CenturyLink cybersecurity chief speaks at annual NATO conference

Highlights importance of partnerships in defending against rampant and increasingly costly cyber attacks

MONS, Belgium, Oct. 17, 2017 /CNW/ -- Bill Bradley, CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) senior vice president, cyber-engineering and technology services, today delivered a cybersecurity keynote to high-ranking government, military and industry leaders at the annual NATO Information Assurance Symposium (NIAS17) being held Oct. 17-19 in Mons, Belgium. Also scheduled to speak at the event is CenturyLink's Cynthia Shelton, director of special program sales for government markets, who will serve as a panelist for the first-ever Women in Cybersecurity Forum on Oct. 19.  

Bradley's keynote, titled "Optimizing Partnerships – The Smart Strategy to Win the Cyber War," highlighted the critical importance of developing solid partnerships among governments, businesses and other organizations to help defend against the fast-growing number of cyber attacks.  

"We live in an age where businesses, consumers, educational institutions, governments and military agencies around the world are dependent on critical infrastructure connected through a global network," Bradley said during his remarks. "The only way to win the cyber war is for businesses, critical infrastructure providers and nations to come together for their common defense. Strong partnerships with trusted peers are essential to address the cybersecurity challenges we face and assure the resiliency of global networks."   

Cyber attacks are having deep impacts on commerce, healthcare, energy, food and emergency services, Bradley added, noting the cost of cybercrime will top $6 trillion annually in 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015.

"Through frequent dialogue and collaboration to understand our mutual goals," Bradley continued, "CenturyLink has developed strong relationships with our customers, telecommunications peers, cybersecurity solution providers, institutions and U.S. federal government agencies to defend against the growing number of threats."

CenturyLink invests in technologies, partnerships and services that can help enterprises stay ahead of growing cyber threats. Along with big data analytics, the company is leveraging the latest in software-defined networking and network functions virtualization to better predict, detect and respond to cyber attacks. Additionally, CenturyLink's portfolio of Managed Security Services helps organizations improve their cybersecurity posture as they continue their digital transformation.  

"Through our daily interactions with customers, we recognize that many do not have the expertise or technology to protect against malware, phishing, data breaches or DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks," Bradley told attendees. "CenturyLink has partnered to develop these advanced capabilities to help protect our customers."   

Bradley's keynote coincides with National Cyber Security Awareness Month, observed annually in the U.S. during October. As part of this year's awareness campaign, organizations of all sizes are encouraged to foster a culture of cybersecurity.  

As a panelist for the NIAS17 Women in Cybersecurity Forum, Cynthia Shelton will speak about her experience managing CenturyLink's customer relationship with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the critical cybersecurity services the company provides to federal government agencies. She will also discuss what has made her successful in the cybersecurity field and share some of the lessons she's learned. The aim of the forum is to define the factors leading to the cybersecurity gender gap, identify ways to close it, and then produce tangible actions that public and private organizations can implement today.       

Supporting U.S. government agencies and the Department of Defense    

In keeping with its commitment to defend against cyber attacks, CenturyLink serves in leadership roles on the U.S. President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Council and the Federal Communications Commission's Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council.

The company also maintains a 24/7 presence within the Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, where members jointly respond to all national disasters and emergencies, including cyber-related events.

Additionally, CenturyLink is a premier provider of secure transport backbone services to the U.S. Department of Defense through the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency.   

By supplying advanced cybersecurity and networking services via its carrier-class network, CenturyLink provides government agencies, businesses, the military and other organizations with the ability to proactively and aggressively defend against the growing number of cyber threats.   

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications and IT services company focused on connecting its customers to the power of the digital world. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, big data analytics, managed security services, hosting, cloud, and IT consulting services. The company provides broadband, voice, video, advanced data and managed network services over a robust 265,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 360,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.

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SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.