September 15, 2020
Macnica Networks Corp.

- Launch of countermeasure solutions against external and internal threats targeting "people" vulnerabilities -

Macnica Networks Corp. (headquarters: 1-5-5 Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Japan; President: Jun Ikeda; hereinafter "Macnica Networks"), a leading supplier of security solutions for cyber threats against Japanese organizations, is pleased to announce an agreement with Proofpoint, Inc. (hereinafter "Proofpoint," headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, USA, CEO: Gary Steele), granting Macnica Networks rights as the primary agent in Japan. Macnica Networks will mainly provide Proofpoint products for insider threat management (ITM), next-generation email security, and security training (PSAT).

With the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in effect, Japanese companies have been working towards implementing new working modes, such as teleworking and working from home. These trends will continue even after the coronavirus is under control. Starting such new working methods has accelerated digital transformation, erasing the boundaries of what should be protected. Employees can access corporate data from anywhere outside the traditional corporate network using any device, system, or platform. Therefore, measures to prevent both internal and external threats are now more critical than ever.

Internal threats: Losses through insider fraud
More than 60% of insider fraud*1 stems from the negligence and carelessness of "people," such as employees and contractors. Also, with the average loss per incident caused by a criminal or malicious insider being $755,760 (about 83.11 million yen) *1, the damage is enormous. Companies and organizations could also lose social credibility because of security incidents arising from insider fraud in the organization.

ObserveIT Insider Threat Management (ITM) is one of the insider fraud countermeasure solutions provided by Proofpoint. The product can display risks using a unique algorithm that analyzes people’s (employees) PC operations based on the concept of "deterring the 0.1% to protect 99.9% of good employees." Unlike conventional follow-up security solutions, this product can have an immediate deterrent effect by displaying a warning screen on the user side or terminating the application or login session at the very moment the insider misconduct occurs. Macnica Networks began carrying ObserveIT in 2017 and has a sales track record that includes government offices and major telecommunications carriers.

*1 Source: Ponemon Institute "Cost of Insider Threats Global Report 2020".

Actual operation screen

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External threats: Cyberattacks targeting "people" vulnerabilities

An increasing number of external cyberattacks exploit "people" vulnerabilities through phishing, business email scams, etc. without targeting system vulnerabilities. According to Proofpoint’s research, about 96% of external attacks are via email, 99% of which target "people" operational errors.*2 Attackers target "people" vulnerabilities, making it difficult to completely detect and block only with security devices such as email gateways.

Proofpoint's next-generation email security blocks not only malware but also non-malware threats such as spoofed email (also known as BEC or business email compromise). Deployed either as a cloud service or on-premises, and settings based on detailed classifications such as spam, phishing, malware, adult, bulk, and spoofing can control malicious email and mass-delivered unwanted email.

It also has a function that can automatically isolate and quarantine harmful content delivered as email, removing discovered dangerous messages from the inbox before users can read them.

*2 Source: Proofpoint HUMAN FACTOR REPORT 2019

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Security awareness training to strengthen people

As attacks that target system vulnerabilities and human exposures are rising, educating human resources who can flexibly respond to security threats serves as a countermeasure solution to protect companies against threats.

Proofpoint Security Awareness Training (PSAT) is a SaaS-based training solution developed to train targeted employees inappropriate security knowledge and compliance awareness according to the flow of (1) diagnosis, (2) education, (3) strengthening, and (4) measurement. This personalized training based on industry-leading threat intelligence for employees can raise awareness to prevent vulnerabilities and exposures.

This SaaS-based solution and continuous training method were developed by Wombat Security Technologies (acquired by Proofpoint in March 2018) based on research from the world-renowned Carnegie Mellon University in the US. Implementing the PSAT training process can reduce the damage from phishing attacks and malware infections by up to 90%. *3

Also, since educational content can be customized in about 40 languages, including Japanese, it is possible to explain various risks from phishing attacks to internal threats, so even multinational companies can provide consistent and practical education. Each module takes 5 to 15 minutes on demand and is characterized by its ability to allow users to acquire cybersecurity knowledge in a game-like manner.

*3 Source: Proofpoint "U.S. College Lowers Successful Phishing Attacks by 90%"

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By offering Proofpoint’s cutting edge technology and know-how, Macnica Networks will contribute to the detection of threats like insider fraud and targeted attacks, and the achievement of efficient and effective operations. We will strive to assure assistance to our customers in protecting their IT systems.

Proofpoint company profile

Proofpoint, Inc. (NASDAQ: PFPT) is a global leader in cybersecurity. Its focus is on protecting people who are the organization's greatest asset and, at the same time, the most significant risk. Proofpoint's cloud-based integrated solution supports businesses worldwide by protecting their data against cyberattacks such as targeted attacks and empowering each user to be robustly responsive to cyberattacks. Also, companies of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 1000 companies, use Proofpoint solutions to reduce email, cloud, social media, and web-related security and compliance risks. For details, please refer to www.proofpoint.com/jp.The company went public on NASDAQ in April 2012 and reached sales of $888.2 million in 2019.

*The company names and product names used herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective company.