Fujitsu explore the biggest concerns emerging in the sector as the world becomes more tech-led
Combining decades of sectoral expertise with teams of world-class cyber security consultants, leading global technology company Fujitsu has a proven track record of helping customers safeguard their assets, data and information.
As we are all aware, times of adversity often brings with it opportunities for cyber-attacks. To ensure their customers stay ahead of the curve, Fujitsu adopts an ‘intelligence-led’ approach to cyber security that sees it combine human and technical intelligence with advanced analytics tools and best-of-breed cyber security technologies to monitor, predict, detect and analyse threats.
To find out more about the latest trends in cyber-security and what it’s like to work in Fujitsu’s leading cyber security team, we caught up with Devan McMordie, a Cyber Security Presales Consultant at Fujitsu.
Tackling threats through technology
Originally from Northern Ireland and now living in Manchester, Devan joined Fujitsu in June 2022 as part of its graduate scheme. In her role, Devan liaises with organisations and businesses to understand their needs, supporting on bid responses by lending her sales and technical insights. Fujitsu’s ‘Work your Way’ flexible workplace initiative means Devan works closely with the Manchester and Warrington offices, both face-to-face and remotely.
“Fujitsu has helped me thrive in my career, the managers have your best interests front of mind and they are keen to help in whatever way they can,” says Devan when talking about her role at Fujitsu. “If you come to your team lead with an idea, they listen and help you put it into action. There is no micromanaging, the managers trust us. I enjoy the autonomy, knowing I have support there if I need it”.
Devan says that equipping customers with knowledge goes a long way to ease any worries they might have about the cyber threat landscape. She said, “I think it’s very important to break down any walls of mistrust and misconception. Everyone deserves to know how their data is dealt with, processed and protected, both personally and professionally! Cybercrime can be seen as a technology issue but through innovation, we can use technology to not only tackle threats but to stay ahead of them daily. In my role, I get to see how these are developed and put into action for customers.”
Security isn’t binary
In terms of some of the biggest issues facing companies, Devan said fraud is a key concern. “We see more and more organisations right across the world come to us to help protect them from fraud. During the pandemic and even more so post-pandemic, there was a massive consumer shift to e-commerce as a reaction to the lockdowns. The rapid shift to e-commerce meant some apps and websites were developed quickly to meet demand. When the development of technology is rushed, it can lack proper security. With the lack of proper cyber security, comes fraud, they go hand-in-hand.”
“I recently presented at a ‘Hackathon’ event hosted by Lancaster University where I went into a bit of detail about the shift to e-commerce and how best to protect against fraud and other cyber security threats. As a business, we know that security isn’t binary. Our solutions, in order to work at full capacity, have to be bespoke. Fujitsu spends a lot of time finding the best solutions. We partner with other companies and learn from each other; we learn from our findings and we prioritise developing new innovative ideas to deal with cyber security threats.”
Break the mould!
Devan’s talent for collaboration is a skill that came to the fore during her student days, having studied for a master’s in computer science at Newcastle University. “I already had a passion for technology and going into my undergraduate degree I was excited to learn a variety of new skills and work with others to develop my knowledge”, she explained. “I was heavily involved in the School of Computing at Newcastle University which was another opportunity to partner with others to learn and grow. I found out that back-end programming wasn’t for me but that I loved front-end computing. The idea of talking to customers and incorporating theory to find the best solution for them was something that I really enjoyed and I’m glad it’s become part of my day-to-day life at Fujitsu.”
“While I have always been interested in IT, I definitely suffered from imposter syndrome at university and felt as though I didn’t fit in. I didn’t let this stop me however and I was keen to help break stereotypes within the tech industry and tackle gaps”. Devan credits the women’s network at Fujitsu for fostering an open and diverse environment, encouraging team members to be themselves. “The network helped me a lot, there are so many strong and successful women who are not scared of being seen as ‘too feminine’, they just smash their job and are authentically themselves. I had a chance to attend an internal workshop to talk to people in leadership roles from across Fujitsu. One of these leaders was Carla Hall, Head of UK Delivery. Carla had so much time for each person and gave amazing advice. I just remember thinking this is the nicest workplace, I would say Carla is a role model for me.”
Future focused
When asked about her plans for the future, Devan says she’s focused on flexibility. “I try not to dwell on ‘five-year plans’ although saying that, in five years I will have finished the two-year Grad scheme with Fujitsu and will be a fully-fledged member of the team. Other than that, I hope that in five years I will be an indispensable part of the cyber team in the company and can keep developing and learning within my role. I hope that I can confidently take any opportunities that I want to further my career in cyber security.”
As Devan grows her cyber-security skills, she says Fujitsu continues to focus on its intelligence-led approach to managed detection and response. “As digital technologies continue to advance rapidly and cybercrime becomes ever more prevalent and sophisticated, we work even harder to ensure your infrastructure and operations are not compromised. Success lies in mitigating breaches before they happen, and self-learning to prevent future incidents: all while ensuring business continuity.”
