Kevin Berry

Ava Group a provider of risk management services and technologies, announces that an Ava Group Company solution has been selected to protect a major military closed data network from the threat of tampering and tapping. The project to deploy its fiber optic intrusion detection and location solution is valued at around US $11M and asserts Ava Group’s status as a pioneer in data network protection. Ava Group Chief Executive Officer, Chris Fergus states: “We are proud that the Future Fiber Technologies (FFT) solution has been selected through a rigorous competitive tender, to deliver the very highest levels of protection to a closed data fiber optic network.” Asset owners can be potentially exposed to the threat of state-on-state action, terrorism and industrial espionage, as well as incident without motive Closed Fiber Network The principal task of this project supports The Ministry of Defense in India, who has the responsibility to protect its closed user group data network which is one of the largest in the world and used by more than one million military personnel. Any data network is as strong as its weakest link. Government departments, intelligence services, military organizations, financial organizations, nuclear facilities and commercial businesses with valuable intellectual property will have stringent measures in place to mitigate physical and cybersecurity threats yet are often oblivious to the danger of leaving even a closed fiber network unprotected. As such, the asset owners can be potentially exposed to the threat of state-on-state action, terrorism and industrial espionage, as well as incident without motive. Introducing Additional Vulnerabilities With low-cost readily available technology that requires little expertise, it is possible for an agenda-driven individual, or state-sponsored actor to tap and infiltrate a network at the fiber optic level and harvest data, without raising the alarm, or leaving an evidence trail. Chris Fergus, Ava Group CEO comments: “Any data breach is of grave concern, but those that pass undetected raise the stakes significantly. What’s more, in some instances fiber networks run across vast distances, meaning there could be tens of thousands of potential entry points for attack.” Unlike the widely used data encryption and protection schemes used to protect data in transit, Ava Group’s solution does not involve manipulation or processing of the data streams, thus avoiding third-party access to the data and therefore introducing additional vulnerabilities. Furthermore, processing or encryption of the data has a significant detrimental impact on bandwidth and latency, thus negating a major benefit of using fiber networks. Ava Group expects additional revenue from spares and support for seven years after the initial three-year warranty period Globally-Recognized Cybersecurity Standards Kevin Berry, Ava Group’s Head of Information Security explains: “The FFT solution does not see or process the data, cannot access it and there is no requirement for encryption. Consequently, the network infrastructure is fully protected at every point and crucially performance is unaffected. Another major benefit of the FFT solution is that deployment is completed with zero network downtime and can be rolled out across live infrastructure utilising dark fibres.” A further reason for organizations to choose Ava Group company solutions is the recent launch of its Global Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE). The initiative provides all customers with expert guidance and assurance that the products deployed on their data networks meet globally-recognized cybersecurity standards. The project is expected to be delivered in phases over a 15-month period, with the FFT solution beginning to strengthen the network from day-one of the installation. Ava Group expects additional revenue from spares and support for seven years after the initial three-year warranty period.

Ava Group, a market provider in the provision of risk management services and technologies, announces the launch of the Global Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE). This new program demonstrates Ava Group’s strong commitment to data security of customers, by providing expert guidance and assurance that the products deployed on their data network infrastructure exceed stringent globally-recognized cybersecurity standards. NIST Cybersecurity Framework The CCoE takes full advantage of the NIST Cybersecurity FrameworkAva Group customers operate some of the most at-risk infrastructure around the world, across sectors that include extractives and energy, utilities, government and military sites. The CCoE’s mission is to ensure a high standard of cybersecurity and that all Ava Group products are subjected to rigorous and continuous testing during development and their entire lifespan to ensure there are no weaknesses in the product that could compromise an organization’s security credentials. The CCoE takes full advantage of the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, combined with 2900 cybersecurity standards from globally-recognized independent testing organization Underwriter Laboratories (UL). Cybersecurity Threat Prevention In addition, the CCoE offers customers access to security configuration information, product-specific hardening guides and validated testing reports, as well as offering greater value with expert advice regarding enhancements for the protection of the entire data network infrastructure. The Ava Group has a long standing and proven pedigree in data network infrastructure protection through its Future Fibre Technologies (FFT) Data Network Infrastructure Physical Security (DNIPS) application. In launching the CCoE, Ava Group has once again taken a market leading position"Head of Information Security at Ava Group, Kevin Berry states: “Any time an organization selects a product to place on their data network it represents the possibility for increased risk. The CCoE mitigates this risk, providing security and IT teams with the peace-of-mind that the deployment and running of the application will not expose them.” Berry stresses that: “Today, it is not enough to implement robust cybersecurity hardening as a one-time test or event – it needs to be part of rigorous ongoing lifecycle program that responds and adapts to the changing threat landscape.” Data Network Protection The scale of the cybersecurity threat remains high with predictions that by 2019 a business somewhere in the world will succumb to an attack every 14 seconds. The financial burden of which is estimated to be an average of US$ 800,000 (Source: PwC Global State of Information Security Survey). The total annual cost to the global economy is estimated at over US$ 6 trillion (Source: Herjavec Group 2017 Cyber Crime Report). Ava Group CEO, Chris Fergus, concludes: “In launching the CCoE, Ava Group has once again taken a market leading position both in respect of the cybersecurity of all its products and in their application to protect our client’s data network infrastructures.”