News
Safetica wins Computer Weekly security award
Monday, 6 May 2013
Safetica Technologies is a winner in the Computer Weekly “European User Awards for Security”.
Safetica Technologies and its new Safetica 5 Data Loss Prevention/monitoring software won an honorable mention in the Best Technology Innovation category from the UK magazine.
“A multi-level tool to secure information at rest and on the move and through DLP using behavioral analysis – nice, embracing approach,” said Clive Longbottom, founder of Quocirca research and analysis firm and a Computer Weekly judge, in his review of Safetica.
Computer Weekly is the leading source of news and analysis for the IT community in the UK. The Computer Weekly awards recognize the best innovation in information security and IT risk management. Entrants were reviewed by a panel of independent judges in five categories: Public Sector Project, Best Technology Innovation, Supplier of the Year, Private Sector Project and Cloud Innovation.
“We are excited by the award and the recognition of Safetica by industry experts. This is confirmation of the Safetica approach to internal threats and data security,” said Jakub Mahdal, CEO of Safetica Technologies.
Safetica 5 is a Data Leak Prevention (DLP) suite that provides companies with complete prevention from data breaches and defends against threats originating from human activities. The software includes DLP features with endpoint monitoring and network supervisor tools, enabling companies to protect confidential data and raise productivity. The complete article is posted on the Computer Weekly site.
Safetica goes to Infosecurity Europe
Friday, 3 May 2013
Safetica Technologies completed its first ever participation at InfoSec Europe, the largest European security exhibition. From April 23-25, more than 12,000 visitors at the Earl's Court exhibition hall in London were able to find out about the best in security and the new Safetica 5 Data Loss Prevention software.
Safetica was represented on the ground by Channel Director Pavlina Mahovska, Chief Technical Officer Pavel Kratky, and the Irish and UK distributor Reflex Distribution.
“This was the place for us to go meet all of Europe under one roof,” said Pavlina. “We've made contacts for over 300 companies – everyone from potential clients to future distributors.”
The white and gray stand featured the new look of the just-launched Safetica 5 and also featured the new film about the product.
In addition to the Safetica booth, Infosec also offered an array of educational programs and exhibits from 320 other firms on the market.
„Since we were here just weeks after the launch of the new Safetica 5, it was a great opportunity to compare and contrast with other products on the market,” added Pavel. “And, let me tell you, the new Safetica has great features and looks very good when compared to the competition.”
Safetica 5 is here
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Safetica Technologies has launched Safetica 5, the newest version of its Data Leak Protection/monitoring suite. Safetica 5 prevents “human factor” issues that can lead to the loss of confidential data, incur financial costs, and damage a company's security.
“Internal threats to a company's data security almost always result from human actions – people make mistakes and they forget,” says Jakub Mahdal, CEO and founder of Safetica Technologies. “With the new Safetica 5, we've created a system for companies to organize, manage, and protect their data that compensates for the innate weaknesses in human nature. And whether these mistakes by company insiders are really accidents or are malicious actions, they still cause extensive financial and operational damage to companies.”
The launch of Safetica 5 comes as the numbers and expenses of data breaches are soaring. Companies are also being squeezed between their needs to protect their own confidential data and the legal requirements in the European Union and the United States to secure the private data of customers and employees.
“We hear a lot about data loss, but there is little recognition of their direct costs or the specific ways these losses can be prevented,” explains Mr. Mahdal. “This is why we have the Safetica Data Loss Awards in parallel with the launch – to highlight an array of data breaches and to remind people that data loss is not an inevitable part of doing business.
Safetica 5 provides companies with a complete toolkit for securing their data and the resources they need to keep their human assets from turning into liabilities. The software includes the new Safetica Endpoint Data Loss Prevention suite, user activity monitoring, and additional features such as disk and file encryption, IT policy settings, access management, application control/whitelisting, printer control, and web filtering with all features overseen by the Safetica Management Console.
Studies on data breaches show that the majority of insider data leaks – either accidental or malicious – go out through the endpoint computer. And, analysis of breaches by the CERT Institute at the American Carnegie Mellon University in the United States showed that there were often detectable signs of unsafe behavior beforehand a malicious data breach.
“We took a two pronged approach to our development of the new Safetica,” says Pavel Kratky, CTO of Safetica Technologies. “First, we wanted to give companies extensive coverage of all their potential data leak channels and give them a look at the behavior preceding a data breach. Secondly, we worked hard to make the process of using Safetica an easier and more instinctive experience. The best protection is worthless unless fully installed and operational.”
