco SD-WAN technology, will provide secure and flexible connectivity for the company’s more than 13,000 employees, many of whom work remotely on customer sites around the world.

For Orica’s IT team, BT will provide a single dashboard with comprehensive visibility of network traffic flows, infrastructure monitoring, applications performance management tools, end-user experience monitoring, security and event logging, and inventory discovery. Wrapped in ITIL service management, the dashboard will provide the capability to optimise an individual application’s performance to match business needs.

BT will also help Orica enhance cyber security across the new network and extend it into the manufacturing environment. BT’s security experts will deploy and manage a range of security solutions, including next generation firewalls from Cisco, and an enhanced remote access solution for Orica’s mobile workforce.

Angus Melbourne, Orica’s chief technology officer, said: “BT has been our trusted network partner for five years. We considered many technology and service options for our digital transformation and eventually chose BT as it offers a fully managed service built around our preferred technical solution covering Orica’s global locations. Our network transformation will not only result in improved service, but also reduce the cost of our global network.”

Joris van Oers, managing director, resources, manufacturing and logistics & Europe, Global, BT, said: “It’s great to see our two long-standing relationships continue to bear fruit. Firstly, we are delighted to continue supporting our innovative and dynamic customer Orica, and help their teams conduct their jobs safely, productively and sustainably. And secondly, we are drawing on the strength of our global partnership with Cisco to deliver the latest networking solutions required for our customer’s successful digital transformation.”

BT announced today an extension of its long-term strategic agreement with Syngenta, one of the world’s leading agricultural technology companies.

Syngenta helps improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. As part of the extended strategic agreement, BT will support Syngenta’s requirements for flexible and adaptable consumption of services covering advanced networking, connectivity and security solutions, while aiming to create additional opportunities for joint innovation.

Through highly reliable services that enable collaboration and communication, BT will help Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds focus on being a market leader with world-class science and innovative crop solutions that help farmers sustainably grow more from less.

BT will continue to provide a full range of networking and communication services, as well as cloud security, to support Syngenta’s operations across more than 400 locations in 60 countries. These include key agriculture markets in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, China, India, Egypt and Ukraine.

In addition, this renewal provides the foundation for an ongoing relationship and potential to explore new ways BT could enable Syngenta’s growth and sustainability ambitions.

Nadja Risse, director of healthcare and life sciences at Global, BT, said: “Since 2000, BT has been a key enabler of Syngenta’s successful digital journey and we are honoured to continue our long-standing relationship with one of the most innovative global leaders in the sector. As we launch more and more digitally native services in our portfolio, BT will look to help empower Syngenta to achieve its ambitious sustainability goals and unlock opportunities to transform farmers’ lives through data and science.”

BT Security has published the results of a global survey which canvassed the opinions of over 7000 business leaders, employees and consumers from across the world. The research, conducted in partnership with Davies Hickman Partners, found that in a rapidly changing business environment, the role of the CISO has hugely expanded in its scope and responsibilities. With the research also identifying security as the top priority for businesses after coronavirus, CISOs have never been more integral to business operations.

With this in mind, the research’s finding that 76% of business executives rate their organisation’s IT strategy as excellent or good at protecting against cybersecurity threats seems like positive news. Yet in spite of this, the research also found that this might be misplaced confidence which is leading to complacency, with 84% of executives also saying that their organisation had suffered from data loss or a security incident in the last two years – highlighting the enormity of the task that CISOs face.

The research uncovered a number of interesting reasons why this might be happening. Less than half of respondents said they had definitely received training on data security, while only one in three were fully aware of the policies and procedures they should take to protect the security of their organisation’s data. As a result, a number of concerning behavioural trends were seen, with 45% of employees saying they’d suffered a security incident at work and not reported it, and perhaps even more worryingly, 15% saying they had given their work log-in and password to others in the organisation.

Regular cyber security training for employees is critical, not least because of the increasing importance that consumers are placing on security. The research found that nearly two thirds of consumers would recommend an organisation that makes a big effort to keep their data safe, and a similar number said that security is more important than convenience when choosing who to buy from. The capacity for security to act as a brand differentiator becomes even clearer with the finding that only 16% of consumers strongly trust large organisations to protect their personal data.

In light of these trends and attitudes, the role of the CISO is simultaneously more critical and more multifaceted than even before. Their job is no longer just to protect against threats and manage risk; they are now expected to play a crucial role in managing brand perception, employee engagement and the strategic adoption of new technologies. In spite of this, the research found that less than half of executives and employees could put a name to their CISO (or equivalent), with a similar ratio of respondents saying that their CISO doesn’t actively communicate with the rest of the organisation.

