Every eleven seconds, a company falls victim to a ransomware attack globally. Even worse, 59% of these attacks result in double extortion. The result is a thriving industry for the sale of harvested data which has grown from US$8bn in 2018 to US$20bn in 2021.

Caribbean and local companies are not exempt from this, and several companies have seen their data publicly exposed while dozens more quietly deal with the threat in a piecemeal and often ineffective manner. To respond to this, bmobile, the nation’s leading communications solutions provider, continued educating clients and potential customers with a live demonstration of VMware Carbon Black Endpoint. This security software solution can best be described as ‘antivirus, on steroids.’ The software consolidates multiple endpoint security capabilities using one agent and console, helping IT teams and companies operate faster and more effectively.

According to Nigel Pollard, Caribbean Territory Manager, Adistec, “Carbon Black is a solution to assist with your security posture. And your security posture is the different facets in your work environment that include everything from your firewalls to your devices, peripherals and storage. When most people think of data security, they think of the incoming points only. But today, if there is a breach coming in, it also goes ‘east-west’, that is, laterally across your networks and servers and across work sites and departments too.”

Unlike traditional antivirus software that most companies rely on in the region, Carbon Black is intuitive, responsive and globally aware. “Every time there is a breach in a part of the world, the database is updated, so it results in near real-time information. This is not the case for most companies that exist in a state of constant, push updates and notifications that often are not done for at least a week or two,” Pollard added.

In welcoming guests to the event, Darryl Duke, TSTT’s Assistant General Manager Business Sales, noted that the company had a unique perspective as not only a provider of the software but an active user, having integrated the software into its system. “At bmobile Business, we continuously scan the cyber security landscape to ensure that our clients have access to the most superior software solutions in the market. As a technology partner and a company laser-focused on powering on business in Trinidad and Tobago, we are committed to offering the right suite of solutions and services to current and future clients. With VMware Carbon Black, we are proud to introduce a best-in-class endpoint security solution that helps
minimize risk and bolster our clients’ security posture,” stated Duke. He added that TSTT continues to invest heavily in its cloud and data centre services, noting that the company owns and operates one of the most certified data centres in the region - TSTT’s TIA-942-B Rated 3, DCOS Maturity Level 3, and SOC Type 2 data centre.

Arnulfo Franco, Senior Engineering Sales Specialist CCA, VMware, shared that ransomware attacks had been crippling government networks and corporate infrastructure in the Caribbean Basin and Latin America in recent months. “Prediction, prevention, detection and response are critical to identify, analyse and respond to make smart decisions and Carbon Black is able to do this. VMware processes over 500 terabytes and over 1 trillion events a day successfully. And for the end user, the dashboard is easy to understand and use.” He also noted that the system successfully covers hybrid and remote work environments. “In years gone by, the perimeter of your security system was limited to inside the building, but now organisations need to protect any app, and any device on any cloud.”

Another concern that Franco pointed out is that ransomware attacks use verified employee information to access and enter the system and remain dormant for weeks or months before launching an attack. “The system continuously collects endpoint activity data because attackers intentionally try to look normal to hide their attacks,” Franco added.

Other benefits of the Carbon Black Endpoint security software are that it simplifies multiple security stacks into an easy-to-understand console and dashboard and dives in deeper to understand not just ‘the black and white, but the grey’, in that it continuously collects endpoint activity to fish out attacks that are already within the system lying dormant or tiptoeing around.

Adistec’s Nigel Pollard advised that all companies should consider Carbon Black as it is not just for larger corporate customers but everyone. “Security is security whether it is a virtual environment, a physical one, or cloud-based - every organisation should take their security seriously.”