Safetica 5 gives companies with between 100 – 500 computers a new option when it comes to data security. “DLP has long regarded as an option only for the largest enterprises or companies with extremely developed IT systems. WIth Safetica 5, we took the theoretical potential in DLP and made it a reality for companies with limited IT support resources,” states Mr. Kratky.
The new Safetica 5 Data Loss Protection suite brings with it three major technical innovations:
- Zones - The Zones concept allows companies to mirror their actual working environment into Safetica data security policies. Companies can easily establish the locations, storage areas and assets for safe data processing according to their own needs.
- Policies – Once established, IT policies and rules for specific data categories and groups can be rolled out across the company, enabling faster and more accurate implementation.
- Three mode deployment – The new Safetica has separate deployment modes – testing, informative, and restrictive – which allow companies to progressively implement data protection policies and educate employees on safer data handling processes.
“Company data security is only as good as the weakest link and this has repeatedly been shown to be a human being - either manager or employee. That’s why the educational elements in Safetica offer so much potential to users,” says Mr. Kratky. “Not only can Safetica 5 keep confidential data from going outside, it can tell users why their actions were stopped.”
The new Safetica 5 comes with a completely new Management Console and GUI. “Looks matter, but efficiency even more so. Our goal is to give managers greater access to more detailed data – but with reduced time requirements. These changes increase the effectiveness of Safetica by making it simpler for management to quickly identify security issues and isolate the causes,” adds Mr. Mahdal.
Features in the new Management Console include:
- Customizable dashboards
- Advanced filtering and sorting
- Visualizations with PDF export
- Interactive graphs (filter by click)
- Step-by-step wizards
The new Safetica 5 is available from the Safetica global network of distributors and resellers and directly from Safetica Technologies in the Czech and Slovak markets. “We have distributors now in 50 countries who’ve been very active in our pre-launch beta tests,” says Mr. Kratky. “They’ve been wanting a way to keep confidential data inside that goes beyond the traditional approach of repelling invaders at the perimeter and like what they see with the new Safetica.”
Safetica positioned for growth in Latin America
Tuesday, 18 December 2012 23:56
Safetica Technologies has established a beachhead in Latin America with the complete installation of its Data Loss Prevention software in a Bolivian energy company.
The installation is the Czech technology firm's first installation of Safetica Endpoint Security in the Latin American energy sector and its sixth installation in the region. With additional pilot projects now in progress, by mid 2013 Safetica Technologies will have its software protecting over 10,000 seats in the region.
"The Bolivian installation on 300 seats is important because it is local and actual," said Jakub Mahdal, CEO of Safetica Technologies. "We have potential clients throughout the region – Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela – and they want to see how the software is installed, operating, and protecting other companies in their own backyard from data breaches before they make a decision. Ahead of the launch of Safetica 5 next year, it is important to have these local clients as references."
Economic growth has slowed in Latin America but the region is still growing faster than the stagnant Eurozone. Growth is expected to reach 3.1% this year, down from the 4.3% expansion in 2011, and then climb to 3.8% in 2013 according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
Safetica Technologies will establish a special distribution company, Safetica Latin America, to focus on the region. "We will follow the same strategy in Latin America as we have done with Safetica India for the Asian subcontinent," said Pavlina Mahovska, Director of Channel Sales at Safetica Technologies. "In India we have a single company that is concentrated on meeting the specific needs and opportunities there. For Safetica Latin America, the 10,000 seats in 2013 is just a start."
Data Loss Prevention solutions are a fast-growing segment of the security market. The worldwide DLP market grew from $362.7 million in 2010 to $477.3 million in 2011 and is expected to reach $945.3 million by 2016, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6%, according to analysis by International Data Corporation (IDC) a premier global provider of market intelligence and advisory services.
General disaster: What could have prevented Paula Broadwell's accumulation of classified documents?
Monday, 03 December 2012 11:21
Paula Broadwell, the paramour and biographer of CIA director David Petraeus, was found with large amounts of classified government documents in her home and on her laptop. Could a military-grade Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution have stopped this data breach from happening?
Not completely, but it certainly would have reduced the total amount of lost data. Depending on the specific DLP features available, her activity should have triggered advance warnings about what she was doing and give investigators a clear data trail to follow afterwards.
