(Ecofin Agency) - Orange Cyberdefense, the French group Orange’s branch dedicated to network security, officially opens its first African subsidiary in Morocco. The Casablanca-based subsidiary was launched on April 16, 2019. It was announced during the first meeting of IT users in Morocco on October 24-26, 2018 in Marrakech.  

It will let users securely initiate their digital transformation, said Yves Gauthier, managing director of Orange Maroc. With "Orange Cyberdefense on our side, we are convinced that we can bring our leadership in the security sector to Morocco,” the director adds.

Orange Cyberdefense’s subsidiary in Morocco is strategic according to Michel Van Den Berghe, CEO of Orange Cyberdefense. He explains that in the long-term, it will become a regional hub to serve clients in other African countries like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. "It is a truly strategic move to invest in this Moroccan platform for African development," he stressed.

Orange Cyberdefense should employ close to fifty cybersecurity experts by end 2020. Emmanuel Cheriet, director of Orange Cyberdefense Morocco, adds that the new entity will rely on the huge supervision capacity of the Security Operations Centers Orange has around the world to ensure real-time monitoring. He further informs that they will invest in training for greater expertise.