Instinctif Partners launches IR Optic to strengthen client interaction with the global investment community

IR Optic enables clients to reassess IR strategies in response to powerful forces that are changing the nature of investor engagement


The perceptions gathering tool helps empower IROs to adapt to a post-MiFIDII environment


12 key metrics analyzed to measure investor sentiment and connection with equity story




Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 21 November 2018

IR Optic, a new tool to track investor sentiment developed by Instinctif Partners, is being rolled out to clients globally. The powerful diagnostic tool applies qualitative and quantitative techniques to independently measure investor sentiment and deliver specialized recommendations to maximize clients’ interaction with the global capital markets.

A wave of investment community trends and regulatory changes are forcing debt and equity issuers to take more direct control of their institutional marketing efforts. IR teams are having to do more with less to stand out from the crowd just as competition for capital is intensifying. Furthermore, against the backdrop of MiFIDII, an increasingly time-poor buy side community is changing its approach to corporate access, which provides issuers with the opportunity to discuss innovative new ways to access market participants directly.

IR Optic is a diagnostic tool that prioritizes IR activity by efficiently benchmarking and tracking investor sentiment and recognizing share price triggers at key moments in time on a regular or intermittent basis. The tool helps identify knowledge gaps and points of disconnect during digital and verbal interaction with the investment community before findings are ultimately feeding into a well-informed and optimized IR strategy.

Mark Walter, Partner at Instinctif Partners, commented: “The IR function is growing in prominence by the day, just as the very nature of investor interaction is changing. Issuers have to develop a far more direct interface with the market using resonant and digestible equity stories and the latest communications techniques to capture the imagination of pitch-fatigued investors.

“IR Optic offers an alternative and cost-efficient approach to tracking sentiment, getting to the heart of issues that matter most to investors and ensuring that IR resources are maximized. The process is conducted by experienced IR professionals from Instinctif who are sensitive to respondents’ time constraints and sensitivities, before providing recommendations that are actionable and impactful to client IR programs.”

Samantha Bartel, Managing Partner at Instinctif Partners MENA, commented: “We see great potential for this toolkit in the MENA region. Despite improving governance, reporting and rapidly maturing IR capabilities, there is more to do when it comes to aligning IR resources with investor needs and indeed using IR as a tool to maximize stock valuations. IR is far more than a reporting function. A strong IR strategy can generate interest in a stock by bringing equity stories to life by combining engaging investor focused collateral with excellent storytelling. IR Optic is an important first step in an issuer’s journey as it provides insight into what is required to build a strong IR framework and gain an understanding into investor sentiment.

The service will also be invaluable in ensuring that MENA issuers adapt to a post MiFIDII environment with a fresh and proactive approach to IR. The region already boasts an attractive investment case and I’m certain this new service will facilitate sustained market growth.”

إنستينكتف بارتنرز تطلق أداة IR Optic لتعزيز تفاعل العملاء مع مجتمع الاستثمار العالمي

الأداة الجديدة تسمح للعملاء بإعادة تقييم استراتيجيات علاقات المستثمرين استجابة للعوامل التي غيرت طبيعة إشراك المستثمرين

تساعد أداة تجميع التصورات في تمكين مدراء علاقات المستثمرين من التكيف مع متطلبات قانون توجهات الأسواق المالية الأوروبي

تحليل 12 مقياساً رئيسياً لقياس انطباع المستثمرين وتفاعلهم مع قصة الأسهم

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة، 21 نوفمبر 2018:

أعلنت شركة إنستينكتف بارتنرز الشرق الأوسط، الشركة العالمية الرائدة في مجال الاستشارات والاتصالات الدولية، عن إطلاق أداة جديدة تعرف بإسم IR Optic لتمكين عملائها من مراقبة وتحليل انطباعات المستثمرين على مستوى العالم. وتتميز الأداة الجديدة بتقنيات نوعية وكمية لقياس انطباعات المستثمرين بشكل مستقل وتقديم توصيات متخصصة لتحقيق أقصى قدر من تفاعل العملاء مع أسواق رأس المال العالمية.

لقد أسهمت مجموعة من التوجهات والتغيرات التنظيمية التي شهدها مجتمع الاستثمار في تحفيز مصدري سندات الدين والأسهم لاتخاذ المزيد من الخطوات لمراقبة جهودهم التسويقية بشكل مباشر. ويتعين على فرق علاقات المستثمرين فعل المزيد بموارد أقل لتعزيز تمايزهم في ظل بيئة متزايدة التنافسية. وعلى خلفية قانون توجهات الأسواق المالية الأوروبي، يعمل مجتمع بيع الأسهم على تغيير توجهاتهم للوصول إلى الشركات، مما يوفر للمصدرين الفرصة لمناقشة طرق جديدة مبتكرة تمكنهم من الوصول إلى المشاركين في السوق بشكل مباشر.