During the uncovering of Paula Broadwell's relationship with four-star general David Petraeus and then CIA director, FBI investigators discovered she had classified military materials in her home and on her laptop. According to various news reports, Petraeus and Broadwell have told investigators that Petraeus was not the source of the materials. Broadwell, a lieutenant colonel in the US Army reserves, had security clearance, but this did not include the right to have classified data in an unsecured location.
Investigators are inventorying the classified data – both printed and in electronic form – and analyzing how it traveled to Broadwell's suburban house. These are all questions that a DLP solution can answer: what data was taken, where did it come from, and how did it to its final destination.
In a nutshell, DLP works like a librarian; overseeing who is allowed in various library departments, monitoring individual activity, and controlling what data goes out of the building. Even if a person has top clearance, it is still important to know what they are doing. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions like Safetica Endpoint Security DLP are designed to keep the good data inside a company. Additional features in Safetica DLP enable controls on printers, the use of portable memory devices, and the monitoring individual computer activities – features which might have been useful in the Broadwell case.
The Broadwell case is not an accidental leak nor is it the work of a malicious insider. It is best called an intentional leak – data gone AWOL, all with the best of intentions.
Safetica launches DLP in Thailand
Wednesday, 28 November 2012 08:34
Safetica Technologies introduced its Data Loss Protection software to Thailand at the annual Commart Comtech Thailand exhibition on 15-18 November.
The exhibition was Safetica's first step into Thailand and the Indochina region. It followed the selection of Amphonet ERM as the exclusive Safetica distributor for the country.
“We believe Thai organizations need better data security and Safetica DLP will be able to meet this need,” said Jakub Mahdal, CEO of Safetica Technologies. “During our time with Amphonet, we were able to meet potential clients face-to-face, from manufacturing to service industries. Our first task in Thailand is to build awareness, making decision-makers aware of our solution to their data security problems. From there, our goal is to build the market and be the leader in this segment.”
Safetica was represented at Commart Comtech Thailand by Amphonet ERM, its exclusive distributor for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. “Amphonet ERM has the ideal credentials for representing us in the region, thanks to their experience as the regional strategic partner for Bitdefender antivirus,” stated Mr. Mahdal. “They know the security business from the ground up and they know their region – that's why we are working with them.”
"With data security solutions of Safetica, we can offer our Asian business clients comprehensive computer protection, not only against external malware, but also internal threats, " said Mr. Michal Dominik, Director of Operations in Amphonet Co.,Ltd.. "Safetica enjoyed a great interest from visitors of Commart Comtech in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai businessmen and visitors are very interested in creating a safe working environment in their computerized offices."
To create brand awareness, reliability, and confidence in Safetica, a special company, Safetica Technologies (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. will be established next year. "We plan to establish offices of Safetica Technologies in many countries within our region. For example, Safetica Technologies (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. will open its office in Bangkok, Thailand by January 2013 for supporting our customers in Thailand, and consecutive expand to other countries ” added Mr. Dominik.
Commart Comtech Thailand is the leading trade event in Thailand for new IT technologies, attracting over 530 IT businesses this year. It was attended by 70,000 visitors from a a range of businesses, public sector organizations, resellers, and consumers. Safetica was the only DLP solution directly present at the exhibition.
Data leaks in October: From foreign affairs to the IT department
Tuesday, 20 November 2012 14:57
There were over a half million instances of data loss during October, with much of the data leaking from traditional pillars of reliability such as governments, transit authorities, and banks. Here is a summary of the most interesting cases:
US State Department database used for identity theft
The US State Department tops the list this month, with a case that far more interesting than the usual loss of unencrypted data on hardware. In this example of malicious insider action, a State Department employee entered a database to get more detailed information on individuals who had already had their credit card details stolen by an accomplice. The two could face up to 15 years in prison.
The rules for protecting data apply to everyone
An internal system scan uncovered the theft of private and financial data from the 750 employees of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (US). The insider leak was traced to an information systems employee who was subsequently fired. No word yet on criminal charges.
Driving under a false name
A temporary employee at the Port Mann bridge in Canada did some long-term damage. Hired under a false name, the pseudo-employee stole financial data on 270 people who had bought a pass to drive over the Port Mann bridge near Vancouver.
After the loss, time to inform the victims
The American/Canadian TD Bank is in hot water for informing clients that it lost an unencrypted tape with their personal and financial information just six long months after the loss was discovered. Over 260,000 customers could have been damaged by the leak.
