The headlines are piling up. More and more companies are affected by cyber attacks and fear for their valuable data. For this reason, the topic of “cyber security” is becoming increasingly important and both companies and authorities are developing internal concepts to protect systems, identities and data from precisely such scenarios. Christian Pohlenz is a security expert at Materna Virtual Solution and is responsible for securing the company’s ultra-mobile product portfolio and internal IT. In the following interview, Christian tells us more about his tasks and how you can protect yourself against cyber attacks.
Editorial Office: Dear Christian, today we are talking about a very important topic that more and more organizations are dealing with. Before we start, I would like you to briefly introduce yourself and tell us how you came to be involved in cyber security.
Christian Pohlenz: My name is Christian Pohlenz and I have been working at Materna Virtual Solution since 2021. As a security expert, I am responsible for almost everything that has to do with cyber security in our company. This includes, for example, the internal IT infrastructure, network settings, technological security regulations and, in a narrower sense, everything that has to do with the security of our ultra-mobile products. My interest in IT was evident from a young age. Over the course of my career and through working in a large international IT company, my affinity for cyber security crystallized. As a result, I moved away from general project management topics and delved deeper into the technical level and specifically into advanced cyber security topics.
Editorial Office: That sounds really exciting! As a security expert, you naturally also deal with current cyber security issues and always keep an eye on the market. Can you please tell us what trends you are currently seeing and what impact they are having on companies and authorities?
Christian Pohlenz: As in many other sectors of the economy, the relevance of and interest in AI topics is increasing. More generally, machine learning topics are gaining in importance, but at the same time should not be underestimated as an attack vector. Nevertheless, artificial intelligence can also be helpful and contribute to detecting anomalies in the cybersecurity environment and proactively identifying vulnerabilities in implemented and used systems. Other positive trends that have emerged, particularly during the pandemic, are hybrid working models, working from home and remote working. Although these forms of work are forward-looking and have become an integral part of our everyday lives, they also harbor risks, as they increase the attack surface for cyber security incidents. On the one hand, it is important to ensure that employees have access to resources, networks and paths, but on the other hand, it is also important to consider the framework conditions and ensure that security is guaranteed. In addition, an increase in automated attacks with more specific attack vectors can be observed. Malware campaigns and exploit kits are used by cyber criminals to automate the search for vulnerabilities in applications and thus penetrate IT infrastructures. These methods are difficult to detect, but are on the rise.
Editorial Office: IT administrators therefore have a lot to keep an eye on. So my next question is: what measures can companies and authorities take to effectively protect their systems and data from cyberattacks?
Christian Pohlenz: As a first step, common security technologies such as detection systems or firewalls and encryption technologies are essential for both companies and public authorities. In addition, I recommend controlling authorizations and access rights via so-called access control systems. This also includes the conscientious definition of user groups and levels. Regular audits and compliance with current market standards are also essential, especially for public administration. This also goes hand in hand with legal compliance, as adherence to the regulatory framework is essential. If a security incident occurs despite all security precautions, predefined emergency measures through security incident management are essential.
Editorial Office: Thank you very much for your valuable tips! In this context, I would like to know what role employee training and awareness campaigns play? Should these be carried out regularly?
Christian Pohlenz: That’s a very good point! In my opinion, training and awareness campaigns are important success factors in the implementation and realization of cyber security strategies and measures. Employees are considered the “first line of defense”. This means that many malware and ransomware attacks, Phishing and other threats can be transferred from employees to the systems. Clear, far-reaching and comprehensive awareness campaigns and training can definitely reduce these potential threats.
Editorial Office: I’m sure everyone has had a phishing email in their inbox at least once. As cybercriminals become more and more sophisticated, it certainly makes sense to have regular training sessions to teach employees how to recognize such emails and other attack vectors. You just mentioned the topic of cyber security strategy. What factors do you think should be taken into account when developing a holistic cyber security strategy?
Christian Pohlenz: In my view, the very first step is a risk assessment of the assets, such as identities, systems or software, in order to analyze them and identify those that are particularly worthy of protection. This gives you a picture of the situation and an overview from which you can then derive the guidelines and technological requirements. As already mentioned, training and the creation of a holistic security awareness among employees are essential and should definitely be integrated into the strategy. Incident response planning, i.e. the procedure in the event of a security incident, must also be defined. In addition, the legal requirements should be included in the strategy. Once the strategy is in place, I recommend creating an implementation plan and implementing the measures step by step according to this plan. Finally, I would like to point out the importance of a continuous review process, because the threat landscape is not a constant, but is in a constant process of change and improvement.
Editorial Office: Thank you very much, Christian! A rough roadmap is really helpful and your answers provide a good introduction to the topic. Thank you for your time and I’m already looking forward to our next cyber security training 🙂