The corona as a digital accelerator: The big bang in cyber is happening now
Along with the corona crisis, IoT, increasing migration to the cloud and the fifth generation of mobile are also increasing awareness and the need for innovative cyber solutions. The SQLink group, the new player in the local cyber field, offers effective tools that are adapted to the spirit of the period, but emphasize that they are not enough and must also be combined with improved methods and procedures.
“All the players in the business and public arena have already internalized the insight that we live in an age where organizational information is the most important asset of the company and therefore actions such as breaking into the organization’s infrastructure from within or outside, encrypting information or leaking information can do enormous damage to the organization”
Even before historians judge the corona, it is already quite clear that the plague has two sides. On the one hand, an unprecedented global health and economic catastrophe, the consequences of which will be well felt for years to come. On the other hand, a crisis that has led to the acceleration of digital trends and transformative changes, which will also be felt years after the crisis.
Nir Bar Natan. Photo: Roman Boitzov
Take the cyber realm for example. If before the crisis there was a feeling that Israeli cyber had reached its peak and the focus shifted to innovative high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and others, the plague came and devoured the cards. As early as June, there were those who defined the corona as a “huge cyber incident” if only because of the huge increase in cyber attacks. The shift to remote work, the increasing use of online services and social uncertainty have led to an increase in attack surfaces, which has been well exploited by hackers around the world. Fishing, infidelity and fraud attacks have grown exponentially and made it clear to those who had further doubts that organizations would need new cyber solutions and information security services at the forefront of technology.
“All the players in the business and public arena have already internalized the insight that we live in an age where organizational information is the most important asset of the company and therefore actions such as breaking into the organization’s infrastructure from within or outside, encrypting information or leaking information can do enormous damage to the organization,” says Nir Bar Natan. The CISO of the SQLink Group and the Director of the New Cyber Protection Services Division, launched last year.
Improved identity management
Bar Natan identifies several trends that will support the acceleration of the cyber field. The first trend is the need to keep the information in a remote work environment. “The corona is still with us and probably even after that many of the workers will work from home, in one model or another,” he notes. “Changing the way we work and increasing the number of users in the organization who work remotely means that the scene of the attack is now expanding and organizations will have to focus on this in the current year.
Another trend is the OT (Technology Operational) and IoT (Internet Of Thing) infrastructures. Even today there is still a considerable gap in the monitoring capabilities of the components, and organizations with OT infrastructure do not know what is happening there. These are usually organizations that operate and maintain critical infrastructure, or industrial plants with production lines that work at high output. This is a world that will need to improve visibility and maintenance. It should also be remembered that the risk there is very great. However, a number of powerful solutions have been introduced for the detection and monitoring of components in the past year and we believe there will be an improvement in the monitoring and maintenance capability of OT components.
“Another thing is the entry of fifth generation mobile networks. There will be a race to secure the most important network in the 21st century, which is expected to launch its capabilities as early as next year. Along with the many benefits that the fifth generation network is expected to bring, by flooding IoT components on the Internet and a huge amount of data that will pass through it, there is still a not easy challenge for providers to secure the network. It should be remembered that the introduction of IoT components in almost every corner means that they must be secured in a distributed manner, in contrast to networks in previous generations where there were fewer hardware components and they were concentrated at key nodes in the carrier yards. All this is beyond the fact that these components are not considered too secure by design in advance. “
What about accelerating migration to the cloud?
“There is no doubt that the corona crisis will accelerate the migration processes to the cloud and there is more awareness of the issue today. Sensitive information “It is becoming increasingly clear that the security of information in the cloud environment is better than the security of information on On Premise networks.”
Another trend that Bar Natan points to is improved identity management in the Microsoft environment, where 90% of the organizations in the world are located. “The move from Red Forest to Privileged Access regarding identity management, and asset access control securely throughout the Session while implementing zero trust, is designed to reduce the attacker’s access ability – once he has entered the organization – from reaching sensitive assets despite attempts This is already happening in large organizations, but there will be no choice and it will permeate even medium-sized organizations, especially when they understand the added value of the transition. These are complex projects that require quite a bit of customer-side collaboration,
“To all this we need to add the issue of regulation. The regulation is constantly updated and tightens both the security requirements and the punishment for organizations and host suppliers. It is true that we are still far from European regulation, such as GDPR, but we are on our way there. Hence the need to update technology and procedures.” It is a necessary need. “
Replace traditional solutions
The SQLink Group was well aware of the trends emerging in the market when it decided in May 2020 to establish a cyber division, under the name Cyberlink, to provide managed and advanced solutions for protection against cyber attacks. Even before Corona, the group provided its hundreds of customers with a comprehensive and up-to-date array of advanced solutions and services in the worlds of technology and development, digital, BI and analytics, testing and automation, consultants and experts, infrastructure and technological training. At the same time, the group’s cyber personnel have performed information security functions in many companies, as part of the outsourcing services it provides. The group therefore decided to stretch the brand, go one step further and establish a comprehensive professional system, which will provide solutions and services to companies in the cyber field as well.
