Caring for those who care: Prosegur looks after its human capital
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The xMDR platform at Cipher, Prosegur's cybersecurity division, shields businesses from cyber threats through an approach powered by AI and advanced data analytics, identifies and neutralises threats proactively and reactively, leverages existing enterprise technology infrastructure and automates repetitive, low-value tasks.
Digital transformation has had a profound impact on all economic sectors, offering companies new business opportunities and access to emerging markets. However, this progress has also brought challenges that require solid cybersecurity capable of identifying and mitigating digital risks, ranging from the disabling of systems and the theft of information to the sale of intellectual property.
Lack of visibility over digital assets and configuration, technology fragmentation due to expansion into new channels, talent shortages in the sector and perceived setbacks in the ability to continuously improve are the main cyber security challenges facing businesses today. Betting on the best solutions will make the difference between those that will survive these attacks and those that will be wiped off the business map.
Prosegur's specialised cybersecurity division Cipher tackles these challenges with its proprietary technology platform known as xMDR (Extended Managed Detection and Response). This suite of services leverages generative artificial intelligence, machine learning through advanced algorithms and assisted responses to address cybersecurity challenges to maximise customer return on investment.
‘At Cipher, we work closely with our customers—with whom we adopt a long-term partnership model—to understand their challenges and needs, and provide them with tailor-made solutions to address their security requirements,’ explains Luis Mauricio Dos Santos Martins, business director for Cybersecurity in Portugal.
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The xMDR end-to-end cyber security platform increases threat visibility by a factor of five, continuously tracking more than 1,000 cybercrime actors; delivers adaptive, actionable results; leverages existing technology infrastructure; and automates repetitive, low-value tasks. ‘Cipher xMDR excels at providing a holistic view across multiple layers of security, including endpoints, networks, servers, the cloud and applications; identifying, finding and mitigating risks before they cause material damage; and scalability and flexibility, as its cloud-native architecture allows for easy adaptation to organisations' growing needs. This integrated and flexible approach allows Cipher to adapt to today's cyber security challenges without replacing customers‘ existing technologies', adds Dos Santos Martins.
The ability to work with the customer's existing technologies is a key feature of this platform compared to other vendors' solutions. ‘Our in-house development team is capable of handling these integrations in under 20 days. In fact, this approach improves the overall effectiveness of security measures, providing customers with a robust, adaptable and efficient cybersecurity defence’, says the head of the Prosegur division responsible for protecting the digital space of companies.
The xMDR platform identifies, detects and resolves security issues before the cyberattack has been executed.
Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the Cipher xMDR platform can reduce alert processing noise by more than 75%, allowing security teams to focus on real threats, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations. In this regard, the platform employs multiple artificial intelligence drives in its cybersecurity solutions to prevent data contamination. ‘If a drive gives a different response, we know it may be compromised', says the expert, who points out that tangible benefits for customers include improved threat detection and response; increased operational efficiency by reducing the need for large teams to operate the service; and savings in operational costs.
The Cybersecurity business director in Portugal also highlights the importance of the associated service they provide. ‘Due to the shortage of cyber security talent, customers often do not have the right people to operate the platform. We provide 24/7 support’, he says.
Another advantage is that Cipher—which operates in the US, Brazil, Spain, Portugal and Paraguay—has a customer success manager. ‘This role acts as an advocate for the customer, working closely with them to optimise the use of the platform and service. He is engaged in translating customer requests into actions for our team, handling the requirements and challenges that may arise. Moreover, the role communicates in the language of our customers’.
The Affidea Group, the leading pan-European provider of advanced diagnostic imaging, outpatient and cancer care services with 315 locations in 15 European countries, has been benefiting from all these features since 2019.
‘Cipher is a fundamental pillar in the development of our Information Security Management System (ISMS). Its PPP encryption impacts all three main domains of the ISMS, focusing more on operations and forming the core of Cipher's security services. At Affidea Information Security we believe that security should be managed as an ecosystem. This is precisely why, in order to define a long-term strategy and roadmap, long-term relationships are essential, where trust, commitment and adaptability are key factors’, explains Carlos Sousa, CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) of the Affidea Group, which is majority owned by Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL).
He adds that security is a business risk and that Affidea has adopted an ‘embrace the breach’ mentality, preparing for and mitigating the impact of unavoidable security breaches. 'Our commitment is to protect the organisation and the sensitive data we manage. To address this, we are strengthening investment, testing response and recovery plans, strengthening teams and resources, raising employee awareness and accepting the possibility of being attacked and breached', he says.
xMDR uses cutting-edge technologies such as AI, machine learning and cloud services to address the grand challenges facing cybersecurity.
At Cipher - which delivers Managed Security Services remotely for Affidea from Portugal - they use various metrics to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the security measures implemented at the client, such as mean time to detect (MTTD), mean time to respond (MTTR) and false positive rates. ‘These metrics provide crucial information about the organisation's security posture and help identify areas that may require further investment in technology, personnel or processes to prevent cyberattacks. They are also essential to optimising security operations and reducing the workload of the security team, thereby improving overall efficiency'.
One example of Cipher’s success is its work with a mid-sized healthcare organisation. ‘We detected unusual login attempts and network traffic consistent with a ransomware attack pattern, but we managed to prevent its execution and ensured that patient records and critical systems remained secure’, says the head of cybersecurity in Portugal.
In this regard, the CISO of the Affidea Group positively evaluates the effectiveness and value of the cybersecurity services provided by Cipher and recognises that what cannot be measured, cannot be managed. 'There are specific evaluation flows for supplier management, service management, product management and project delivery management. In the area of information security, all of the above applies. Specific performance indicators are defined, specific deliverables are targeted and the roadmap is mapped to the company's risk profile/register. Risk management is an essential factor for effectiveness’, explains Sousa.
The cybersecurity talent shortage is a global problem that Cipher takes very seriously. ‘Our platform helps us address this challenge by automating the repetitive tasks of the traditional tier one approach that often tire professionals after 12 to 18 months. By freeing these professionals from these tasks, we allow them to evolve and take on more interesting roles’, says Luis Mauricio Dos Santos Martins.
In fact, Cipher frees up 75% of the SOC analysts' time. This can be used to optimise investments, either by reducing costs or reallocating resources to tasks that may currently be neglected. ‘This also avoids burning out the analyst with mundane tasks of little value’.
To attract and retain qualified professionals, Prosegur's cybersecurity division is clear that it must commit to a comprehensive approach that includes continuous learning, professional development, competitive financial compensation and a work environment where professionals feel valued. 'These characteristics allow us to retain qualified talent and ensure a committed and trained workforce, capable of facing the changing challenges in the cybersecurity sector', concludes the executive.
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