CyberGuard appoints Sean Tickle to expand 24/7 SOC support

CyberGuard Technologies has appointed Sean Tickle as Security Operations Centre (SOC) Manager, to expand its recently-launched 24/7 SOC support service.

Based in Kidderminster and part of IT Services firm OGL Computer, CyberGuard Technologies was the first UK commercial company to partner with Kaspersky Labs to access its global threat intelligence platform.

As the company expands its end-to-end managed cyber security services, CyberGuard Technologies’ 24/7 SOC support service is operated by a specialist team of experienced, knowledgeable and accredited staff whose main responsibility is to review and investigate alerts generated by numerous sources. These can include CyberGuard Technologies’ security monitoring tools, its Unit 12 Threat Intelligence team, data from world-renowned security partners or from customers. 

Sean’s appointment as SOC Manager will see him take responsibility for the SOC team, which investigates 6,500 alerts every month and actions over 400 of those determined to be genuine security threats.

Sean commented on his appointment: “Most security businesses focus on detection solutions and then provide data to the customer’s own internal IT teams to then isolate and remediate, but we offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution rather than just detection services, as those are no longer sufficient. Ransomware can propagate in minutes so detect alone is not enough – response is key.

“Lots of disparate security systems are generating hundreds of thousands of alerts which internal teams cannot manage. We turn a reactive detection report into a proactive response report including full remediation and recommendations to build protection in moving forward. Many organisations now have some security measures in place so we are seeing a shift towards cyber maturity where responsible businesses are now looking to proactively manage their security and that of their entire supply chains.”

Established in 2017, CyberGuard Technologies’ turnover exceeded £1 million at the start of 2020 and the team now serves over 300 clients across the Midlands and beyond, with nearly 85% of those being managed services customers. The CyberGuard Technologies’ team’s expertise spans a wide range of industries, with niche expertise in security for building societies and financial services, global charities and non profits, as well as NHS Trusts.

As CyberGuard Technologies continues to expand into new markets and introduce new solutions to evolving threats, Sean’s role will see him focus on developing specialist teams tackling specific roles such as malware reversal analysis. He will also be responsible for delivering bespoke threat intelligence to share with the wider community, as part of an aim to become the leading end-to-end cyber security provider in the Midlands.

Sean reports directly to Paul Colwell, CyberGuard Technologies’ Technical Director, who comments: “Having started his career in the IT sector, Sean has spent the past 5 years focusing on the cyber security space. His grasp of the sector, and knowledge of cyber threat intelligence, quickly propelled him from a Junior Analyst role to an experienced SOC Manager. His primary area of expertise is in building SOC centres and managing operational security teams across a wide variety of skills, so we are really excited to have him on board.”

CyberGuard Technologies, which is CREST-certified, recommends that businesses always use CREST-accredited brands to ensure their cyber security services are being carried out by skilled professionals. CREST is a not-for-profit accreditation body that represents and supports the technical information security market. Set up in 2006 in response to the need for regulated professional services, CREST is now recognised globally as the cyber assurance body for the cyber security industry.