“Our rich experience in IT and infrastructure projects enables the group’s experts to provide each organization, of any size, with a comprehensive and advanced solution for protecting its infrastructure,” emphasizes Nir Bar Natan, who has 20 years of experience in the IT infrastructure, information security and cyber protection organizations in Israel and abroad. L. “The advanced solutions we offer in the cyber field today are cloud-based managed solutions that integrate advanced systems, alongside cyber security experts who take care of identifying and stopping abnormal attacks or behaviors in real time.
“The idea to institutionalize cyber activity in a dedicated division was born among the group’s executives, who identified the business need for cyber services, but to attack the identification we also conducted market surveys, in order to examine the reality in which we live and build an action plan for market penetration,” he adds. “In a sense, cyber is another tier in the basket of services and solutions we offer such as software development, BI and big data and some of our expert services.”
“We established the cyber division in the Bootstrap model,” explains Moshe Moreshet, VP of Business Development at the SQLink Group. “This is an activity that grows mainly organically and relies on four existing layers: the knowledge and experience we have accumulated over decades of activity in the market; our information security people, who are already scattered among customers or are launched to solve problems on demand; our cooperation with the cyber market To both large players and niche cyber companies, which operate in specific areas of cyber protection; And our ability to provide products and services with added value. Our intention is to bring to the market not only traditional products, but also niche products with added value. “
Moshe Moreshet Photo: Iska Dekel
Attractive solutions in an era of budgetary distress
Although the cyber market is crowded and saturated, SQLink enjoys a convenient position for market penetration. First of all, as Moshe Moreshet clarifies, they are already with customers and this presence creates a sympathetic willingness to absorb additional services, certainly those that are in synergy with existing services. Leveraging the capabilities of the entire team can also help the new division. And of course there is the corona, which has brought with it new threats and increased the investments of companies and organizations in cyber defenses.
“Awareness of cyberattacks has risen significantly, but there is still a gap between awareness and readiness and we are here to help companies reach an optimal level of readiness,” Moreshet emphasizes. “When we analyze the trends in the market we identify two conflicting trends. On the one hand, cyber threats are growing. On the other hand, there is budgetary distress. We try to bring better solutions, but also those that are more cost-effective so that they need security coverage. ,
Heritage presents two models of cyber services: one, a package of managed products in an annual subscription model, which also includes implementation and support. The second is project consulting services. They are intended, among other things, for organizations that do not have an organic CISO and are interested in the help of external experts. In this situation, the division sews a customized CISO function suit for the customer – whether full-time or by the hour, all depending on the needs of the organization, which are carefully examined before making the offer.
According to him, the customized solution is designed together with the customer and includes a detailed work plan: “The goal is to understand what the organization has and what it does not have and where it needs to go to secure the organization’s assets. We are talking about both external and internal protections “We point out that a significant portion of the attacks originate from within the organization. Therefore, we also place an emphasis on increasing awareness within the organization of loopholes, guidance and assimilation.”
Who are you targeting? Who is the target audience?
Bar Natan: “We run all over the field. The division caters to all businesses – both large and small. Everyone needs cyber expertise and everyone needs an information security solution, tailored to their size and tailored to their specific needs. Customization is the name of the game and we know how to play it great.” .
What are the goals you have set for yourself in the cyber field for the coming year?
Heritage: “The goal is to increase the number of customers in the areas of services and solutions. Another goal is to strengthen technological and business collaborations to produce more effective solutions, which will replace the traditional solutions and be competitive in price.”
What is your business vision in the cyber field? Where are you going from here?
Heritage: “We want to bring effective solutions to the market and on a tight budget. The goal is to get more and more organizations to reach an optimal level of cyber protection on a given budget.”
Bar Natan: “To be a leading and significant player in the world of cyber solutions and to provide our customers with a package of innovative services at the forefront of technology. It is important to remember that in order to bring organizations to a level of readiness in the new world. And we are there to enable organizations to implement both the solutions and the methods, all from our experience in the field. “
Focused and accurate solutions
The SQLink Group, which currently employs more than 2,500 IT specialists and consultants, began in 1994 as a software house and has expanded over the years. Today, it offers its customers a comprehensive set of computing solutions: development, digital, BI and analytics, testing and automation, information security, consultants and experts, infrastructure and technological training.
“It is a winning combination of in-depth technological understanding, broad business vision and rich experience in the world of computing that enables the group’s experts to provide focused and accurate solutions, tailored to each and every customer according to the sector to which it belongs and the needs of its content world,” says Yaniv Ben Yishai, VP of Marketing. In the SQLink group.
According to him, the SQLink Group has become the home of most of the leading companies and organizations in the Israeli economy. Indeed, its clients include hundreds of software and high-tech companies, business corporations, government ministries, local authorities, security bodies, banks and financial institutions, academic institutions, communications companies, industrial bodies and more. The group was ranked first among the IT companies that work best in Israel according to a BDI and The Marker survey and in 48th place in the ranking of all companies in the economy. The group was also ranked on reputable lists such as Deloitte & Touche’s FAST 50 in Israel and Deloitte’s global FAST 500.
“The recognition received by the group and the reputation it has gained as a leader in its field are a direct product of creative thinking, constant learning and maximum investment in human capital,” concludes Ben Yishai.