SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 15, 2024 – Deutsche Telekom is expanding its cybersecurity capabilities in response to a growing number of cyberattacks, particularly those leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). The company recently inaugurated its new Master Security Operations Center (SOC) in Bonn, Germany, which serves as the heart of its global network of security centers.
"The pressure from 30,000 to 40,000 attack attempts per minute, which are measured with the sensors in the Security Operations Center, rarely subsides," said Thomas Tschersich, Telekom Security Chief and CEO of Telekom Security GmbH. "At the same time, state actors in particular have picked up the pace when it comes to exploiting security vulnerabilities. They put their finger on the wound, more and more often even before a patch is available."
The new SOC analyzes billions of security-relevant data from a quarter of a million data sources almost fully automated every day. In addition, Telekom evaluates up to 95 million attempted attacks on its honeypots on the Internet live every day. These findings also flow into the company's threat intelligence database, which is now considered the most extensive in Europe.
"The new Master Security Operations Center in Bonn is the heart of our global network of such security centers," said Tschersich. "We rely on the many years of experience of our teams, as well as on automation, learning technology and artificial intelligence. This allows us to gain valuable reaction time for our customers and also for ourselves."
The center detects around 800 botnet servers per month and restricts their function. Botnets are networks of computers and smart devices that have been infected with malware and can be used to launch large-scale attacks, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
DDoS attacks have become increasingly sophisticated over the years. The latest generation of these attacks, known as 'tsunamis', can be devastating in their impact. They are also more difficult to detect in advance, which is why constant monitoring of the situation and analysis of data streams is essential.
More than 250 cybersecurity experts monitor the Group's and its customers' systems around the clock in Bonn - on the continents worldwide where the company is active. The Bonn SOC works in cooperation with centers in 13 other countries. The cybersecurity center in Bonn is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
Telekom's investment in its cybersecurity capabilities is a testament to the growing threat of cyberattacks. By leveraging AI and other advanced technologies, the company is better equipped to protect its customers and itself from these threats.