وتعتبر IR Optic أداة تشخيصية تعطي الأولوية لأنشطةعلاقات المستثمرين من خلال قياس مؤشرات الأداء وتتبع انطباعات المستثمرين وبلورة فهم حقيقي حول محفزات أسعار الأسهم على أساس منتظم أو متقطع. وتساعد الأداة على تحديد الفجوات المعرفية ونقاط الفصل أثناء التفاعل الرقمي والشفوي مع مجتمع الاستثمار، واستخدام النتائج في بلورة استراتيجية محسنة وفعالة لعلاقات المستثمرين.

وتعليقاً على هذه الخطوة، قال مارك والتر، الشريك في شركة إنستينكتف بارتنرز:

"تشهد علاقات المستثمرين أهمية متزايدة في ظل التغييرات التي تشهدها طبيعة تفاعل المستثمرين. يتوجب على المصدرين تطوير استراتيجيات تؤمن التفاعل المباشر مع السوق من خلال استخدام قصص الأسهم الفعالة وأحدث تقنيات الاتصالات لبلورة تصور واضح حول انطباعات المستثمرين الحالية."

وأضاف: "كما توفر الأداة الجديدة منهجاً بديلاً وأكثر فعالية من حيث التكلفة لتتبع الانطباعات الحالية، والوصول إلى صميم القضايا الأكثر أهمية للمستثمرين وضمان توفير المزيد من الموارد لمديري علاقات المستثمرين. يتم إجراء هذه العملية قبل متخصصي علاقات المستثمرين في شركة إنستينكتف بارتنرز، وذلك قبل تقديم توصيات قابلة للتنفيذ ويمكنها إحداث تأثير إيجابي على برامج علاقات المستثمرين الخاصة بالعملاء."

من جهتها، قالت قالت سامنثا بارتل، الشريك الإداري، إنستنكتيف بارتنرز الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا:

"نرى إمكانات كبيرة لنجاح هذه الأداة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا. وبالرغم من التحسينات التي شهدتها سياسات الحوكمة، والإفصاح والقدرات السريعة النضج لعلاقات المستثمرين، لا يزال هناك المزيد لفعله من أجل مواءمة الموارد البشرية مع احتياجات المستثمرين واستخدام علاقات المستثمرين لتعزيز تقييم الأسهم. ولا تقتصر أهمية علاقات المستثمرين على الافصاحات فقط، بل أن تبنى استراتيجية قوية قد يعزز من الاهتمام بالأسهم من خلال الجمع بين الحقائق التي تركز على المستثمرين وكيفية إيصال قصة الأسهم بفعالية. وتعتبر الأداة الجديدة خطوة مهمة للمصدرين كونها توفر رؤى واضحة حول متطلبات بناء إطار عمل قوي لعلاقات المستثمرين وبلورة تصور واضح حول انطباعات المستثمرين. كما تعتبر الأداة إضافة قيمة لضمان تكيف الجهات المصدرة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا مع قانون توجهات الأسواق المالية الأوروبية. تتميز المنطقة بمقومات كبيرة جعلت منها وجهة استثمارية جذابة، وأنا على يقين بأن هذه الأداة الجديدة ستعمل على تسهيل النمو المستدام للسوق."

Libya Returns To Play Role In World Oil Supply Dynamics

APICORP reports on how Libya is contributing to efforts to maintain oil price stability



Libyan oil output doubled between June and October 2018,


Proximity to key markets and significant upstream potential present opportunities for investors




Dammam – Saudi Arabia, 21 November 2018: The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), the multilateral development bank focused on the energy sector, published its latest research report today, focusing on the increasingly important role that Libya can play in stabilising the oil price as its production starts to ramp up towards levels not seen since the revolution in 2011.

A near-doubling of output between July and October, to 1.28 million barrels per day (mb/d), came just as Libya’s fellow OPEC members sought to lift production to offset losses elsewhere and keep global supply balanced. This compares with output of almost 1.6mb/d on the eve of the revolution in 2011. Since then, production has oscillated within a wide band, dropping as low as 200kb/d and topping out at around 1.4mb/d. It is possible this could rise further, providing the necessary investment is made in repairing infrastructure, which itself will require a return of political stability.

Libya has four distinct advantages as an oil producer. First, its reserves remain substantial: at more than 48 billion barrels, or just under 3% of the world’s total, the deposit is Africa’s largest, and Libya enjoys a reserves-to-replacement ratio of 153 years. Second, Libyan oil is relatively easy to extract, and the installation of production and export infrastructure has historically been straightforward. Third, Libya’s oil streams mainly offer sweet, high-quality crude oil that can command a premium in international crude oil markets. Finally, Libya’s oil is close to major consumer centres. Sailing times to European ports, which take the bulk of Libyan crude-oil exports, range from two (Sardinia) to 11 (Rotterdam) days, compared with close to a month for Asian destinations.

The Libyan oil sector has defied outside sceptics and has endured civil hostilities experienced since the revolution of 2011. The volatility in output was the result of different political factions exerting control at different times and restricting the supply of oil to gain leverage. However, with the Libyan National Oil Company regaining overall control, production has now increased significantly. Oilfield service activity has resumed and there has also been an increase in drilling, with international companies such as BP, ENI, Gazprom and Schlumberger all committing to the country’s oil sector.

Mustafa Ansari, Senior Economist at APICORP, commented: “Libyan oil is now well placed to play a role in stabilising global balances. Its proximity to key markets and huge upstream potential mean a geologically prolific oil province awaits investors. However, this requires political stability, and the outlook is favourable, with recent discussions between groups in the country offering the chance for a lasting settlement in the country. Libya remains a crucial global supplier, with a significance to the world’s oil market far beyond its Mediterranean shores. A better investment climate, is however, needed for the country to fulfil its substantial upstream promise.”



For access to the complete report: http://www.apicorp.org/Research/EnergyReseach/2018/APICORP_Energy_Research_V03_N14_2018.pdf

Mimecast Joins IBM Security App Exchange Community

Mimecast® for IBM QRadar® App Speeds Incident Response to Stay Ahead of Evolving Threats


Dubai, UAE – November 21, 2018 – Mimecast Limited (NASDAQ: MIME), a leading email and data security company, today launched Mimecast for IBM QRadar, which integrates email security data into IBM’s security intelligence technology. The new Mimecast for IBM QRadar app is designed to offer joint customers improved visibility into potential vulnerabilities and ongoing attacks occurring via email, enabling prioritized incident response through one single console and an increased security posture.




The threat landscape is constantly evolving, yet email continues to be one of the top attack vectors. Cyber threats are becoming stealthier and sophisticated, and are designed to evade detection. The Mimecast for IBM QRadar app is designed to offer organizations better detection and deeper insights before, during and after an attack. Integrating Mimecast data into the QRadar system through the Mimecast data logging API is engineered to allow email security data to be correlated against other data sources, and be included in behavioral anomaly detection helping to identify indicators of advanced threats that would otherwise go unnoticed.




The Mimecast for IBM QRadar app is designed to integrate with the IBM QRadar Security Intelligence Platform, helping security teams accurately detect, understand and prioritize threats that matter most to the business. Leveraging Mimecast’s new open application programming interface (API), the Mimecast for IBM QRadar app is engineered to allow Mimecast and IBM customers to better predict and prioritize what threats to remediate by providing greater visibility into potential incidents. Related events are grouped together and tracked as the threat progresses through the kill chain, helping enable security teams to gain prioritized alerts based on severity. These alerts help security teams to respond faster and with more certainty, which helps contain and limit the impact of an attack. Additionally, joint customers can benefit from an increased security posture by leveraging one single system for threat intelligence and response, which now can include Mimecast security intelligence.




“Attack methods are quickly evolving and growing more advanced, targeted and dangerous. Organizations are seeking out solutions to augment a defense strategy, but at the same time are challenged with siloed security products which offer little-to-no visibility, which makes it increasingly difficult to ensure they are identifying incoming threats and prioritizing investigations,” said Christina Van Houten, Chief Strategy Officer, Mimecast. “Mimecast’s integration with IBM QRadar technology gives joint customers the visibility they need to help speed up the incident response process by cutting down the ‘noise’ with prioritized in-depth forensic analysis, all through one central security console.”




As threats are evolving faster than ever, collaborative development amongst the security community will help organizations adapt quickly and speed innovation in the fight against cybercrime. The new application is freely available through IBM Security App Exchange, a marketplace where developers across the industry can share applications based on IBM Security technologies.




The app is also available on the IBM X-Force Exchange here.

