BT AND INTERPOL UNITE TO FIGHT CYBER-CRIME

BT AND INTERPOL UNITE TO FIGHT CYBER-CRIME

BT first telecommunications provider to sign mutual data sharing agreement

SINGAPORE, 05 OCTOBER 2017 –
BT today announced that it has become the first telecommunications provider to
sign a data exchange agreement with INTERPOL as it continues to step up its
efforts to combat the growing incidence of cyber-crime across the globe.

The accord, signed at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation
(IGCI) in Singapore, provides a framework for threat information exchange
focusing on data relating to criminal trends in cyber-space, emerging and known
cyber-threats and malicious attacks.

The mutual data sharing agreement will foster even greater
co-operation between the two parties as they continue their fight to protect
families, consumers, businesses and governments against the rising tide of
cyber-crime.

BT’s threat intelligence experts will provide the IGCI with
their knowledge and unique insight into the evolving global threat landscape,
helping INTERPOL in its efforts to identify and take action against
cyber-criminals operating around the world.

BT already collaborates closely with INTERPOL and earlier this
year was one of only seven international companies with security expertise to
provide assistance for a major operation to combat cyber-crime in South East
Asia. BT’s threat intelligence and investigation team, based at the company’s
security operations centre in Singapore, provided information on regional
threats, including data relating to local hactivist groups and phishing sites.

The wider operation uncovered nearly 9,000 command and control
(C2) servers, which are typically used to launch Distributed Denial of Service
(DDoS) attacks and spread malware, ransomware and spam. Hundreds of compromised
websites, including government portals, were also discovered as a result of the
investigations.

“The scale and complexity of today’s cyber-threat landscape
means cooperation across all sectors is essential if we are to effectively
combat this global phenomenon,” said Noboru Nakatani, executive director of the
IGCI. “INTERPOL’s agreement with BT is an important step in our continued
efforts to ensure law enforcement worldwide has access to the information they
need to combat these evolving cyber threats,” added Mr Nakatani.

Mark Hughes, CEO, BT Security, said: “Threat intelligence
sharing between law enforcement agencies and the private sector is essential in
the fight against cyber-crime, which is increasingly borderless in nature.
Tackling cyber-crime therefore requires a collective, global response where the
public and private sectors work hand-in-hand. BT’s security expertise will help
INTERPOL to identify cyber-criminals and hold them to account, as we jointly
develop our understanding of the challenges that we and other organisations
face in the battle against cyber-attacks.”

A recent KPMG cyber security report commissioned
by BT identified five stages that businesses go through during their journey
towards leadership in cyber security. The report concluded that to reach the
final stage – True Leadership – businesses must realise that to further
strengthen their defences they need to reach out to the wider community by
exchanging data and expertise with their peers and public sector organisations.
The data sharing agreement between BT and INTERPOL is an example of this being
put into practice, with both organisations focused on building a community of
partners around the world to mitigate against cyber threats.