SecurityScorecard launches industry-specific ratings for the telecoms sector

Some industries make more attractive targets for cybercriminals than others, thanks to the type of data they hold and the services they provide. The telecoms sector is one such. 85 percent of the top telecom companies in the US, UK, France, Italy, Denmark, and Germany experienced a third-party data breach in the past 12 months alone.

Which is why SecurityScorecard is introducing a new set of security ratings developed especially for telecommunications companies, internet service providers, and cloud providers.

By identifying industry-specific factors, such as open DNS resolvers, SecurityScorecard's evaluation accounts for unique security landscapes and operational practices. Previously, these companies were evaluated on all assets they owned, such as IPs and domains -- even if their customers controlled most of these assets. To solve this, SecurityScorecard now excludes customer assets from their digital assets scored. Customer assets are outside their security policies, operational authority, and control, posing limited risk to these companies.

Christos Kalantzis, chief technology officer of SecurityScorecard, says, "We refine and improve our algorithm continuously to ensure that our ratings provide the most accurate reflection of a company's cybersecurity. We believe that together, we will transform cybersecurity for the benefit of all."

SecurityScorecard uses proprietary AI models to automatically detect and categorize assets leased to third parties. Organizations can audit the digital footprint detected and understand how various assets impact their overall score. Regular audits are carried out to ensure the categorization of customer assets remains accurate.

"At T-Mobile, building cybersecurity into everything we do is a critical part of our mission to be the best at keeping customers connected to their world," says Jeff Simon, SVP and chief security officer at T-Mobile. "Security ratings are an essential tool that we and other wireless providers use to help create a safer digital ecosystem for our customers, partners, and beyond. We applaud SecurityScorecard for their proactive efforts to advance security ratings for the telecom industry, and we believe that together, we can set new standards for cybersecurity."

You can find out more and setup a free account to check your organization's security rating -- and not just if you're a telecoms company -- on the SecurityScorecard site.

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