Thales unveils Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre

Thales has announced the launch of a new Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre in the UK, a dedicated cyber-security ‘battle lab’ designed to help to improve the security of Critical National Infrastructure, government and commercial organisations.

Thales UK has developed the Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre as a working facility to:
· Enable the modelling of customer networks, in order to help clients understand the security implications of proposed changes in a safe environment – a vital service for operators of safety-critical technology.
· Deliver cutting-edge cyber-security research and development,including co-innovation with government, universities, SMEs and with customers.
· Ensure that Thales cyber-security consultants are the best-trained in the world, by supporting their structured training programme with ‘simulator time’ in a representative environment with the right tools, support and skills development activities.
· Support the continuous assessment of global cyber-security products and technologies, to ensure that Thales always recommends the most appropriate solution to meet our clients’ specific needs.

The Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre has been developed to respond to the pervasive cyber threat facing the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure, which can only be addressed by taking a holistic approach to addressing connected cyber, physical and human security vulnerabilities. This facility enables Thales to work with its clients to:
· Develop and implement best practice security measures for their specific environment.
· Use over 6,000 pieces of malware to train security professionals staff to protect systems, spot vulnerabilities & respond to breaches in a controlled environment.
· Test, validate and accredit the security of networks, products and systems by helping to embed most advanced and holistic approaches to cyber-defence.

At the launch of the Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre, Sam Keayes, Vice President for Security & Consulting at Thales UK, said: “Cyber-security is a pervasive problem that threatens at an individual, organisational and national level. The Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre is part of Thales’s holistic response to the growing cyber-security threat, which addresses connected cyber, physical and human security vulnerabilities.”

The facility is used to conduct the research necessary to ensure that critical national infrastructure, in particular, can stay one step ahead of the threats. It also offers an unparalleled advanced training facility for security professionals. The centre exchanges tools, practices, malware knowledge and threat updates with other Thales cyber-security competence centres around the world, enabling the support of global clients’ networks.

With the support of leading security academics and innovative companies, the centre supports the creation and testing of safety-critical systems in a controlled virtualised environment. This allows clients to test their products and systems to the appropriate cyber-security standard, before live implementation or launch.

“Cyber security is a journey, which starts by understanding which information needs to be protected and articulating the business benefits of addressing the cyber security threat,” said Sam. “The Cyber Integration & Innovation Centre ensures that Thales always provides the most highly-trained, professional and pragmatic support to our clients, always applies the most effective solutions to cyber security problems, and always ensures that ‘good cyber security is good business’.”