In an age when cyber threats loom giant, the dedication and fervour of cybersecurity professionals are extra essential than ever. Annually, Cisco makes a degree of choosing and recognizing a standout cybersecurity advocate who has earned the title of cybersecurity defender. This 12 months, it was inconceivable to decide on only one particular person.
This is the reason Cisco’s 2025 EMEA Cybersecurity Defender of the 12 months award goes out to a workforce of practitioners at SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies (ECS) whose contributions displayed an unusual capacity to boost the bar for general safety posture. The recipients are:
- Boris Mäck, Head of Expertise and Structure at SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies
- Roland Costea, CISO of SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies
- Christopher Hett, Cloud Community Architect at SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies
On this weblog, we are going to discover the origins of their ardour, the challenges they confronted whereas engaged on their vital challenge at SAP ECS, the methods they employed to beat these hurdles, and their useful insights for these seeking to make their mark in cybersecurity.
The Delivery of Ardour for Cybersecurity
A former Romanian chess champion, Roland Costea used his wits for technique to search out his manner into the sphere. Having studied expertise and programming at college, he wished to discover a solution to make a extra distinctive contribution. He discovered cybersecurity and by no means appeared again.
Christopher Hett’s ardour began early as a pc sport hobbyist. After he studied data expertise at a college in Germany, his first encounter with cybersecurity was by enabling his work’s Wi-Fi community with state-of-the-art encryption to mitigate assault vectors now additionally coming from wi-fi connections exterior corporations’ premises.
Boris Mäck’s sturdy background in networking started his cybersecurity journey. His experience in infrastructure providers and community applied sciences naturally led him into cybersecurity, particularly as securing networks grew to become an more and more essential side of IT.
Partnering with Cisco to Overcome SAP ECS Challenges
As one of many world’s main deliverers of managed cloud providers, SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies can’t afford downtime. That’s the reason, for Roland, the corporate’s CISO, it’s all about velocity. He notes, “I discover that velocity is probably the most essential factor. And after I say velocity, it’s velocity in the way in which that we determine, detect, defend, reply, get well, and govern… [After all], you possibly can’t afford to maintain an airport down for half-hour.” That’s why, in his opinion, the way forward for multi-cloud wants to incorporate a built-in safety element, and that’s the place Cisco is available in.
First, Christopher, Cloud Community Architect, explains the scenario even additional: “We’ve got over 7,000 buyer environments, so we have to have an answer that scales however doesn’t disrupt the companies of these 1000’s of shoppers. This can be a specific problem whenever you need to introduce an elevated safety service that calls for extra assets, and but uptime nonetheless must be preserved in any respect prices.”
A part of the problem is that SAP is each a multi-cloud supplier and one of many prime twelve hyperscalers on the earth (alongside Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and others), requiring steady uptime. Because of this SAP wants to supply the identical native capabilities for all their clients all through the world “regardless of the place the shopper resides,” and do it in a standardized manner “that delivers the identical worth independently for all our clients in a multi-cloud atmosphere,” as Roland expressed.
For that reason, SAP Enterprise Cloud Service selected to accomplice with Cisco.
To optimize velocity, enhance scalability, and guarantee enterprise continuity at the same time as providers develop, SAP is working to construct one overarching non-public cloud, protected by Cisco Multicloud Protection, a part of Cisco’s Hybrid Mesh Firewall options to take a seat over their three hyperscalers—offering constant, automated safety throughout them. As well as, SAP leverages Cisco Safe Entry to safeguard person entry to the net, cloud providers, SaaS and personal purposes with a single, cloud managed console.
These options improve SAPs safety and permit them the flexibleness to scale fluctuating enterprise wants and proceed to assist their community of shoppers with little to no disruption to their operations.
On the Proper Monitor
“This landmark safety challenge proves the ability of the ‘One Cisco’ Group in fixing SAP’s greatest safety challenges—defending their clients at scale,” says Robert Nicola, Consumer Government. “We delivered an progressive, scalable, and differentiated answer that units a brand new customary for buyer worth.”
Cisco likes to accomplice with corporations like SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies as a result of we will do the proper factor collectively.
When requested what made him proud, Boris, Head of CAE Expertise and Structure, shared, “I keep in mind when the CIO of the corporate we have been working with got here to us and mentioned, ‘Hey guys, we had a extreme ransomware assault in our community, and the one IT techniques that survived have been the SAP techniques hosted in RISE [one of our managed solutions]. To me, that is nice proof that we’re doing the proper issues with our ideas right here.’
They’re, and Cisco is proud to assist. The insights and experiences shared by these Cisco 2025 Cybersecurity Defenders of the 12 months emphasize shining a light-weight on the nice that’s being completed by the proper partnerships and the fervour of engaged cybersecurity leaders.
As expertise advances, so does the crucial for sturdy cybersecurity measures. With devoted professionals like our defenders paving the way in which, the way forward for cybersecurity seems to be promising. Thanks to our defenders for his or her inspiring tales and for illuminating the trail for future leaders on this essential area.
Concerned with making a distinction in cybersecurity?
Get acknowledged! Inform us concerning the progressive methods wherein you or your workforce are contributing to the cybersecurity panorama and be thought of for our subsequent Cybersecurity Defender of the 12 months award.
We’d love to listen to what you suppose. Ask a Query, Remark Beneath, and Keep Related with Cisco Safe on social!
Cisco Safety Social Channels
Share:
