Mgr. Martina Ungrová graduated from the Faculty of Law in Pilsen and gained managerial experience in the
ČEZ Group, where she dealt with renewable resources. She is a shining example that women belong not only in
managerial positions but also in IT. She joined the family-owned company DATASYS, which has been operating
on the market for almost 30 years, as CEO in September 2021.
In the past few days, you have taken the helm of DATASYS, coming from the ČEZ Group. How are you looking forward to the transition from a corporation to a family business?
Immensely. I like the direction DATASYS is going. We are working on fascinating projects, like the Data Mailbox System. In addition, we are creating our own products, such as the logmanagement/SIEM ELISA or the new security monitoring eSOC. If I had only three words to describe our company, they would be tradition, innovation and openness. This is what sets us apart from the corporate world and makes us more flexible.
We have been covering the topic of cyber security in our magazine since the beginning. Can you elaborate a bit on your view of this area?
IT is evolving rapidly. It follows that building cyber security is essentially a never-ending process. We are still seeing ustomers with systems that do not address this area sufficiently. In this case, we try to explain the problem and arrange a solution. This is how we actively create cyber security. We are aware that managers will encounter many problems, and protecting information is just one of the things they cannot ignore.
In regard to terms, you switched from cyber security to information security. What led you to this?
Managers need to realise that they are protecting information first and foremost. In our experience, they are better able to put a price on it and understand what happens if they lose it. They fi nd a parallel in the analogue world that they understand more naturally.
Is the misunderstanding of this issue a significant shortcoming?
Cyber crime is a legitimate industry. The estimated volume of ransomware in 2021 alone is expected to reach $20 billion. You can buy ransomware as a service, as well as access to a “hacked company” or someone else’s bitcoin account. The price of security also plays a big role. It is not the cheapest, and often something else gets priority. But sometimes, we are surprised by what the customer buys and thinks is sufficient. Yet their internal IT is overwhelmed with other activities and lacks experience and time.
This brings us to the issue of the shortage of experts, which NUKIB talks about in its 2020 annual report. Do you agree that the solution to the shortage is outsourcing?
We are convinced that this matter can be eliminated in other ways, e.g. concentrating services, unifying administration, and training staff . One interesting solution may be SD-WAN technology, which connects branches or organisations into one network and manages it centrally, so fewer experts are needed. The bonus is that you will save on operating costs for expensive existing services.
Thank you for the interview.
