The fact that PULSEC has the largest Security Operations Center in the region today and the fact that we are the strategic partner of Telekom Srbija affirms that leading role. Our motto “your business guardians” best illustrates how we see our role – we are the backbone for companies in the digital environment and we give our best effort so that their business runs seamlessly and securely.

How does PULSEC define its role as a leader in the field of cybersecurity in Serbia and the region?

As a company that has been solely committed to cybersecurity for years, PULSEC has put itself forward as the leader in this field. Our position is built on several foundations. Firstly, we have years of experience in the protection of different systems – from small companies, state institutions to big corporations. Over time, we built a team of top experts that are constantly improving their knowledge and following global trends. Another key element of our leading role is a diverse portfolio of services and solutions. We cover all aspects of information security: from risk assessment and consulting, implementation of the latest protection technologies to continuous system monitoring and incident responses. Innovation is at the very core of what we do – we continually integrate the latest technologies and best practices in order to provide our clients with comprehensive, proactive and reliable protection. It is precisely because of that approach that we have gained the trust of numerous domestic and international clients. The fact that PULSEC has the largest Security Operations Center in the region today and the fact that we are the strategic partner of Telekom Srbija affirms that leading role. Our motto “your business guardians” best illustrates how we see our role – we are the backbone for companies in the digital environment and we give our best effort so that their business runs seamlessly and securely.

What makes the Security Operations Center unique and how does it ensure 24/7 protection?

Our Security Operations Center is the heart of PULSEC’s services, and the thing separating it from everyone else is the combination of top experts, the most modern technology and the strictest standards and operating certificates. We are talking about the largest SOC2 type 1 SOC in the region, with geo-redundant locations, which means that even in the case of emergency, we have equally adequate centers which guarantee business continuation without interruptions. Our team is constantly working – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, during the whole year – in order to monitor clients’ security events in real-time. In practice, that means that any suspicious activity on the client’s network, server or application is immediately spotted. Our clients can rest assured knowing that people from our center are closely monitoring their systems every minute, using high-grade technology and verified procedures which guarantee protection reliability.

What is your partnership with Telekom Srbija based on?

Our partnership with Telekom Srbija is based on a strong synergy of expertise and infrastructure, that is on bringing the best of two worlds together. Telekom Srbija recognized the significance of cybersecurity being a key segment of digital economy and this partnership represents a big confirmation of quality to us – in PULSEC, Telekom saw a team of experts and advanced solutions that can improve the security of their customers, while on the other hand, PULSEC was met with the opportunity to promote its services to a much wider range of customers through Telekom. Our partnership works in such a way where PULSEC brings specialist knowledge, experience and portfolio of advanced cybersecurity services, while Telekom contributes with its wide market presence, infrastructure and trust it enjoys among customers. With joint effort, we can offer state-of-the-art security solutions virtually to everyone – from big companies to small businesses, making security solutions available to everyone in the process, which wasn’t the case before. Additionally, together we set new standards for cybersecurity on the market – our goal is to increase the overall level of digital security in economy and society.

What are the benefits of a PULSEC service suite – especially in terms of flexibility, individual approach and availability?

One of the main goals of the partnership with Telekom was to create cybersecurity suites that would be adaptable and available to a wide range of customers. Traditionally, top-level security solutions have been reserved to mostly big systems, but we are changing that. PULSEC suites are designed in such a way that companies can choose precisely the level of service that suits them, whether it’s basic protection for smaller businesses or advanced, comprehensive protection for corporations. Additionally, within those suites we have room for individualization: prior to recommending a solution, we analyze client’s specific needs, their industry, regulations they have to abide by and the existing level of protection. Based on that, we create a suite of measures that will protect specifically that business in the most efficient way. Therefore, the approach is not “one solution for everyone,” rather each client gets the attention of our experts and a solution customized to them. With the 24/7 support we offer, even the smallest business can have the feeling of safety as if it has an entire team of security experts by its side. We believe that such availability of the state-of-the-art protection is a great advantage and that our task is for the services we provide to be attainable to anyone who is aware of the risk in the digital world.

How do you leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in protection – specifically in terms of detection in real-time, automation and lowering the risk of error?

