Liquid Cyber Security, a business of Cassava Technologies, has launched the first of its matrix of Cyber Security Fusion Centres in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The telecommunications firm is looking to strengthen the country’s capacity to manage the growing threat of cyberattacks.

Liquid referenced an Interpol report which stated that South Africa had 230 million threats detected in 2021, highlighting a dark side to this rapid digital transformation.

Malicious actors have more avenues for attacking businesses through brute force or human error, according to Liquid.

In a statement released to the media, Liquid said the centres will provide threat intelligence and bring together the existing Liquid Cloud Operations and Liquid Network Operation Centres, “ensuring customers have full support across cyber security, cloud and networks for end-to-end security.”

Through the combined offering of the security advisory, managed service, and integrated cyber intelligence, enterprises will now be able to stay ahead of cyber-attacks.

There has been a rapid acceleration in the adoption of digital technologies globally, and South Africa is no different. However, the nature of work and how businesses operate constantly evolves, and so has the scale of cyber threats.

David Behr, CEO of Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security.

David Behr, CEO of Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security, said, "The alarming rate of cyberattacks led us to launch Liquid Cyber Security in 2020, and today we are elevating the offering for our customers by launching the first Fusion Centre. As a result, we will ensure our South African customers have access to world-leading cyber security services, enabling them to mitigate potential threats timeously. Most importantly, customers can focus on their critical business needs while we manage their cyber security requirements 24/7/365 with the most cost-efficient and effective approach".

Following a phased approach, South African enterprises will benefit from new services that leverage Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Sentinel – all delivered and monitored 24x7x365.

Behr added, "Our pan-African Cyber Security Fusion Centres will, when fully operational, leverage our ability to track and predict threats across the continent and will be enhanced by the capability of our international partners like Microsoft, ITC Secure and Xcitium.”

Liquid Cyber Security partnered with Xcitium (previously Comodo Security Solutions) to offer solutions designed specifically for SMBs thatrequire Security Operation Centre (SOC) services “without investing in highly skilled resources or Enterprise SOC services they cannot afford,” the company added.

With this Fusion Centre, Liquid aims to respond to threats with a strategic, tactical, technical and operational threat intelligence approach, enabling the teams to make informed decisions while mitigating the threat for customers.

"One of the most significant advantages of the Liquid Cyber Security Fusion Centre is the improvement in the time it would take for the organisation to detect and respond to threats faster and smarter. As a result, Liquid can now assist its customers in real-time and enable them to be proactive rather than reactive, as well as effectively handle the situation, especially in today's complex threat landscape," said Behr.