Deutsche Telekom masterminds against cyber attacks

• Group strengthens security with Telekom AI and SASE strategy
• "Moat and drawbridge have had their day in cyber defense"
• Millions of companies face network transformation

Telekom is increasingly using AI to defend against hacker attacks. The company made the announcement ahead of Digital X (September 20-21). Against the backdrop of recent attacks on companies and public authorities, security is a key topic at this year's Telekom in-house trade fair in Cologne.

Today, companies are moving data and applications to one or more clouds. Since the pandemic, millions of people work from the home office in the corporate cloud every day. Examples include video conferencing or collaboration on documents. Sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT) or wearables are added as targets for hackers. Attackers are now making extensive use of artificial intelligence in their search for gaps in the corporate network.

Telekom is therefore countering attacks with a growing number of AI software and self-learning technology. More than two dozen super brains developed by Deutsche Telekom are working on the defense. Artificial intelligence keeps a constant eye on the network: It sounds the alarm when a line is down or breaks. AI helps analyze attack patterns in real time and advises on countermeasures. It also writes reports on them later.

Traditional networks can hardly cope with today's security requirements. Protection for central network access alone is not enough. Security must be decentralized - wherever attacks are possible. Telekom is therefore calling for a rethink in the design of corporate networks. Telekom's Head of Security Thomas Tschersich says: "Moats and drawbridges have had their day in cyber defense. Today's hackers have more entry points. We have to get our security measures to every door. Enterprises are therefore facing a fundamental transformation of their networks to a SASE architecture." 

The SASE admin sees network and security as if in a pilot's cockpit

SASE stands for "Secure Access Service Edge." Behind the bulky abbreviation stands a new architecture model for corporate IT. It unifies network and security through the Magenta Security SASE platform and marries both in the cloud. This simplifies the network infrastructure and makes it significantly more secure. More workflows can be automated in this way. Administrators of such networks have a central overview of the most important security and network functions, just like in an airplane cockpit. Service providers therefore offer both as an integrated service from the cloud.

Corporate data center no longer bottleneck for performance and latency

In addition to security, companies gain performance and efficiency with SASE. The corporate data center is no longer a hub. Data traffic no longer has to pass through this bottleneck. In the office or home office, the shortcut makes itself felt with fluid video conferencing or fast access to data. In SASE architectures, the loss of performance and latency is more modest.

SASE evolves with AI

The use of AI is the next logical step in SASE architectures. Example: if a work cell phone accesses the corporate cloud from a third country considered insecure, it may be stolen and hacked. The AI automatically detects this anomaly. It carries out security measures in real time. The mastermind then requires two-factor authentication, for example, or locks the device altogether.

Visit Us at Digital X 2023
Digital X returns to Cologne on September 21 and 22 2023. With stages, marketplaces, brand houses, and high-profile speakers, Cologne's city center will once again become a global showcase of digitalization in 2023. Megatrends of the future and digital solutions will come to life in the areas of Future of Work, Connected Business, Security, and Sustainability. Digital X is Europe's largest cross-industry digitalization initiative. Organized by Deutsche Telekom, it involves over 300 national and international partners. For further details, visit www.telekom.com/digitalx.