Artificial intelligence has become an essential tool in modern cybersecurity and we are intensively leveraging it to improve the speed and precision of threat detection. Specifically, our systems rely on AI for the analysis of a large number of logs and traffic in real-time. Instead of a person manually checking each event (which is virtually impossible due to the amount of data), AI algorithms constantly comb through information flows and search for anomalies. The advantage of AI and automation is in lowering the risk of human error. People can miss a signal due to fatigue or information overload, but a well-trained AI model won’t ignore a single relevant piece of data. Naturally, we always combine machine intelligence with human expertise – AI gives us speed and scope, while our analysts give us context and a final evaluation. Such a match significantly decreases the probability of an attack going unnoticed or false alarms. In practice we see that AI dramatically speeds up the time of detection, which is crucial for damage limitation from an attack. Also, the statistics show that over 90% of companies globally believe that AI helps them better protect their systems – our experience confirms that with smart application of artificial intelligence we can be more proactive and efficient than ever before.

How does PULSEC adapt its solutions to the current regulations such as GDPR, the Law on Information Security and relevant ISO standards?

In the field of cybersecurity, compliance with regulations is as important as the technical efficiency of the solution. From the very beginning of every project, the PULSEC team makes sure that the recommended protection complies with all regulations and standards relating to the client. In practice, this means that our solutions are designed in the spirit of GDPR and national data protection laws: we ensure privacy on every step, apply data minimization (we process only that which is necessary for security) and anonymization principles wherever possible. Also, we are completely transparent with our clients in terms of how their data is used for security purposes, which is also in line with European regulations requiring such transparency and customers’ control of their data. Apart from privacy protection, we are focused on other regulations and standards as well. The Law on Information Security in Serbia sets certain requirements for companies – for example, implementation of protective measures, incident reporting, etc. We help our clients meet those requirements, as our services include everything required by the regulation, but also often go a step further from the prescribed minimum. When it comes to international standards such as ISO 27001 for information security management, PULSEC has integrated them in its internal processes. We have established information security management systems which are compliant with ISO standards and we also own relevant quality certificates. That means that we also implement best practices internally, which we later incorporate into client solutions. This way, the client gets a two-fold value: technological protection and assurance that everything has been done in accordance with the law, which makes potential audits or alignment with their own business operations easier.

With cyberattacks on the rise, how does PULSEC help companies – through education, testing and support?

We are witnessing a global trend of escalating cyberattacks and particularly concerning is that big corporations are no longer the only target – up to around 43% of successful attacks globally are targeted at small and medium companies. This represents a danger to all, so it is essential that the companies be prepared. PULSEC, in this regard, has a holistic approach to protection: we do not focus only on technology, but on people and processes as well. We regularly organize trainings and workshops for our clients’ employees in order to raise the level of awareness about security. It is often said that man is the weakest link – hence we teach employees through the training program how to recognize phishing emails, how to address suspicious requests (e.g. not to click on unverified links or to additionally verify unusual request via a different channel) and how to be more careful in digital communication. Our philosophy is that technical solutions do not mean much if people are not trained to use them properly and to recognize threats. Another aspect represents testing – we proactively search for weaknesses before an attacker does so. We perform regular system security checks for clients: from searching for vulnerabilities in the network or software to penetration testing where we simulate an attack on the company’s infrastructure. Such controlled attack simulation shows where the weak points are and offers an opportunity to patch them on time. Many companies are surprised when we detect, for example, open ports or weak passwords on systems which they thought were secure – it is better that we uncover that rather than a real attacker. After testing, the client is given a detailed report and recommendations on how to bolster their defense. The third component is continuous support and incident responding. Even with the best precaution measures, an attack can occur and it is then crucial to react swiftly and correctly. PULSEC offers 24/7 support to its clients precisely for such emergencies. When an incident occurs, our team moves into action: we help our client to isolate the problem, remedy the consequences and return the system to normal as soon as possible. Whether it’s malware, ransomware or DDoS attack, our experts have a procedure for every scenario. We also offer post-incident support, which means that we analyze what happened with the client, how they can better protect themselves in the future and whether some internal procedures should be improved. Apart from direct intervention, we strive to regularly inform our clients about new threats and best practices – whether through newsletters or consulting – so that they are proactively prepared. In short, our response to the rise of attacks is a synergy of education, defense testing and experts ready to help when it is most needed.

