STM Cyber Fusion Center Intercepts Cyber Threats

You know, in our Bay Area backyard, the world is witnessing some epic quests to protect important information from the baddies of the online world. Just take a peek at the fantastic work going on over in Turkey. A few years back, on May 17, 2016, they fired up their exclusive Cyber Fusion Center with an aim to protect numerous public and private institutions from cyber threats. Now, imagine being inside this high-tech fortress of cyber goodies where different technologies work together to keep the digital evils at bay. You got your big data, security, malware analysis, and all sorts of cool jazz!

Our buddies in this cyber center are a dedicated team of whizzes, working around the clock, deep-diving into threats, hustling to protect, analyze, and trace them in emergencies—pretty cool, right? The Center’s Deputy General Manager, Mr. Ömer, believes this cyber fusion center is a crucial investment. He’s been rallying behind cybersecurity for about five years now, launching new projects and beefing up his team.

Now, coming to the nitty-gritty of this team’s fortress, it’s made up of three core components – a Cyber Operation Center (COC), a Cyber Intelligence Center (CIC), and a Malware Analysis Laboratory (kinda like the Bat cave!). The COC runs round-the-clock to watch over their systems, tracking network traffic, identifying risks, and controlling vulnerabilities. In case of cyber-attacks, their Rapid Reaction Team steps up to take critical actions, working alongside data processing units. On top of it, they are ready to block off devices should remote intervention become necessary– talk about being prepared!

Then there’s the CIC, their brainy powerhouse. It identifies cyber threats looming over the institutions that they protect. It gathers data from sources both open and hidden, some deep within the web where the average user can’t reach. It’s cool because this data, gathered by software developed by the center’s engineers themselves, gets evaluated, interpreted, and transformed into intelligence. They work to turn this data into intel to prevent nasty incidents in cyberspace.

Never missing a beat, these guys closely monitor hacker groups within their big data platform — watching for unusual activity, identifying methods, and sending alerts to their clients. They’ve developed their own systems using cutting-edge software, analysis, and in-house methods.

Recently, they’ve noticed a rise in DDoS attacks. Despite this, the team succeeded in thwarting attempts against their clients. Heck, they’ve even detected malware available on the black market before it could wreak havoc!

When a cyber threat morphs into a cyber-attack, their Cyber Operation Center springs into action. Analysts monitor data in real-time, stepping in whenever suspicious activity is flagged. They’ve got significant capabilities they can use to stay ahead of cyber-attacks, like monitoring the flow of harmful traffic.

The Malware Analysis Laboratory plays a critical role in the process too, examining potential threats under a microscope. When malware is detected, it’s removed from the system and brought to the lab for analysis. The team then undertakes specific evaluations, going through the code for weeks just to determine the malware’s purpose, origin, and the potential damage it could cause.

At the lab, a group of dedicated expert analysts bust their chops to keep malware at bay, safeguard clients’ systems, identify vulnerabilities, and report them periodically. If malware is detected, they can generate a signature for it and import it into the institution’s protection systems, putting up a strong barrier against future attacks.

The center’s engrained in the healthcare and cybersecurity worlds, protecting institutions like ministries of energy, transportation, and health, from cyber-attacks. They’ve identified crucial spots susceptible to attacks in the past and have shared their findings to help clients beef up their defenses.

So, that’s the story of our cyber protectors from Turkey—game-changing, exciting, and a real reminder that there’s a war going on behind our screens.

by Morgan Phisher | HEAL Security