INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
BT joins forces with Europol to
build a safer cyberspace
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B
T has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Europol
to share knowledge about major
cyberthreats and attacks, as the two
organisations reinforce their efforts to create
a safer cyberspace for citizens, businesses
and governments.
The agreement, which was signed at
Europol’s headquarters in The Hague in the
Netherlands, provides a framework for BT
and Europol to exchange threat intelligence
data as well as information relating to
cybersecurity trends, technical expertise and
industry best practice.
Steven Wilson, Head of Business, European
Cybercrime Centre (EC3), said: “The signing
of this Memorandum of Understanding
between Europol and BT will improve our
capabilities and increase our effectiveness
in preventing, prosecuting and disrupting
cybercrime. Working cooperation of this
type between Europol and industry is the
most effective way in which we can hope
to secure cyberspace for European citizens
and businesses. I am confident that the
high level of expertise that BT bring will
result in a significant benefit to our Europe-
wide investigations.”
Kevin Brown, VP, BT Security Threat
Intelligence, said: “As one of the world’s
largest cybersecurity businesses, we at BT
have long held the view that coordinated,
cross-border collaboration is key to
stemming the global cybercrime epidemic.
We’re working with other law enforcement
agencies in a similar vein to better share
cybersecurity intelligence, expertise and
best practice to help them expose and
take action against the organised gangs of
cybercriminals lurking in the dark corners of
the web. The signing of today’s accord with
Europol sees BT take another significant step
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forward in making the Internet a safer place
for consumers, businesses and public sector
bodies in the UK, Europe and beyond.”
BT is committed to sharing its threat
intelligence data with industry partners and
law enforcement agencies such as Europol
in a secure and trusted way, as a means of
better protecting UK and global customers
from the rapidly-expanding cybercrime
industry. Earlier this year, it became the
first telecommunications provider in the
world to start sharing information about
malicious software and websites on a
large scale with other ISPs via a free online
portal: the Malware Information Sharing
Platform (MISP). Since the platform was
launched, BT’s worldwide team of more
than 2,500 cybersecurity experts have so
far helped to identify and share the details
of more than 200,000 malicious domains.
The recipients of BT’s threat intelligence
data have then been able to take the
appropriate course of action to protect
their customers and stakeholders against
the specific threats identified.
Europol created the European Cybercrime
Centre (EC3) in 2013 to strengthen the law
enforcement response to cybercrime in the
EU in a bid to better protect EU citizens,
businesses and governments from online
crime. It also operates the Joint Cybercrime
Action Taskforce (J-CAT), which aims to
drive intelligence-led, coordinated action
against key cybercrime threats and targets
by facilitating the joint identification,
prioritisation, preparation and initiation of
cross-border investigations and operations
by its partners. n
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