New Security Firm Wants to Help AsiaPac Firms Fight off Cyber Attacks

A new security firm has entered the Asian market with the intent to help organizations in public and private sectors protect themselves against cyber attacks.

Fireye, a threats-detector company that focuses on stopping advanced attacks such as malware, zero-day exploits, and APT tactics, leverages on a platform that carries a virtual execution signature-less engine. Through this solution, the company's strategy is to supplement traditional and next-generation firewalls, IPS, anti-virus, and gateways, to enhance its security against attacks on e-mail, web, and even file sharing vectors.

Data provided by Fireye shows that 40% of all IT enterprises expect a cyber security attack, and according to Douglas Schultz, Sales VP, APAC, FireEye, the three main vectors of cyber security attack today are web, e-mail and files.

"E-mail is very effective in an APT target attack. Sometimes e-mails that have links, [and] once they click on it, the system becomes vulnerable," says Schultz.

"Malware has come to be sophisticated, and found their way to become undetected."

These reasons brought about their aim to strengthen the multitude of current anti-virus software in the market today. "We do not to compete with existing anti-virus companies," says Schultz. "We work with them."

McAfee and Blue Coat are just two of the security software providers the company has partnered with.

Fireye's security platform sits on level 2 filter, which means that whatever passes through the organization's firewall, and anti-virus software, will pass through FireEye's engine to monitor and dissect traffic and any malicious activities.

Steve Ledzian, Senior Sales Engineering Manager, South Asia, FireEye, furthers that they have a research and development team that continuously studies these malicious attacks to keep up with the increasing complexities of cyber attacks today.

The company's core strength, Schultz notes, comes from their vast experience in working with the US government sector against cyber attacks.

Defacement of websites, a problem recently encountered by Philippine government sites, is one thing that they can address, says Ledzian.

The company affirms that they are currently looking at the Philippine market, especially the government sector, to provide its solutions against cyber attacks.

But Schultz underscores that cyberattacks are not only being experienced by government institutions. "No industry is exempt from a cyber attacks," he says.

To date, FireEye's strongest markets are the government sectors and private enterprises such as banks, telecommunications companies and manufacturing.