Trend Micro announces the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service, together with the addition of multiple AI-powered capabilities across the entire Trend Micro product portfolio.

The MDR service is aimed at organisations lacking in security staff. It is enabled through sensors built into Trend Micro endpoint, network and server offerings across an environment. The sensors deliver data to the service, which correlates alerts from multiple sources to automatically identify the source of an attack and identify risks to be addressed.

The service also includes onboarding support, 24/7 alert monitoring, alert prioritisation and investigation, and threat hunting functions. Further enhancing the service are AI capabilities helping correlate and identify threats. Trend Micro uses a single "API everywhere" approach to enable information to easily flow across all layers of the IT stack, reducing analysis time and the burden for organisations leveraging the MDR offering.

The Money 20/20 Europe event sees the MagicCube enter European markets with a product suite including MC-Token Shield and MC-Screen Shield, capable of replacing the hardware security needs of point of sales systems.

The MagicCube European presence comes complete with a branch office in Munich headed by Ingo Tänzler, who previously worked at Giesecke & Devrient.

MagicCube technology transforms regular mobile devices into "secure, full-featured POS systems." It allows consumer devices with touchscreens of all sizes to handle sensitive data, such as payment card PINs. The result is a reduction in cost and complexity of POS ownership, as well as an increase of card acceptance and reduction in acceptance risk.

Hardware Security Module (HSM) maker Ultimaco looks to boost its position in finacial services with the acquisition of the Atalla HSM and enterprise secure key manager (ESKM) business lines from Micro Focus.

Germany-based Ultimaco says the deal allows it to address demand for merging payment functionality with general purpose needs. The Atalla HSM offering protects sensitive data and keys for non-cash retail payments, carholder authentication and cryptographic keys. Meanwhile the ESKM tool provides a centralised means to unify and automate encryption key controls.

by Paul Balkwell, Vice President of International Sales, Continuum

Global ransomware damage costs are skyrocketing, reported to exceed £10 billion by 2019. But, it may surprise organisations to learn that ransom payouts could be the least of all damage cost contributors. The real financial injury is in the post-attack disruption to a business’ operations and productivity.

With a comprehensive business continuity plan in place, an organisation has a better chance of significantly reducing downtime from a ransomware attack. Unfortunately, while organisations may think they have a proper plan in place for when disaster strikes and data needs to be recovered, many actually have gaping holes in their BDR and security strategies that they don’t even know exist. This is especially true in the SMB sector, as key decision makers are typically focused on core business issues such as serving clients and optimising growth, and don’t consider backups a top priority.