IBM Gives Travel and Transportation Industry What it Wants: Security

Once upon a time, the travel and transportation industry, though still the most sought after, was manned by human beings and counting machines and didn't have to bother too much about security and data breaches; but with the advent of credit cards and online payment, travel has become one of the top products bought and sold on the Internet, making it a sitting duck for hackers. IBM (News - Alert) is helping the industry to assess its current security posture and resolve potential threats or vulnerability.

IBM's QRadar Security Intelligence Platform is being used to counter fraud, reduce cyber-risk and help companies recover faster in the case of a data breach.

While airlines have to safeguard hundreds of systems, passenger information databases, inventory records and pricing systems, hotel chains have to secure themselves at the corporate level as well as protect customer information.

Many security solutions are stated to be largely defensive but Marty Salfen, general manager, Global Travel & Transportation Industry at IBM notes that the company's new software leverages advanced security analytics as a weapon and has been specifically designed to provide not only continuous protection but also complete end point management to these companies. “Security is not a 'project,' and needs continuous, rigorous discipline to deal with incoming threats,” he added.

IBM's  QRadar Security Intelligence platform is expected to help detect vulnerabilities and high-priority incidents among billions of data points, gain full visibility into network, application and user activity, identify high-risk threats and behavioral anomalies in real-time, rapidly investigate and prevent malicious attacks and analyze log and flow data through a single solution architecture.

In addition, the company's Security AppScan software will enhance Web and mobile application security while improving security program management and strengthening regulatory compliance, thus offering “tiered protection.”

“The only economical, practical, and viable way for Travel and Transportation companies to protect themselves is to layer themselves in protection, adopting both defensive and proactive approaches," observed Salfen.

Having such a comprehensive plan in place is reassuring for the travel industry as it ensures protection and privacy of customer data while heightening its state of preparedness.

IBM's new offerings are just another example of how security has changed from being a passive element into an active one.