IBM has set up a cybersecurity hub in Bengaluru to help businesses in the Asia-Pacific region tackle the growing threat of cyber attacks. It lets the businesses know how an attack is executed and how to mobilise resources to thwart such attacks. The hub, which houses a security command center, would help clients prepare a cyber security shield by simulating possible attacks.

The firm said it put in a multi-million dollar investment in its resources at the hub to help businesses thwart cyber attacks.

“One of the biggest challenges impacting the success of the exponentially growing digital economy and that of countries across the world is cybersecurity. We have an opportunity to respond and act now,” Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India, said.

“The cybersecurity hub will empower clients to respond to incidents with greater speed, effectiveness, and transparency,” he said.

The hub includes a Security Operation Center (SOC), complementing to its global network of SOCs and providing round-the-clock security response services to clients around the world.

Quoting its latest analysis, IBM said that Asia has emerged as the No. 1 target for cyberattacks, constituting 26 per cent of all attacks attacks analysed.

“The data reveals a significant regional shift compared to the past decade of the report, where North America and Europe have historically ranked as most-targeted. This trend signals a growing need for security investments amongst Asian organisations,” it said.

Located at the IBM officesat Embassy Golf Links in Bengaluru, Ihe new facility fwas inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology.

Training crucial

Chris Hockings, IBM Security CTO for Asia Pacific, said preparing for a cyberattack was like fire-drill training.

Everyone, from executives through to contractors, needed to understand their own role in an emergency and reinforce the crucial response steps through practice, he said.