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BT launches BT Assure Threat Intelligence

New service to help organisations combat cyber threats.


Johannesburg, 11 Feb 2015

BT today announced the launch of BT Assure Threat Intelligence, a new service designed to help organisations anticipate and defend against cyber threats, protecting their assets, customers and employees.

From DDoS attacks to hacking and data theft, cyber crime is growing and cyber criminals continue to become more sophisticated. In fact, according to a recent BT survey1 of IT decision-makers, more than half of respondents (59%) said DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly effective at subverting their IT security measures and 40% are not convinced their organisation has a response plan to effectively counter DDoS attacks. Failure to secure an organisation from attack can lead to data loss as well as significant business disruption and costs, reputational damage, legal proceedings and possible fines.

BT Assure Threat Intelligence has been created to provide organisations with round-the-clock global monitoring and assessment of cyber threats to help safeguard their electronic data and protect the interests of their shareholders and customers. It has been designed to minimise risk, enhance security and provide insight into future real and potential cyber threats so they have time to address any vulnerabilities and lower their risk profile.

The service provides highly customisable intelligence reporting, meaning threats can be identified early. Organisations can then be proactive and develop measures to mitigate any vulnerabilities before they are exploited. The service also offers remediation advice if vulnerabilities are exploited.

"We want to provide our customers with the peace of mind that comes from knowing what to look out for and how to create an effective defence against cyber threats. Timely and accurate cyber intelligence reporting is central to this," said Mark Hughes, President of BT Security.

"As a global network operator, BT is in a position to identify emerging and potential threats wherever they may come from. We can draw on a huge amount of intelligence from a variety of sources, both human and technical and draw conclusions on risk and threat to help organisations survive, thrive and keep ahead of emerging issues."

Customers are also offered a range of pre-defined intelligence reporting options, along with tailored solutions to meet their specific needs of their organisation. The bespoke options include a face-to-face workshop to identify at risk assets, any additional intelligence requirements, advice on how to efficiently deploy resources and new technologies to meet current and developing threat vectors, plus the defining of processes around how the intelligence is used and shared internally.

BT Assure's wide range of strategic partnerships with world-class organisations means it has an optimum intelligence gathering network. This includes nearly 2 000 security practitioners and professional service consultants world-wide. It is therefore also able to build a full picture of threats, analysing data in 14 follow-the-sun security operations centres.

Notes to editors:

1 BT research carried out during May 2014 to explore attitudes and levels of preparedness towards distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. The Research was based on 640 interviews with IT decision-makers in large organisations (1 000+ employees) across 11 countries - UK, France, Germany, USA, Spain, Brazil, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and Australia - and in a range of sectors -including finance, retail and public sector. The research was carried out by Vanson Bourne on behalf of BT.

For further information:
Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.btplc.com/News.

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BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of five lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Business, BT Consumer, BT Wholesale and Openreach.

For the year ended 31 March 2014, BT Group's reported revenue was lb18 287m with reported profit before taxation of lb2 312m.

British Telecommunications (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit www.btplc.com.

BT Security

BT Security is building on 70 years' experience of helping organisations around the globe and across all sectors get ahead of the threat curve and reduce the uncertainty and complexity of security. We provide an end-to-end capability to help organisations enjoy higher levels of security at a time when security budgets are not keeping pace with the threat landscape.

The sophistication of our security operations means that we think about the assets, the people, and the processes, and combine these with both network and security intelligence to help our customers stay ahead of the security risks. BT Security protects both BT and its customers. These customers are advised by a global team of 1 300 security practitioners, 600 global security specialists and a professional services team of approximately 4 000.

BT Assure Threat Intelligence is part of BT's Assure Intelligence portfolio which includes:

* Assure Threat Monitoring
* Assure Vulnerability Scanning
* Assure Threat Defence
* Assure Analytics
* Assure Log Retention

To find out more about BT Security, visit www.bt.com/btassure/securitythatmatters.

Editorial contacts

Gary Scallan
Scallan Communications
(+27) 011 425 0398
scallan@worldonline.co.za