Certis Lanka diversifies into cyber security with e-Cop

• Increasingly complex cyber threats have made a professional solution essential
• Perpetrators are often financially motivated
• Most attackers seek user information, credentials, bank details, etc.
• 24/7 surveillance of assets an absolute must

By Himal Kotelawala

Certis Lanka Security Solutions Ltd. has ventured into cyber security with the introduction of e-Cop, an all-encompassing computer and network security solution for businesses, financial institutes and other organisations. 

A fully-owned subsidiary of Certis CISCO of Singapore, e-Cop boasts a team of certified cyber security professionals utilising state-of-the-art, patented security technologies and industry best practices to keep information and infrastructure safe in an increasingly vulnerable environment.

Speaking at a presentation on cyber security on Monday, Certis Integrated Solutions Group Singapore Vice President Edwin Lim said that what with many systems now going online and the nature of attacks becoming more and more complex and sophisticated, the need for organisations and individuals to beef up their cyber security is now greater than ever.

“Computers have their vulnerabilities. The nature of these attacks are getting very complex. Perpetrators have a goal, and typically these attacks are financially driven. And they have real, physical effects on our daily lives,” said Lim.

For example, if a bank has its website hacked, the damage caused to its reputation would be immeasurable. Attacks on utilities such as power plants and even traffic lights can disrupt everyday life. In more extreme cases such as a remotely hijacked passenger aircraft, the damage could prove to be catastrophic. In Germany last year, said Lim, a young man attempted to show that he could seize control of a plane by hacking into its in-flight entertainment system.

“If you think that cyber security is only going to affect computers, you’re very wrong. It could affect us in a very real, physical sense,” he said.

Shift in cyber security approach

Over the years, there has been a paradigm shift in how experts approach cyber security. Traditional methods like firewalls and other intrusion prevention systems may prove insufficient.  Cyber-attacks will keep coming, regardless of how high your walls are, said Lim. They may parachute over them, or even dig under your crocodile-infested motes.

Perpetrators come in pretending to be someone you trust. They use social engineering to get the better of you. On social media, said Lim, we tell the whole world who our friends and business associates are. Attackers are constantly tracking this info, always finding new ways to attack cyber environments no matter how high the security levels.

“It’s not about how high the wall is,” he said.

Lim warned that there is no such thing as 100% protection. The best solution to this, he said, is increasing the visibility of your system and being privy to what is going on and staying on top of it, at all times.

“We have to deal with the fact that one day our system is going to be breached. We need to know what’s happening in our environment. We need to be able to respond to an incident very quickly. The faster you address it, the better. Visibility, therefore, is crucial, down to the individual PC level,” he said.

 

24/7 monitoring and surveillance

e-Cop provides essential 24/7 monitoring and surveillance of your assets. From traditional network infrastructure all the way to mobile devices. Needless to say, this requires a tremendous amount of manpower and know-how, all of which e-Cop is well-equipped to provide.

“The best lock in the world cannot be broken immediately, but after a million, or maybe even a billion attempts, you will eventually manage to break it. As a security professional, you need to see who is trying to open the lock. Who touches it?

Before the would-be attacker is successful in getting in, it is imperative that the system stops him in his tracks, before he can cause any real damage.

 

Ensuring safety of information assets

Lim told the Daily FT that while running your own in-house cyber security system is always a good idea, employing the services of a third-party cyber security provider and the expertise that comes with it is crucial to ensuring the safety of your information assets.

“A professional cyber security company can give you valuable insights. We see a lot more customers, we see a lot more environments, we have access to more intelligence. An individual organisation can only see what’s within their own environment. They may not be able to see what’s within the competitor’s environment or in a more global environment. Working with a professional third-party provider can enhance the posture and protection level of your organisation’s assets,” he said.

Pix by Upul Abayasekara

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