In an age when cyber threats loom giant, the dedication and keenness of cybersecurity professionals are extra essential than ever. Annually, Cisco makes some extent of choosing and recognizing a standout cybersecurity advocate who has earned the title of cybersecurity defender. This 12 months, it was inconceivable to decide on only one particular person.
Because of this Cisco’s 2025 EMEA Cybersecurity Defender of the Yr award goes out to a group of practitioners at SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies (ECS) whose contributions displayed an unusual means to boost the bar for general safety posture. The recipients are:
- Boris Mäck, Head of Know-how and Structure at SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies
- Roland Costea, CISO of SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies
- Christopher Hett, Cloud Community Architect at SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies
On this weblog, we’ll discover the origins of their ardour, the challenges they confronted whereas engaged on their vital undertaking at SAP ECS, the methods they employed to beat these hurdles, and their helpful insights for these trying to make their mark in cybersecurity.
The Beginning of Ardour for Cybersecurity
A former Romanian chess champion, Roland Costea used his wits for technique to search out his manner into the sector. Having studied expertise and programming at college, he needed to discover a technique to make a extra distinctive contribution. He discovered cybersecurity and by no means seemed again.
Christopher Hett’s ardour began early as a pc recreation hobbyist. After he studied info expertise at a college in Germany, his first encounter with cybersecurity was by enabling his work’s Wi-Fi community with state-of-the-art encryption to mitigate assault vectors now additionally coming from wi-fi connections exterior corporations’ premises.
Boris Mäck’s sturdy background in networking started his cybersecurity journey. His experience in infrastructure companies and community applied sciences naturally led him into cybersecurity, particularly as securing networks grew to become an more and more crucial facet of IT.
Partnering with Cisco to Overcome SAP ECS Challenges
As one of many world’s main deliverers of managed cloud companies, SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies can’t afford downtime. That’s the reason, for Roland, the corporate’s CISO, it’s all about velocity. He notes, “I discover that velocity is probably the most crucial factor. And once I say velocity, it’s velocity in the best way that we establish, detect, defend, reply, get better, and govern… [After all], you may’t afford to maintain an airport down for half-hour.” That’s why, in his opinion, the way forward for multi-cloud wants to incorporate a built-in safety element, and that’s the place Cisco is available in.
First, Christopher, Cloud Community Architect, explains the state of affairs even additional: “Now we have over 7,000 buyer environments, so we have to have an answer that scales however doesn’t disrupt the companies of these hundreds of consumers. It is a specific problem whenever you wish to introduce an elevated safety service that calls for extra sources, and but uptime nonetheless must be preserved in any respect prices.”
A part of the problem is that SAP is each a multi-cloud supplier and one of many prime twelve hyperscalers on this planet (alongside Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and others), requiring steady uptime. Because of this SAP wants to supply the identical native capabilities for all their prospects all through the world “regardless of the place the shopper resides,” and do it in a standardized manner “that delivers the identical worth independently for all our prospects in a multi-cloud atmosphere,” as Roland expressed.
For that reason, SAP Enterprise Cloud Service selected to companion with Cisco.
To optimize velocity, enhance scalability, and guarantee enterprise continuity at the same time as companies broaden, SAP is working to construct one overarching non-public cloud, protected by Cisco Multicloud Protection, a part of Cisco’s Hybrid Mesh Firewall options to sit down over their three hyperscalers—offering constant, automated safety throughout them. As well as, SAP leverages Cisco Safe Entry to safeguard consumer entry to the online, cloud companies, SaaS and personal functions with a single, cloud managed console.
These options improve SAPs safety and permit them the flexibleness to scale fluctuating enterprise wants and proceed to assist their community of consumers with little to no disruption to their operations.
On the Proper Observe
“This landmark safety undertaking proves the ability of the ‘One Cisco’ Crew in fixing SAP’s greatest safety challenges—defending their prospects at scale,” says Robert Nicola, Consumer Govt. “We delivered an revolutionary, scalable, and differentiated resolution that units a brand new commonplace for buyer worth.”
Cisco likes to companion with corporations like SAP Enterprise Cloud Companies as a result of we will do the suitable factor collectively.
When requested what made him proud, Boris, Head of CAE Know-how and Structure, shared, “I bear in mind when the CIO of the corporate we have been working with got here to us and mentioned, ‘Hey guys, we had a extreme ransomware assault in our community, and the one IT methods that survived have been the SAP methods hosted in RISE [one of our managed solutions]. To me, that is nice proof that we’re doing the suitable issues with our ideas right here.’
They’re, and Cisco is proud to assist. The insights and experiences shared by these Cisco 2025 Cybersecurity Defenders of the Yr emphasize shining a light-weight on the nice that’s being achieved by the suitable partnerships and the fervour of engaged cybersecurity leaders.
As expertise advances, so does the crucial for sturdy cybersecurity measures. With devoted professionals like our defenders paving the best way, the way forward for cybersecurity appears to be like promising. Thanks to our defenders for his or her inspiring tales and for illuminating the trail for future leaders on this crucial area.
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