What further strategies do you have in collaboration with Telekom – what suites are available now and are you planning to expand the offer?

The partnership with Telekom is dynamic and we have a clear vision of further development. Through Telekom Srbija, we already offer several cybersecurity suites which are readily available to customers – from the basic level of protection intended for smaller businesses, all the way up to advanced suite for corporate systems which require the highest level of protection and compliance with regulations. We will continue to develop those suites in order to cover as many specific needs as possible. As it pertains to expanding the offer, together with Telekom, we are monitoring market needs and technological trends. Cyberthreats are evolving and our solutions must always improve. In addition, we are committed to expanding to other markets in the region. Telekom Srbija has a regional presence, which presents the opportunity to offer PULSEC services to customers outside of Serbia as well. All these actions lead to one goal: to improve and expand the offer of cybersecurity so that every Telekom Srbija Group customer can find a suitable level of protection and for us to be a step ahead of always-evolving threats.

How does PULSEC work on educating clients and the general public? You mention workshops, training programs and we also know about your PULSE360 conference.

Education is a big part of our business, as we believe that the awareness about cybersecurity must constantly be raised, both among IT experts and among business decision-makers. We have several levels of educational activities. We organize internal workshops and training programs for our clients, adapted to their needs. We try to pass on knowledge in an understandable way, with a lot of practical examples. Apart from working with clients, we address the general business public. One of our initiatives is the annual PULSE360 conference, which we started with a goal to bring together all people interested in cybersecurity in one place. PULSE360 has become the largest event of its kind in Serbia – every year, we bring renowned experts, company representatives, as well as our experts, to talk about current cyberthreats, innovative technologies and regulations. Apart from conferences, our experts often give lectures at faculties, participate in other expert conferences and write articles and guidelines. That way, we try to spread the security culture in society. All in all, education is not an ancillary activity for us, but an equally important mission along with providing services – because the more informed and trained our customers are, the more efficient our solutions will be and, above all, the less frequently security incidents will occur.

What does PULSEC offer that your competitors cannot – what is the strategic advantage for your clients?

There is always competition, but we believe that PULSEC has several unique advantages which separate us and present added value to our clients. Firstly, we have our deep specialization and sole focus on cybersecurity. We are not an IT company that also deals with cybersecurity, rather, we are completely committed to that field. That means that our clients gain a partner who really understands all aspects of modern threats and defenses. Second – the combination of local presence and global level of service. PULSEC is originally from this region and is exceptionally familiar with the environment, language, laws and specific challenges our companies face – which foreign competitors often lack. On the other hand, we compete with global companies in terms of technology and expertise: we use the most advanced tools, collaborate with the world’s leading suppliers and have international certificates and awards. Thirdly, PULSEC offers a comprehensive “turnkey” service. Cybersecurity is an extremely complex field that encompasses a large number of different technologies, solutions and services. We have the capacity to cover all of its segments. Our experts own over 500 relevant international certificates in various areas of cybersecurity, which is a clear indicator of quality and the depth of knowledge we offer to clients. The client gets everything in one place – from the initial risk assessment and consulting, equipment and software implementation, to 24/7 monitoring, as well as swift incident resolution when it comes to affected customers. I would especially like to point out that, along with common technologies such as Endpoint Security, Network Security and Data Security, we also cover specific technologies such as OT Security, Application Security, IAM, as well as different market verticals such as healthcare, financial sector and others. Many other companies cover only some segments (some sell equipment, others offer consulting, some others only monitoring), but we integrate all of that and take on an active role in protection. When you hire us, we become your security partner, not only a supplier. That means that we strategically think about your own good – we continually monitor the ways in which we can improve our protection of your company and proactively recommend improvements, instead of waiting for you to come to us with a problem. We believe that this level of commitment and the combination of quality cannot be easily found elsewhere on the market.

Our ultimate goal is not only to provide technical protection, but to create a safe digital environment in which our clients can seamlessly grow, develop and focus on what they do best – their business. At PULSEC, cybersecurity is much more than a job – it is our passion and our calling, something to which we are completely committed, and it is that commitment that makes the key difference for our clients.