Dimension Data has extended the company’s protection from ransomware, phishing attacks, bot networks, and all types of malicious software, with Cisco Umbrella, a Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) in the cloud.  The decision to incorporate Cisco Umbrella follows the company’s firsthand experience protecting its own 28,000 employees and addresses its clients’ requirement to support an increasingly mobile workforce.

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud security platform that provides the first line of defense against threats on the internet.

“In today’s expanding threat landscape, it is critical to have powerful security tools that effectively support mobility and cloud. With Cisco Umbrella, we are able to proactively stop threats on any mobile device before they happen with a secure solution that is easily integrated with existing infrastructure.” said Chris Panzeca, Senior Director, Global Strategic Partner Sales, Cisco.

“Today, the average user utilises four devices per day, and this is predicted to increase to five connected devices in the next four years,” said Darren O’Loughlin, Dimension Data’s Group Chief Security Officer.  “As more enterprises look to harness the benefits of a mobile workforce that leverages cloud platforms, there’s a greater need to implement appropriate measures to secure data, infrastructures, applications and users, regardless of where they connect to the internet, and even if they’re off the VPN.  That’s why we adopted Cisco Umbrella into our own cybersecurity strategy.”

According to the NTT 2017 Global Threat Intelligence Report, attacks targeting end users is one of the top cybersecurity threats on the rise.  In line with this trend, security has become the top focus at the highest level.  Now, more than ever, security leaders are being forced to demonstrate a return on investment of their security investments. This includes the business value realised through continuous cyber protection, detection, and response measures.

In 2016, Dimension Data published its Securing Workspaces for Tomorrow white paper which explored the topic of how employees across the globe are already demanding a more mobile workplace with the flexibility to work from anywhere, any time, on any device to become more productive and achieve a better work-life balance.

“However,” said Matthew Gyde, Group Executive – Security, Dimension Data, “While the mobile Endpoint is a potential game changer for businesses, it exposes mobile workers to security risks and vulnerabilities. Mobile users may not have the same level of security as within the office perimeter, and are more vulnerable to cyberattacks. With Cisco Umbrella, threats beyond the network perimeter can be blocked.”