In 2017, InfoWatch Group released a new version of InfoWatch Traffic Monitor, featuring 20+ additional tools to improve the DLP system efficiency when it comes to enterprise security policy creation, investigations, and interaction between an information security team and various enterprise business units. The company unveiled a set of data security and audit services for industrial control systems (ICS), as well as TaigaPhone, a hardware and software suite that protects organizations against data leaks via mobile devices and controls smartphone use at work.
Thanks to the progress in technology partnerships, InfoWatch solutions are now compatible with products from such vendors as Cisco, Schneider Electric, Infotecs, MobilityLab, RuSIEM, Phishman, and NeuroDAT SIEM.
INFOWATCH GROUP 2017. RussiaTo address a growing demand in the domestic market, InfoWatch Group opened InfoWatch Volga at Innopolis Special Economic Zone and InfoWatch Ural in Tyumen city, as well as signed cooperation agreements with the governments of Khabarovsk Territory, Tyumen and Ulyanovsk Regions.
In 2017, both businesses and government authorities opted for InfoWatch solutions. For example, AlfaStrakhovanie, one of Russia’s largest insurance companies, adopted InfoWatch Traffic Monitor to improve security control in its Moscow headquarters and is now planning to roll out the solution to 270 regional branches. The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania became the first constituent entity in Russia to adopt TaigaPhone suite as a mobile e-document management platform for the Republic's supreme bodies.
Denis Manturov, Russian Minister of Trade and Industry, recognized InfoWatch Group’s success in the domestic market, while the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation invited the company to join its priority project ‘National Champions’ as one of the most rapidly developing Russian high-tech companies according to the TECHUP 2017 rating.
Moreover, the company became the second fastest growing business in the Russian IT service market.
INFOWATCH GROUP 2017. International ExpansionInfoWatch Group has been active on international markets since 2011, with its InfoWatch Traffic Monitor being recognized by Gartner as one of the best niche DLP products worldwide. In 2017, InfoWatch Group focused on the full-cycle customer and partner support across key regions, where the company operates, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
To unleash its export potential, InfoWatch Group entered into an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the sale of a minority interest in its Russian subsidiaries. The Group’s domestic assets are estimated at $100 million.
The company became Russia’s first DLP vendor to open a representative office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Later, the second foreign full-service office was opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bringing the total number of InfoWatch offices to 15.
InfoWatch Group showcased its localized solutions at major industry events held in the mentioned regions. Thus, as part of Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (GISEC) in Dubai and IFSEC Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur, the company demonstrated its latest InfoWatch Traffic Monitor version featuring InfoWatch Vision, an additional digital forensics module; InfoWatch Person Monitor, a system that continuously monitors personnel’s working activity and utilization of corporate resources during working hours; and InfoWatch Appercut, a system to automatically control business app source code for custom development compliance.
Moreover, at GITEX Technology Week 2017, the largest international trade show of information and telecom technologies, InfoWatch Group unveiled TaigaPhone hardware and software suite to the Middle East market, while at the 4th Annual Arab Future Cities Summit (AFCS Dubai) 2017, a hardware and software suite designed to protect ICS and adapted to technology networks, InfoWatch ASAP, turned out to be the biggest attraction.
Natalya Kaspersky, President of InfoWatch Group, took part in the Intergovernmental Russian-UAE Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation.
In 2017, the company completed tens of InfoWatch Traffic Monitor proofs of concept in the Middle East, with projects for one of UAE’s government agencies and the largest leasing company of Oman being now at the final implementation stage. In addition, the company upgraded InfoWatch Traffic Monitor to the latest version for several major customers in the region, including the Central Bank of Bahrain, Kuwait Finance House, and First Energy Bank (Bahrain).
InfoWatch Group partnered with Dubai Consultancy LLC to facilitate the cooperation with government authorities and large companies in UAE, while Ferrostaal Technology Solutions LLC and Specialized Technologies for Petroleum Engineering LLC (Naftec) became its technology partners. In addition, Global Solutions and Ebttikar Technology Ltd. Co. are now InfoWatch solution providers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
The company’s office in Malaysia continued to cooperate with key InfoWatch customers in the region, such as Koperasi Bank Persatuan Malaysia Berhad, and made partnership agreements with Southeast Asian enterprises, including with respect to the training of specialists from foreign organizations.
In 2017, the company took part in Business Revolution and Innovation Network (BRAIN), an educational initiative of the Kingdom of Thailand, targeted at Thai government officials and representatives of businesses and non-profit organizations. The course participants expressed their interest in further cooperation with the Russian party as regards Thailand secure information environment.
InfoWatch Group management held a meeting with the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to discuss opportunities for creating cybersecurity systems based on Russian solutions for Vietnam’s government agencies.
InfoWatch’s success in international markets was highly evaluated by CNews Analytics experts. Thus, the company won the first prize in the ‘Expansion of the Year. IT Development outside Russia’ category of CNews AWARDS 2017.
INFOWATCH GROUP 2017. Investments in Human Capital and EducationOne of the company’s strategic priorities is to contribute to the fostering of skilled engineers and promote cybersecurity profession. In 2017, InfoWatch workforce grew by more than 20%, with one in three new employees completing intern training program ‘Start your professional journey with InfoWatch’, as part of which university students and graduates have an opportunity to get involved in the company’s projects.
InfoWatch Group and National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) opened the InfoWatch-based enterprise cybersecurity department as part of HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE), with InfoWatch also starting a scholarship program for tech students in cybersecurity.
To drive professional training programs to be aligned with market needs, InfoWatch specialists developed and delivered a course of lectures and seminars for 100+ lecturers and employees of 22 universities from 14 regions of Russia.
Furthermore, InfoWatch became a partner of the All-Russian Academic Competition supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and developed and introduced the competition program for the Enterprise Cybersecurity category of WorldSkills, a global cross-industry championship among young specialists. It should be noted that at the WorldSkills 2017, held in Abu Dhabi, Russian team was the best by total point score.
Traditionally, InfoWatch Group was a general partner of the international Business Information Security Summit.
