UK-based BT 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 cybercrime 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 cyberspace, 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 cybercrime.
BT’s threat intelligence experts will provide the IGCI with knowledge and insight into the evolving global threat landscape, helping INTERPOL in its efforts to identify and take action against cybercriminals 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 cybercrime in Southeast Asia.
BT’s threat intelligence and investigation team, based at the company’s security operations center 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.
“Threat intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies and the private sector is essential in the fight against cybercrime, which is increasingly borderless in nature. Tackling cybercrime therefore requires a collective, global response where the public and private sectors work hand-in-hand,” BT Security CEO Mark Hughes said.
“BT’s security expertise will help INTERPOL to identify cybercriminals and hold them to account, as we jointly develop our understanding of the challenges that we and other organizations 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 organizations.
The data sharing agreement between BT and INTERPOL is an example of this being put into practice, with both organizations focused on building a community of partners around the world to mitigate against cyber threats.