Fortinet Threat Landscape Report Reveals Over One-quarter of Organizations Experienced a Mobile Malware Attack

As the Holiday Season Draws Near, Mobile Malware Attacks Are Prevalent




Dubai, UAE. – November 21, 2018





News Summary:

Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced the findings of its latest quarterly Global Threat Landscape Report. The research reveals threats are increasing and evolving to become more sophisticated. Unique threat variants and families are on the rise, while botnet infections continue to infect organizations. For a detailed view of the Threat Landscape Indices for exploits, botnets, and malware as well as some important takeaways for CISOs read the blog.




“Cyberthreats are growing rapidly and every organization is feeling the impact, with daily detections and exploits increasing,” said Phil Quade, Chief Information Security Officer, Fortinet.

“Previously, ransomware was the talk of the day, and now cryptojacking, mobile malware, and attacks against business-critical supply chains are proliferating. As our cyber adversaries continue to incorporate new threats and leverage increasingly automated techniques at speed and scale for their malicious activities, segmentation and integration have become critical security strategies for IT and OT environments today.”



Highlights of the report follow:





Threat Development Continues to Be a Top Focus for Cybercriminals. Cybercriminals are not only expanding their attack arsenal but also developing new strategies for breaching defenses. Unique malware variants grew 43%, while the number of malware families grew by nearly 32%. The number of unique daily malware detections per firm also rose 62%. In line with these trends, unique exploits increased nearly 10% and the number of exploit detections per firm rose 37%. Cybercriminals continue to evolve threats by creating unique malware variants and families, demonstrating the ongoing importance of threat intelligence and assessment tools.


Mobile Devices Remain a Target. Over one-quarter of organizations experienced a mobile malware attack, with the majority being on the Android operating system. In fact, of the threats organizations faced from all attack vectors, 14% of total malware alerts were Android related. By comparison, only .000311% of threats were targeted at Apple iOS. Mobile threats are a looming threat that must be addressed, especially as the mobile-shopping holiday season nears. These threats can become a gateway for corporate networks to be exploited. Criminals know mobile is an accessible target for infiltrating a network, and they are exploiting it.


Cryptojacking is a Gateway to Other Attacks. Cryptojacking remains prevalent and continues to grow in scope. The number of platforms affected by cryptojacking jumped 38% and the number of unique signatures nearly doubled in the past year. These include new sophisticated platforms for advanced attackers as well as “as-a-service” platforms for novice criminals. IoT botnets are also increasingly leveraging cryptojacking exploits for their attack strategy. Although it is often considered to be a nuisance threat that simply hijacks unused CPU cycles, security leaders are realizing how cryptojacking can become a gateway for additional attacks. Underestimating the repercussions of cryptojacking places an organization under heightened risk.


Percentage of Malicious Network Traffic is Higher on Weekends or Holidays. Data shows malicious network traffic represents a higher percentage of overall traffic on weekends and holidays as business traffic slows down significantly since many employees are not working during this time. For many organizations this may be an opportune time to sweep for malware because as the “haystack” of traffic becomes smaller, the chance of finding malicious “needles” is much greater. With cybercriminals using more automated and sophisticated techniques, any opportunity to increase visibility can be an advantage.


Burstiness of Botnets. The botnet index rose only 2%, though the number of infection days per firm increased 34% from 7.6 days to 10.2 days. This may be an indication that botnets are becoming more sophisticated, difficult to detect, or harder to remove. It may also denote a failure to practice good cyber hygiene in general by some organizations. The importance of consistent security hygiene remains vital to thoroughly addressing the total scope of these attacks. Sometimes botnets can go dormant, only to return after normal business operations have resumed, if the root cause or “patient zero” is not determined.


Encrypted Traffic Reaches a New Threshold. Encrypted traffic reached a new high, comprising 72% of all network traffic, up from 55% just one year ago. While encryption can certainly help protect data in motion as it moves between core, cloud, and endpoint environments, it also represents a challenge for traditional security solutions. The critical firewall and IPS performance limitations of some legacy security solutions continue to limit the ability of organizations to inspect encrypted data at business speeds. As a result, a growing percentage of this traffic is increasingly not analyzed for malicious activity, making it an ideal mechanism for criminals to spread malware or exfiltrate data.

Digital Change Requires a New Approach to Security

The threat data in this quarter’s report once again reinforces many of the threat prediction trends unveiled by the FortiGuard Labs global research team. To stay ahead of the ongoing efforts of cybercriminals, organizations need to transform their security strategies as part of their digital transformation efforts. Isolated, legacy security devices and poor security hygiene continue to be a formula for increased risk to today’s threat landscape as they do not provide adequate visibility or control. Instead, a security fabric that spans the entire expanded network environment and is integrated between each security element is vital to address today’s growing threat environment and to protect the expanding attack surface. This approach enables actionable threat intelligence to be shared at speed and scale, shrinks the necessary windows of detection, and provides the automated remediation required for today’s multi-vector exploits.

