American tech giant AT&T joins alliance formed by UAE's Etisalat, other telcos to boost cybersecurity
Global telco security alliance says it's stronger now with America's AT&T involved
Dubai: The Global Telco Security Alliance, formed by a collection of telcos that includes Etisalat, said on Wednesday that it would add AT&T, the US telecommunications giant, as an equal member in the group.
The alliance was formed in April 2018 by Etisalat, Singtel, SoftBank and Telefónica.
Claiming to offer companies information and advice on cybersecurity, the group’s stated aim is to help firms address the growing issue of cyber-attacks and the evolving types of threats.
AT&T’s addition represents a “significant step up in resources and insights offered by the alliance as a whole,” the statement read.
The US company has established extensive cybersecurity capabilities and technologies, which were reinforced by the recent acquisition of AlienVault.
Harnessing the expertise of more than 6,000 security experts and a global network of more than 28 security operations centres, the group said it would benefit from AT&T’s inclusion.
Combined, the members of the alliance now cover more than 1.2 billion customers in more than 60 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
The Global Telco Security Alliance says it plans to expand its scope of activities and global footprint over time, and is open to adding new members in the future.
“We are thrilled to be the first telco in North America to join the alliance, and to do so as a founding member,” said Barmak Meftah, president of AT&T Cybersecurity.