Singtel puts global cyber security businesses under Trustwave brand

Singtel Group has consolidated its cyber security assets and resources under the Trustwave brand, in a move that brings together resources from other arms such as Australia's Optus and information and communications technology unit NCS.

With the consolidation, Chicago-based Trustwave now has, among its headcount, the group's 2,000 cyber security employees worldwide, Singtel said yesterday.

The resource pooling also brings into the fold the Singtel Cyber Security Institute, a 10,000 sq ft facility that opened in Singapore in 2016.

The revamp comes with a new logo and a new corporate website for Trustwave.

Mr Arthur Wong, Singtel's chief executive for global cyber security and chief executive officer of Trustwave, said in a media statement that the group will be "uniting the security assets and deep expertise of Singtel, Optus, Trustwave and NCS under one brand and single vision - what we call the new Trustwave".

Singtel bought 98 per cent of Trustwave in 2015 for US$770 million (S$1.1 billion), excluding net debt, after working capital and other adjustments. It picked up the rest for US$12 million in May this year.

Singtel most recently grew its cyber security portfolio with a A$23.3 million (S$23.2 million) deal for Australian consultancy Hivint in October. It said at the time that Hivint's services would be integrated with Trustwave's offerings in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

Singapore's larger telcos have been bolstering their expansion into cyber security, especially as their consumer businesses come under pressure from increasing competition.

StarHub made the news in September when it formed a joint venture with Singapore investment company Temasek to set up the pure-play Ensign InfoSecurity.

StarHub, which has a 40 per cent stake in the joint venture, merged its Accel Systems and Technologies subsidiary with Quann, which Temasek owned through security services provider Certis.

It agreed to buy Accel in several phases last year, with a price tag that could go up to $45.6 million. Later that year, StarHub went on to beef up its cyber security business with a deal to buy home-grown cryptography firm D'Crypt for as much as $122 million.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 06, 2018, with the headline Singtel puts global cyber security businesses under Trustwave brand. Subscribe