IBM opens European advanced security centre

IBM has launched the Institute for Advanced Security in Europe, as it hopes to assist private and public sector collaboration in protecting data.

The Brussels centre forms part of a wider IBM strategy to provide governments and other key organisations with security research, services and software.

IBM will offer various forms of security advice and services, focusing on issues including cloud computing, endpoint management and mobile security.

"IT and cyber security are inseparable topics that require the highest attention of the European Commission," said Robert Havas, chairman of the European Organisation for Security.

"This IBM initiative will help to drive even greater awareness of security."

The institute will also help IBM further entrench its already solid standing in the security market. Big Blue currently runs nine worldwide research labs and offers around 250 security-related products.

"Our European clients rely upon vast amounts of information stored on distributed computer systems and openly shared across public and private networks - yet they are struggling to effectively secure this critical information," said Martin Borrett, director of the new centre.

"The Institute for Advanced Security will link these organisations with IBM's broad array of security scientists, researchers and experts to help them understand the complex issues associated with addressing their cyber security challenges."

Companies who head to the centre for assistance will also be able to gain help from from IBM X-Force experts, who released their 2010 trend and risk report this week.

The research showed there were 8,000 new vulnerabilities in 2010, a 27 per cent rise over 2009, whilst companies were facing increasingly targeted attacks over the year.

In more positive news, the X-Force team reported a decline in phishing, although targeted spear phishing emerged as a more significant problem in 2010.