TikTok, the short-form video sharing app that garnered global attention in 2020 when ordered by then-US President Donald Trump, is set to open a new cybersecurity center in Dublin.
The company’s new Fusion Center builds on an expansion in the Irish capital in November 2020 to monitor data protection and privacy in Europe.
The center is the second location – there is already one in Washington DC – dedicated to monitoring, response and investigation functions and enabling TikTok to identify and respond to critical incidents “in real time”.
Roland Cloutier, TikTok’s Global Chief Security Officer, said, “When people use TikTok, we know they are trusting us with their data, and we take our duty to protect that data very seriously. That is why security is built into the development of our platform from the start.
“Our global security organization takes a ‘follow the sun’ approach so that employees in teams around the world are always focused on protecting people’s information – and making sure our next-generation entertainment platform anticipates and next-generation security threats can be one step ahead of them.
“Over the past year we have recruited some of the best security professionals from diverse backgrounds in government, law enforcement, and the military. We’ve also partnered with HackerOne, an industry-leading bug bounty program that allows top security researchers, academics, and other independent experts to gain advanced insight into emerging vulnerabilities and enable us to fix them before attackers can exploit them. “
TikTok said the Dublin center will improve its threat detection capabilities on the platform, accelerate the delivery of next-generation threat surveillance, and assemble investigations and working groups to tackle the crime powered by its platform. It plans to fill dozens of specialized positions in cybersecurity, privacy and politics to achieve its European goals. It is led by Andrew Bonillo, director of global threat management, who recently joined the firm from Ciena.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s Tanaist and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: “It is vital that global technology companies play a central role in ensuring the safety of their users. I am delighted that TikTok has chosen Dublin as the location for its first regional fusion center, which will create over 50 new jobs.
“This new center will detect and respond to critical incidents immediately and help improve online security for TikTok users around the world. This announcement underscores the company’s continued commitment to our country and will enable it to continue to benefit from our rich and highly skilled talent pool. I wish the TikTok team every success with their expansion plans. “
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland added, “TikTok’s rapid expansion in Ireland has made it a key hub for its European and global operations, as well as a major employer user information security is welcome.
“The additional high quality jobs that will be created alongside the benefits to our economy will build on Ireland’s expertise in global trust building, security threat management, compliance and governance in an increasingly digitized and dynamic technology sector. I wish TikTok continued success with its growing activities here. “
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