01732 759725 06 Dirk Schrader Netwrix NEWS Cyber insurance a spur to better security Half of organisations with cyber insurance have implemented additional security measures to qualify for cover or to reduce its cost, claims cybersecurity vendor Netwrix in its 2023 Hybrid Security Trends Report. In its survey of more than 1,600 IT and security professionals worldwide, more than half of respondents already have cyber insurance (44%) or plan to purchase a policy within the next 12 months (15%). Of those that already have cyber insurance, 28% made changes to reduce their premium and 22% had to improve their security posture to qualify for the policy. Dirk Schrader, VP of Security Research at Netwrix, said: “The insurer’s audit will highlight security gaps in the IT ecosystem and provide recommendations on how to overcome them. In some cases, implementing additional security controls is mandatory to even qualify for a policy. In addition, some organisations choose to invest in more security measures because it reduces the cost of the insurance policy.” Measures required in order to qualify for a policy include multifactor authentication, cited by 63%; patch management (55%); regular security training for business users (47%); identity and access management (38%); and privileged access management (36%). www.netwrix.com ······ Sophos customers in UK offered Cowbell cyber insurance Cybersecurity as a service provider Sophos has extended its relationship with cyber insurance provider Cowbell to give small and medium-sized business customers in the UK direct access to Cowbell cyber insurance and pricing that reflects the strength of their defences. Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and endpoint customers that share information with Cowbell can look forward to optimised pricing, plus risk assessments and ongoing risk alerts backed by AI monitoring and human support. According to a study published by Sophos in May, The Critical Role of Frontline Cyber Defenses in Cyber Insurance Adoption, 84% of businesses in the U.K. have some form of cyber insurance. More than half said the quality of their cyber defences affected their ability to get cyber insurance coverage (58%) and the cost of their policy (63%). Sophos claims that organisations with cyber insurance are better able to recover data after a ransomware attack, thanks to assistance from their insurer as well as the strength of the cyber defences needed to qualify for insurance. www.sophos.com https://cowbell.insure/ ······ Pulsant increases capacity as decision-makers question cloudonly strategies Regional data centre specialist Pulsant has announced a £3 million expansion of its Rotherham site to meet growing demand in the Yorkshire and Humber region for access to low latency, high performance compute, storage and connectivity services. The investment will increase total IT space across the 2,000+ SQM site by 30% and more than double data centre hall capacity to 380kW (up from 176kW). Ben Cranham, Chief Operating Officer at Pulsant, says the expansion comes as more business decision-makers consider hybrid alternatives to cloudonly strategies, including colocation and private cloud infrastructure. He said: “Our platformEDGE infrastructure in Rotherham and across the UK is supporting the increasing number of business decision-makers challenging cloud-only strategies on cost and vendor lock-in grounds and their IT counterparts who see the limitations in the hyperscale model.” As part of the investment, Pulsant is piloting the use of biofuel in standby power generators, eliminating the use of FM200 fire suppressant gas and switching to LED sensor lighting across the centre. www.pulsant.com/ ······ continued... Replica world cup balls come with unique digital identity Rugby fans looking for a souvenir of this year‘s Rugby World Cup Final between South Africa and New Zealand are being offered 150 replica match balls authenticated through blockchain, tokenisation and IoT technology. In a partnership between Gilbert Rugby, distribution partner Legends International and authentication platform AuthentifyIT, each limited edition ball will come with its own unique digital identity. As well as proving the authenticity and ownership of the commemorative balls, this ‘digital passport’ will enable the owner to connect with other enthusiasts via a WhatsApp-like communication platform and access exclusive content, services and offers. AuthentifyIT says its fraud-proof authentication technology provides crucial security for collectors by validating the origin and history of objects from inception to end-of-life. Co-founder Olivier Viaud said: “In a world where 40% of collectibles turn out to be forgeries, the astounding absence of provenance and authenticity verification is nothing short of a global shocker. It boggles the mind that some of the world’s most prized collectibles are valued based on nothing more than a piece of paper. Brace yourself for a game-changer, as the world awakens to the possibility of universally and permanently etching the history and lineage of physical objects. This is the seismic shift that will upend how we perceive and cherish collectibles.” Hybrid Security Trends 2023
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