STM Cyber Fusion Center Thwarts Cyber Threats

Hey there, I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area and as a local, I’d like to share some recent news about the ongoing fight against cyber threats. I’ve got quite the story for you about a ground-breaking Cyber Fusion Center in Turkey.

The big day for this center was May 17, 2016, when Turkey’s only Cyber Fusion Center was inaugurated. So far, around ten public and private organizations have benefited from its innovative cybersecurity offerings.

A potpourri of high-end technologies like big data, security, malware analysis, monitoring imaging, and communication has been operating in harmony at this center. What’s more, you ask? Picture a team of dedicated professionals working round the clock, overseeing complex processes, tackling threats, and cracking them down in case of emergencies.

The center consists of three primary segments: a Cyber Operation Center, a Cyber Intelligence Center, and a Malware Analysis Laboratory—could sound kind of intimidating with all those Stern words, but trust me, these guys are the good ones.

The operation center is always up and active – throughout the day and night. It treads through several procedures like monitoring network traffic, tracking in real-time, evaluating vulnerability data, and more. The key players here are the Rapid Reaction Team who, among other things, contact data units during cyber attacks and convey information to the necessary folks in case of emergencies.

Now let’s talk about the mastermind, the Cyber Intelligence Center. It plays an integral role in identifying potential cyber threats. It dives deep into the web, collating information from open sources and hidden channels through in-house developed software, before transforming this data into critical intelligence.

The team closely follows its potential foes—hacker groups. These guys take their preparations seriously and leave traces of their presence while doing so. These traces are then tracked, classified, and monitored by the center, enabling them to anticipate the group’s methods and work towards preventing possible attacks.

With recent trends showing a rise in DDoS attacks, the center has successfully detected and combated such crimes against their clients. They’ve also developed countermeasures for malware available on the black market, an excellent feat given the potential damage such software could cause if unleashed in cyber attacks.

In case you’re wondering whether any of these feats are just theoretical, let me assure you, they’re very much real and practical. They’ve already helped several critical institutions with their services since the center’s launch. Some of these institutions had been targeted several times by cyber attacks.

Finally, let me introduce you to this centre’s ace in the hole, the Malware Analysis Laboratory. This is where profound research is done to conduct a ‘biopsy’ of the detected malware in an isolated or controlled internet environment. It can specifically analyze the code for weeks, decoding the software’s purpose, origin, and potential damages. Oh, and did I mention they block any future incidents caused by the same malware automatically? Yup, that’s right.

So, the bottom line—next time someone tells you “cybersecurity,” imagine a talented group of professionals tirelessly fighting cyber villains, both day and night, to keep our data safe—just like the diligent folks over at Turkey’s Cyber Fusion Center.

by Morgan Phisher | HEAL Security