Intelligent security through improved cyber security capability

Dimension Data has grown its Intelligent Security business with the introduction of additional capabilities and a dedicated SecOps team.

Since its launch in December 2019, along with a very tight interlock with the NTT Security team, the Intelligent Security business has invested in significant platforms and skills to support its efficiency and scalability for clients.

Mari-Louise Labuschagne, Product Development Executive for Intelligent Security, says: "Scaling our capability to build and offer managed services was our most important initiative when embarking on the development of this new business." She adds: “Now that we can build, we can materially differentiate ourselves through innovative, market-relevant solutions. The threat landscape changes daily – operational capability needs to ensure it keeps up with this change.”

For Labuschagne, the key to providing managed security services is the ability to predict, respond and remediate in as short a time as possible. And in order to do so, Dimension Data has invested in its Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) platform using an ecosystem of deeply integrated technologies.

“The SOAR platform has hundreds of standard integrations into different security technologies as well as catering for custom integrations. This allows us to support clients that have existing technology estates without having to invest in new technology. It also provides us with the scalability to provide services across multiple geographies across the Middle East and Africa,” says Labuschagne.

Dimension Data's Peter Pappas, Executive for SecOps for the security business, says from an operational perspective, Dimension Data now has the platform to accurately assess and contextualise threat vectors resulting in the ability to respond to major security incidents rapidly. Pappas adds: “Our security engineers understand and appreciate the enormity of the responsibility they shoulder in protecting our clients' critical assets. With the SOAR platform, we can govern the operational processes resulting in material service improvements, which our clients will experience when they consume our SOAR-enabled managed services. After all, the provision of security services is first and foremost about trust.”

Significantly reducing the amount of data that security analysts have to manually review, verify and then raise an incident for, is ideally what will lead to better response and remediation. “With the managed services solutions in place, we will increase the accuracy of detection and enable Dimension Data to move into the containment phase sooner, in conjunction with our clients and their security incident response process,” says Pappas.

“Dimension Data Security’s investment in its core security platforms and skills illustrates an unwavering determination to be the most trusted, innovative and operationally excellent managed services partner that clients expect in an ever-changing threat landscape,” said Labuschagne.