IBM Unleashes Watson To Secure Swiss Financial Sector With Next-Gen SOC

IBM Security has partnered with SIX, the infrastructure operator for the Swiss financial sector, to integrate IBM Watson for Cyber Security into a new cognitive Security Operations Center (SOC).

The SOC will provide localised cyber security services tailored to the needs of the region and will be housed in SIX’s offices in Switzerland.

SIX will now be able to offer more advanced services to its financial industry customers, utilising Watson to provide a range of cognitive security tools as well as developing a new collaborative framework for the next-generation SOC.

Watson-powered

“Digitization, Internet of Things, global connectivity and the integration of new disruptive technologies are some megatrends opening a lot of new business opportunities,” said Robert Bornträger, division CEO of SIX Global IT. “However, they also bring new threats with possible high impact on the industry.

“We operate the infrastructure of the Swiss financial market. IBM as a leading company in security operations and response was the logical partner for us and the perfect match for our requirements to build and operate our SIX Security Operations Center which will go beyond today’s off-the-shelf cyber security standards – therefore defining the next generation of the Swiss financial market.”

The new services – which include access to IBM’s X-Force threat intelligence research – will be available for customers of both SIX and IBM and will be initially offered to banking businesses who require local security, regulatory, compliance and audit capabilities in order to adhere to data privacy and data protection regulations.

The two companies will also work together to develop a roadmap that defines the evolution of the ‘New Generation of Security Operations Center’, with a focus on using cognitive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to respond to threats across endpoints, networks and cloud.

Thomas Landolt, country general manager for IBM Switzerland, described the partnership as “a major step in Switzerland for IBM as a company, and its security business in particular”.

He added that IBM is “looking forward to both helping SIX manage its own cyber security needs, and also becoming an essential partner starting with the globally respected Swiss banking market to those other organisations who need regionally based and Swiss market compliant security services”. 

IBM has been busy expanding its use of Watson into a range of industries over the last few months, as customers look to take advantage of its AI and machine learning capabilities.

For example, IBM recently partnered with Arthritis Research UK to develop a Watson-powered ‘virtual personal assistant’ for sufferers of Arthritis, after teaming up with BMW to use AI to research the future of driving.

IBM will also combine Watson with Salesforce’s own AI system called Einstein and has joined forces with Wanda Technology to extend Watson’s reach in China.

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