Look Inside Target’s Cyber Fusion Center

Retailer Target offered up a look into the day-to-day operations of its new “Cyber Fusion Center.”

In a Tuesday (July 21) article on the company’s web site, Target said its data security efforts — part of the $1 billion the company is investing in technology and supply chain management this year — have led to the creation of its fusion center, in which an open-space design dominates. And, said the company, the teams monitoring cyberthreats and corporate information are arranged physically to approximate a “logical flow of information,” according to the site.

“With no walls between any of the groups, members can connect to share information quickly and make fast and accurate decisions,” Dave Baumgartner, vice president of Target’s cybersecurity division, said. “The entire team can come together in a moment’s notice.”

The open-flow arrangement has led to a reduction in the amount of time that elapses between an alert and containment of security threats since debuting late last year, said the company. Baumgartner is quoted as stating that “thanks to the open format, everyone always has direct access to leaders.”

In discussing workflow, Target said its “Cyber Threat Intelligence” employees look to monitor and analyze trends and patterns at large in cyberspace. The Cyber Security Incident Response (CSIRT) team focuses on “Target-centric” detection techniques and company tech systems.

Security Testing Services evaluates technology to pinpoint areas of concern, ranging from coding to patches. The “Red Team” simulates real-world attacks on Target’s environment for insight into defensive weaknesses.

And finally, Target noted, there is a team devoted to “continuous improvement” that documents efforts, improvements and metrics.

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