Author: Roland Cloutier, Global Chief Security Officer, TikTok
Date: July 27, 2021, 00.01 BST
When people use TikTok, we know they're entrusting us with their data, and we take our duty to protect that data very seriously. That’s why, in developing our platform, security is built-in from the start.
Our Global Security Organisation operates a 'follow the sun' approach so that people on teams around the world are always focused on protecting people's information - and ensuring that our next-generation entertainment platform can anticipate and stay ahead of next-generation security threats.
Over the past year, we've hired some of the very best security professionals, from diverse backgrounds spanning government, law enforcement and military. We've also partnered with HackerOne, an industry-leading bug bounty program, whereby top security researchers, academics, and other independent experts provide us with advanced insights into emerging vulnerabilities, allowing us to resolve them before attackers can exploit them.
Introducing our new Fusion Centre in Ireland
As part of our continuous efforts to further strengthen security, we've been building monitoring, response and investigative Fusion Centres to detect and respond to critical incidents in real-time.
This global security function is led out of the US, with a centre in Washington DC. Today, we're announcing the establishment of our first regional Fusion Centre in Dublin, Ireland.
Our Dublin centre will advance our on-platform threat discovery to protect our community; accelerate the delivery of next-generation cyber-threat monitoring; and assemble cyber investigations and working groups to tackle digital crime. With this announcement, we're creating dozens of new, highly specialised roles for security, privacy, and policy professionals. These experts will play a critical role in helping TikTok identify, evaluate and eliminate risks to our community, with roles spanning functions including:
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Business operations protection and portfolio management
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Global trust assurance, threat and incident response
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Governance, compliance, and risk mitigation
Striving to strengthen TikTok's global security
These specialised professionals have diverse skillsets but will use common tools and processes to solve converged security challenges, including: advanced machine learning platforms to automate manual functions; detection and response controls for event monitoring, incident handling, remediation and forensic support; and platforms, dashboards and analytics to better contextualise both investigations and reporting. These specialised professionals will also drive a common operating model, working with a wide range of teams across the business, including R&D, legal, privacy operations and trust and safety to create a joined-up approach to protecting the millions of people around the world that make up our TikTok community.
Our global Fusion Centre function is led by Andrew Bonillo, our Global Head of Threat Management & Incident Response, who brings with him over two decades' of experience from law enforcement and cyber security and was most recently the CISO for the telecommunications networks business Ciena. As part of the growing security operations team in Dublin, we've also recently appointed Carlos Becerra as our Business Partner lead - a senior information and cyber security executive with over 20 years' experience working for companies including IBM, Microsoft and Workday.
Establishing this highly specialised function is a further signal of our ongoing investment in Europe and underscores the strategic importance of Ireland to our global operations. Ireland is already the base for a number of other critical functions, including our: EMEA Trust and Safety Hub; European SMB operations; European data privacy and data protection teams; and Transparency and Accountability Centre
Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD said:
"It’s crucial that global tech companies play a central role in ensuring the safety of their users. I’m really pleased TikTok has chosen Dublin as the location for its first regional Fusion Centre, creating over 50 new jobs. This new centre will detect and respond to critical incidents as they happen, and will help improve online safety for TikTok users worldwide. This announcement underlines the company’s continued commitment to our country and will allow it to continue to benefit from our rich and highly skilled talent pool. I wish the team at TikTok the very best in their expansion plans."
CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan, commented:
"TikTok’s rapid expansion in Ireland has established it as a vital centre for its European and global operations as well as a substantial employer, and the addition now of its first regional Fusion Centre in Dublin, to further strengthen the security of users' information, is welcome. The additional high value jobs being created, apart from the benefit to our economy, will build on Ireland’s expertise in the field of global trust assurance, security threat management, compliance and governance in an increasingly digitised and vigorous technology sector. I wish TikTok continued success with its growing operations here."