Adopting an Intuitive Network to secure your organization

We have come to embrace our global village thanks to the internet connecting people via different devices across the world real time through voice, video and chats. Our reality is that whatever affects one part of the village is bound to affect the rest of the village because we are interconnected. Cybercrime is on the rise and this makes us cautious in terms of the information we share online as do our transactions.

In the past two years the world has experienced some of the most serious incidences of cybercrime that have had effects across continents. This has affected government services, critical services such as hospitals and businesses both large and small scale. Africa has also had its share of cybercrime and when we bring it home in the East African region some organizations from financial institutions to e-commerce platforms have had an attempt by a cybercriminal trying to get into their network.

The increase in security threats has made organizations through their CIOs to invest in stronger networks that will ensure the data is secure and that threats can be detected. The issue that is present however is that many organizations are trying to build on networks that are not ready to handle the issues of today. They are trying to solve a problem that essentially is impossible to solve – unless you can reinvent the network.

The work place has seen an increase in more devices connected to services either through the mobile phones or personal devices ranging from laptops, tablets etc. that are not issued by employers. With a range of connected devices there is need for heightened security and more so ways to detect and deal with any threat that may try penetrate the organizations network.

According to the 2016 Cyber security report by Serianu[1] Africa experienced an estimated cost $2 billion as a result of cybercrime. The estimated costs of cybercrime in Kenya has soared to $175 million and this cost continues to grow as many organizations automate their processes. We have seen many government services go online and the private sector has also followed in their footsteps. Tanzania had an estimated cost as a result of cybercrime at $85 million and Uganda had an estimated cost in relation to cybercrime at $35 Million. These numbers elucidate that the East African region needs to urgently adopt effective ways of handling cybercrime.

Recently an insurance firm in Kenya launched a cyber-enterprise insurance package. This goes to further emphasize that there is a need to protect organizations in terms of financial losses that arise from cyber-attacks. This is beneficial in the digital age and this should be adopted hand in hand with a ready network that can help to secure the information that is shared from various devices through your network.

It is critical to have the right security technology in place, as well as the processes needed for a coordinated response in the event of an attack.

Cisco launched a first in the sector to help detect, flag and deal with cyber threats in a network. This product is known as The Network Intuitive, which is ushering in a new era of networking where the Cisco system constantly learns, adapts and protects from outside threats. This is definitely a game changer as we use Cisco networks in our digital world.

Why should companies adopt The Network Intuitive? It is built on Intent-based networking built on Cisco DNA that helps make decisions faster when it comes to threats. It can also help mitigate threats and it also helps to manage the unprecedented scale of connected devices more easily.

The Network Intuitive utilizes Cisco's Talos cyber intelligence and machine learning to analyze metadata traffic patterns, the network can identify the fingerprints of known threats even in encrypted traffic, without decrypting it and impacting data privacy. This is key for organizations that seek to adopt this technology to help mitigate cybercrime attacks and the losses that accompany these attacks.

This new era of networking will result in provision of a way of automating one policy across the entire access network, increase prsoductivity and troubleshoot as the machine learns to deliver actionable insights, detect and mitigate threats as we see these coming up on a daily basis. All this is done real time saving costs that are incurred when dealing with security over the network.

Early this year Kenya took a stand in relation to cyber security by approving the Computer and Cybercrime Bill Law. This bill is set to monitor control and get rid of cybercrimes. The Computer and Cyber-crime Law is set to protect Kenyans from fraud that is rampant among mobile money transaction, identity theft (banking and personal information) to mention a few.

This bill shows the commitment of the Kenyan government in the fight against cybercrime. It is also key to note that such laws are important as companies are looking to deal with the cybercriminals that will be caught trying to infect an organizations network or gaining personal information share on a network fraudulently.

Cisco has created a new portfolio of services that leverage best practices and innovative tools. Whether customers are looking to transform their entire network or integrate new security and automation capabilities into their existing network, Cisco partners have a life cycle of advisory, implementation, optimization and technical services to help.

In conclusion it is key to note that Cisco exists to accelerate business transformation & bottom-line growth by making IoT simple, intelligent, automated and secure. As the number of connected devices in our global village continue to grow exponentially, organizations therefore need to adopt an intuitive network that will bring security as we continue to engage within the global village.

David Bunei was appointed Country General Manager (GM) for Cisco East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands based in Kenya in September 2015. His previous roles over his nine years at Cisco include Territory Business Manager and various roles in technical and sales management covering East, Central and West Africa.  As the Country General Manager for Cisco East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, David is responsible for driving business growth and to execute Cisco’s Go-To- Market strategy.

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