Group-IB, a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and fight digital crime, is pleased to announce the opening of its first Digital Crime Resistance Center (DCRC) in Central Asia, with the launch of a new cutting-edge facility in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This move marks the next step in Group-IB’s global expansion plans and signifies a proactive approach to addressing the global cybercrime landscape by providing greater visibility into emerging threats, particularly those originating from the Russian-speaking hacker community.
First steps in Central Asia
The strategic decision to select Uzbekistan as the site of Group-IB’s next DCRC recognizes Central Asia’s economic importance and underscores the region’s potential to become a global cybersecurity hub. Notably, this new innovative cybercrime fighting center will extend Group-IB’s visibility into regional threats and the activities of Russian-speaking threat actors, whose schemes have a global impact. Already, in August 2023, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of cooperation with Group-IB to establish interaction between organizations on countering cyber attacks and increasing the level of cybersecurity.
Given that Group-IB works closely with young cybersecurity professionals in all its locations, the first trailblazers in Uzbekistan were students from Tashkent’s INHA University, Webster University, and Tashkent University of Information Technologies, and others. At the present time, Group-IB’s Uzbekistan office, located in Tashkent’s IT Park is staffed with 21 young professionals, whose focus areas are Fraud Protection, Threat Intelligence, Digital Risk Protection, and software development. Group-IB intends to strengthen its existing cooperation with Uzbekistan’s higher education sector as part of its commitment to invest in the youth of the Central Asian country, alongside its significant contribution to Uzbekistan’s technology sector.
“The decision to choose Tashkent, Uzbekistan to be the site of the fifth Digital Crime Resistance Center in Group-IB’s global network is a strategic one aimed at enhancing the company’s visibility into Russian-speaking threat actors. Cybercrime is a global phenomenon, and comprehensive coverage of threat actors emerging from all geographies is essential. Furthermore, by opening a DCRC in Tashkent, Group-IB aims to bolster cybersecurity benchmarks in Uzbekistan and strengthen defenses not just in the country, but also the wider Central Asian region.”
CEO of Group-IB
What’s next
Group-IB’s Tashkent Digital Crime Resistance Centre will be staffed by world-leading threat researchers who have extensive experience in other regions. These experts will work closely with existing teams from Uzbekistan. At present, Group-IB’s Uzbekistan DCRC contains dedicated units from the company’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GIB), as well as experts specializing in Digital Risk Protection, Fraud Protection, and Audit. These analysts will be complemented by a full team of developers who will ensure the implementation and maintenance of the company’s cybersecurity solutions.
Looking ahead, the DCRC has ambitious plans for further expansion as new members from Group-IB’s Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR), Digital Forensics and Incident Response, and High-Tech Crime Investigations units will join the team in Uzbekistan. These experts will leverage Group-IB’s cutting-edge Threat Intelligence-driven technologies, which have been tried and tested in more than 60 countries worldwide, to investigate and resolve complex cybercrime cases affecting organizations in Central Asia.
Group-IB is currently implementing a long-term strategy to create a global, decentralized network of independent Digital Crime Resistance Centers. With the opening of the new facility in Uzbekistan, the total number of DCRCs within Group-IB’s global network will rise to five, alongside Singapore, Dubai, Amsterdam, and Thailand (Phuket).
Digital Crime Resistance Centers are staffed with highly-experienced researchers who are tasked with investigating cybercrimes, responding to incidents, monitoring local threats, and assessing regional trends to support its client base and growing partner network. In every DCRC, all customer data is processed by Group-IB fully in compliance with international law at the company’s strategically located globally distributed data centers. Group-IB is committed to this strategy and intends to continue its expansion in the Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern regions in 2024, along with the Latin American market.
