The Impact of IBM’s Groundbreaking Cyber Security Truck

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As a result of the ubiquitous, increasing events of hacking and security breaches, IBM has sought to provide an opportunity for companies to develop protection plans, should they be intruded. Therefore, IBM created The X-Force Command Cyber Tactical Operations Center (C-TOC) to help counter such cyberattacks, which we made a blog post about in November 2018. Additionally, IBM has built the C-TOC truck to complement the fixed Cyber Range situated in Boston, thus facilitating the possibility to get closer to existing and potential clients.

Fully-operational simulation of a cyber security breach

The 23-ton truck has generated much publicity in the tech world and is equipped with complete cyber security training capabilities. It is the industry’s first mobile cyber range and watch floor, where you can train your team to respond to a security breach via simulations of real cyberattacks. Furthermore, IBM’s C-TOC is modelled after mobile command centers used by the military and capable of running an entire corporate IT environment for immersive breach response training exercises. It can even be configured as a sterile environment for cyber investigations or as an on-site cyber watch floor for special security events.

Activating numerous European companies and institutions

Most recently; last week, the rolling cyber security facility stopped by IBM’s Swedish headquarters in Stockholm, but already since January, it has visited several European countries. More than 2000 people from e.g. large banks and public institutions have participated in the program. In mid-April, the truck arrived at IBM’s headquarters in Denmark, located in Holte (Copenhagen), where 70 companies and public institutions took part in examining the fully-operational security truck, including Dansk Industri, IDC Nordic, and Digitaliseringsstyrelsen. Through various exercises, the participants were to respond to an imaginary cyberattack in order to get familiar with some of the issues and gaps that companies experience within the field of cyber security.

Cyberattack strategies can help save millions of dollars

IBM refers to a study conducted by the independent Ponemon Institute and sponsored by IBM Resilience, which illustrates that a majority of companies still remain unprepared, when facing cyberattacks. The study shows that 77% of more than 470 surveyed companies do not have a specific plan for breaches within their cyber security. Moreover, the study elucidates that the companies holding such a plan, do not regularly conduct tests or updates on these strategies.

According to the study, a company can potentially save more than a million dollars by addressing a cyberattack within the first 30 days. Nonetheless, only around 25% of the companies do this, which incentivizes the fact that companies must improve in planning a strategy for dealing with an attack. This implementation is vital, instead of following the usual approach of solely focusing on prevention and protection ahead of a potential attack.

It is inevitable that companies know how to deal with the challenges that a cyberattack brings. The potential chaos of a security breach induces the need for key employees to be aware of how to keep a sense of perspective in high-pressure situations. This is crucial in order to make the right decisions, which will help limit further damages to the company.

IBM’s C-TOC has been deemed a success that encompasses highly relevant, significant value in this ever-evolving digital age, which carries great responsibility in terms of keeping cyber security at the utmost importance.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at birgitte_reusch@dk.ibm.com.