Report and Index Overview
The Fortinet Threat Landscape Report is a quarterly view that represents the collective intelligence of FortiGuard Labs drawn from Fortinet’s vast array of global sensors during Q3 2018. Research data covers global and regional perspectives. Also included in the report is the Fortinet Threat Landscape Index (TLI), comprised of individual indices for three central and complementary aspects of that landscape which are exploits, malware, and botnets, showing prevalence and volume in a given quarter. The report also examines important zero-day vulnerabilities and infrastructure trends to add context about the trajectory of cyberattacks affecting organizations over time.




Additional Resources


Read our blog for more information about the research or to access the full threat report.


View the Fortinet Threat Landscape Indices for botnets, malware, and exploits for Q3, 2018.


Learn more about FortiGuard Labs and the FortiGuard Security Services portfolio.


Learn more about the FortiGuard Security Rating Service, which provides security audits and best practices.


Sign up for the weekly FortiGuard Threat Intelligence Briefs.


Read more about our Network Security Expert program, Network Security Academy program or our FortiVets program.


Read more about the Fortinet Security Fabric or the Third Generation of Network Security.


Follow Fortinet on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.




About Fortinet



Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations around the world. Fortinet empowers its customers with intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements of the borderless network - today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric architecture can deliver security without compromise to address the most critical security challenges, whether in networked, application, cloud or mobile environments. Fortinet ranks #1 in the most security appliances shipped worldwide and more than 375,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. Learn more at http://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, or FortiGuard Labs.

Sophos Adds Endpoint Detection and Response to Intercept X Advanced

New Threat Investigation and Response Capabilities with Deep Learning File Analysis and On-Demand Access to SophosLabs Intelligence Database

Dubai, UAE, November 21, 2018: Sophos (LSE: SOPH), a global leader in network and endpoint security, today launched the latest addition to its endpoint solution portfolio, Intercept X with EDR. Powered by Sophos’ deep learning neural network, which is trained on hundreds of millions of samples to look for suspicious attributes of malicious code to detect never-before-seen threats, Intercept X with EDR provides organizations with broad, expert analysis of potential attacks by comparing the DNA of suspicious files against the malware samples already categorized in SophosLabs to enable them to identify and respond to suspicious threats more quickly.

Until now, effective investigation and incident response has only been achievable in organizations with a dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC) or specialized IT security team trained to hunt and analyze cyberattacks. With Sophos Intercept X Advanced with EDR, businesses of all sizes and those with limited resources can add threat tracking and SOC-like capabilities to their security defenses, reducing the time criminal hackers can hide in their network.

With a single click, IT managers have on-demand access to curated intelligence from SophosLabs, guided investigations into suspicious events, and recommended next steps. To maintain full visibility into the threat landscape, SophosLabs tracks, deconstructs and analyzes 400,000 unique and previously unseen malware attacks each day in a constant search for attack novelty and cybercriminal innovation. By providing access to SophosLabs data, IT managers of all skill levels have first-responder forensics at their fingertips to best determine if and what types of attacks are happening.

“’Am I under attack? Where is the attack taking place? How do I react?’ IT managers regularly face these time-sensitive questions, but without a SOC or trained security experts who know how to analyze potential threats, interrupting a cyberattack in real-time is very difficult,” said Dan Schiappa, senior vice president and general manager of products at Sophos. “The sheer volume of malware, frequency of attacks and wide availability of toolkits on the dark web have made EDR capabilities necessary to every business - especially those with limited IT security resources. Sophos is providing the equivalent of a team of global cybersecurity experts and access to the rich knowledgebase SophosLabs has about the reputation of files and other information collected through terabytes of malware analysis. IT managers can now quickly analyze and trace attack pathways without needing to reverse engineer files.”

Once cybercriminals get a foot hold, they use multiple attack methods to escalate privileges and advance step-by-step. With Intercept X Advanced with EDR, IT managers can see if an attacker is moving laterally, and leverage the anti-ransomware and anti-exploit capabilities in Intercept X, the industry’s most sophisticated endpoint prevention solution. Sophos Intercept X with EDR is integrated with Sophos Central, a cloud-based unified console for managing Sophos’ portfolio of products, allowing end users and Managed Security Partners to make decisions based on EDR intelligence from a single pane of glass.

Availability
Sophos Intercept X with EDR is available from registered Sophos partners worldwide. Additional information can be found on Sophos.com. To sign up for a free 30-day trial, click here.