stc Bahrain, the world-class digital enabler, has announced the launch of the country’s first Vulnerability Operations Center (VOC), a state-of-the-art platform dedicated to helping organisations tackle offensive security challenges. This pioneering initiative, introduced in collaboration with Yogosha, marks a significant milestone in Bahrain’s cybersecurity landscape, reinforcing stc Bahrain’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions and safeguarding digital environments.
The official launch of the stc VOC was marked by a signing ceremony with Yogosha, and attended by Eng. Nezar Banabeela, stc CEO, and Oliver Quix – Regional Director of Yogosha, and senior representatives from both companies. The ceremony was followed by a presentation and a session on Offensive Security and Vulnerability Management followed by a product demo of stc Vulnerability Operations Center. The event was held at the Wyndham Grand Hotel.
Recognizing the need for a fresh approach, stc partnered with Yogosha to offer a new perspective on Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) via its stc VOC. Departing from the conventional model, the stc Vulnerability Operations Center provides an integrated platform for detecting, managing, and fixing vulnerabilities connected to offensive security activities. This will enable Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and security teams of stc Business customers to approach offensive security in a new way while enabling them to interact with security researchers and ethical hackers safely through the platform to secure their systems and applications. Moreover, stc VOC activates business customers to have Bug Bounty programs, Vulnerability Disclosure Programs (VDP) and live hacking events.
By digitalizing the penetration testing process, the stc VOC enables customers to seamlessly integrate and streamline their existing testing protocols, reducing the penetration testing duration by 50% and the efforts of their internal resources by 60%. Moreover, it allows them to reduce recurring vulnerabilities by up to 98% by activating continuous penetration test programs with no disruptions to their operations.
Commenting on the launch, Eng. Nezar Banabeela, stc Bahrain CEO said, “We are thrilled to partner with Yogosha to introduce the country’s first locally deployed Vulnerability Operations Center, a game-changer in offensive security. In today’s evolving threat landscape, organizations must adopt a proactive and flexible approach to cybersecurity.”
“Our VOC with all offensive security operations integrated into a single platform by connecting organizations with a diverse pool of skilled researchers and ethical hackers, allowing for enhanced flexibility and a higher level of expertise. Most importantly, it will empower businesses across the country to stay ahead of potential threats and minimize the risk of cyber-attacks,” he added further.
Yogosha’s CEO, Kazar Yassir commented, “We are delighted to join forces with stc Bahrain. With this strategic partnership we bring together Yogosha technology and stc Bahrain capabilities to help Bahraini organizations secure their digital assets through the Vulnerability Operations Center.”
During the event, Ameen Altajer, CEO of Inifitware was a guest speaker and he demonstrated how ethical hackers can use software engineering skills to reverse engineer web-based client applications. The platform allows stc Business customers to be informed about potential vulnerabilities within their application stack through experiences of security researchers. David Colombo, advisory board member and globally recognized cyber security expert, was also a guest speaker talking about the importance of deploying Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP) for Bahrain organisations. This kind of framework will allow security researchers from around the world to legally and confidentially report found vulnerabilities to destination organizations that have their workloads exposed to the internet. David Colombo stressed these efforts that stc Bahrain are employing will help increase the cyber security index of Bahrain and set it on par with global benchmarks.
The stc VOC is a testament to the company’s dedication to helping organizations protect their critical assets and maintain a strong security posture in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats.
For more information, please visit www.stc.com.bh.