Kevin Brown, Managing Director of BT Security, said: “This report provides a number of clear examples of how CISOs are now expected to provide leadership across an ever-growing number of areas. The huge increase in the pace of digital transformation during 2020 has not only further erased the traditional parameters of the role, but also intensified the scale and complexity of threats to protect against. As a result, CISOs must ensure that they have the visibility that not only makes them the first port of call for security incidents, but also ensures they’re placed at the heart of strategic decision making and planning.”

Craig Jones, Director of Cybercrime at INTERPOL, commented: “The range and scale of cybercrime faced by governments, businesses and individuals is constantly growing. We firmly believe in working collaboratively across the public and private sector to make cyberspace a safer place, and this very much includes CISOs, who are often the first line of defence in responding to cyberattacks. This research from BT shows clearly the increasing responsibilities and expectations placed on the CISO today, and a number of clear steps they can take to improve their protections and our collective resilience.”

The full report, which also provides a number of recommendations around how organisations can improve their security posture, is available to view here: https://www.globalservices.bt.com/en/insights/whitepapers/cisos-under-the-spotlight

For further information on how BT can secure your organisation, visit: www.bt.com/security  

The AIRQKD trial combines BT’s globally leading expertise in building quantum-secure networks using QKD (Quantum Key Distribution – an essentially un-hackable, cutting edge technique for sharing encryption ‘keys’ between locations using a stream of single photons) with other new techniques for applying quantum security to mobile devices, developed by UK start-ups Nu Quantum, Angoka and Duality.

The trial, which will run for 36 months, is funded with £7.7M by the Quantum Technologies Challenge, led by UK Research and Innovation. It will for the first time combine Quantum Key Distribution over fixed fibre and free-space networks (point-to-point laser connections between cell sites), with quantum-enhanced security chips in mobile devices.

In combination, these technologies will be used to deliver an ultra-secure link between connected 5G towers and mobile devices, as well as to connected cars, in conjunction with the Warwick Manufacturing Group at Warwick University.

The new trial builds upon BT’s current fibre-based testbed for QKD, which runs between Cambridge and the BT Labs at Adastral Park, Suffolk. It will pave the way for the development of a wide range of quantum-secured use-cases, for applications where ultra-security of data transfer is especially important.

Cambridge-based Nu Quantum, one of the UK’s newest quantum technology start-ups, will be the provider of quantum components: small modules capable of manipulating the faintest light signals (single photons of light) to generate and communicate absolutely secure quantum encryption keys.

Other partners include Belfast-based Angoka, Bristol’s Duality Quantum Photonics and London-based Arqit; all cutting-edge start-ups specialising in the new field of Quantum tech, in which the UK is increasingly seen as taking an early lead.

Professor Andrew Lord, BT’s head of optical network research, said: “The UK has firmly established itself as a global leader in quantum-based network security. With the AIRQKD trial, we’re delighted to be taking this to the next level and combining multiple quantum technologies from innovative UK start-ups to build the world’s most secure fixed-mobile communications link. Connected cars are only one of the possible range of applications that will benefit from such ultra-secure connectivity in the future.”

Dr Carmen Palacios Berraquero, co-founder and CEO of Nu Quantum said: “In this project, we are basically creating the architecture for a whole new quantum-telecommunication industry, with a supply chain running from component manufacture through to end user. At Nu Quantum we have the unique ability to use the smallest packets of light, making the most of quantum mechanics and the security advantage it can give us. This 3-year partnership with BT and others across the UK is an important step taking quantum out of the lab and into our networks.”

Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director for the UK Quantum Technologies Challenge, said: “This investment is part of a wider package delivered by The National Quantum Technologies Programme, which is set to make a £1 billion investment over its life-time. This is ground-breaking technology but also commercially important, the close collaboration between the parties accelerating the establishment of a UK supply chain.”

AIRQKD is an Innovate UK funded project involving the following partners: BT, Lexden Technologies, OLC, Duality, Bristol University, Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, Strathclyde University, Warwick University Manufacturing Group, Bay Photonics, Heriot Watt University, Angoka, ArQit, Nu Quantum, National Physical Laboratory, CSA Catapult, Edinburgh University.

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Relevant links:

BT Labs: https://atadastral.co.uk/