How Advizex Improved the Security Posture of a Regional Bank

A regional bank suffered a cybersecurity incident that exposed critical vulnerabilities in its infrastructure. The bank was operating with a minimal IT team and no round-the-clock monitoring capabilities. To maintain the security its customers deserve, the bank knew it needed to rapidly bolster its security posture. Advizex helped complete the transformation in just 30 days. 

The Challenge of Modern Banking Security

Modern cybersecurity threats pose a unique challenge for regional banks. These banks have smaller teams and tighter budgets than their national counterparts but are just as large a target for cybersecurity attacks. Our client was the perfect example of this conundrum. When a security incident highlighted its vulnerabilities, this traditional banking institution became acutely aware of several critical issues with its security safeguards, including:

  • Limited visibility into their network activities
  • No 24/7 monitoring capabilities
  • Stretched resources across multiple IT functions
  • Lack of comprehensive threat detection and response
  • Growing sophistication of cybersecurity threats
  • Increasing regulation around banking security measures
  • The limited budget of a regional banking institution

The Path to a Solution

Advizex OEM partner Arctic Wolf MSP was working with the client at the time of the security incident. Wanting to provide them with the best solution to revamp their security, Arctic Wolf brought in Advizex. This was a complex situation that required comprehensive cybersecurity expertise. This introduction provided the bank with the opportunity for a solution that fulfilled its needs. 

The Advizex team, including Keith McLeod, Andrew Virgili, Neil Goldsmith, and Larry Franke, worked closely with the bank to understand its requirements. This first step allowed for robust and tailored solutions to be developed. By maintaining open communication throughout the process, the team was able to implement security solutions that provided greater control and visibility for the bank’s small IT team. 

The Solution

Along with Arctic Wolf and a third partner, SentinelOne, Advizex was able to transform the security posture of the bank, creating a comprehensive solution that provided enhanced visibility and continuous monitoring to the bank. The process was particularly noteworthy for its fast turnaround. The bank was in urgent need of improved security measures that required complex solutions. Through careful coordination with all stakeholders and the expertise of the Advizex team, a solution was implemented that covered all of the bank’s needs, including:

  • Maintaining continuous banking operations during the transition
  • Meeting strict financial sector regulatory requirements
  • Ensuring proper integration with existing banking systems
  • Training the IT team on new tools and processes
  • Establishing new security protocols and procedures
  • Setting up appropriate monitoring and alert thresholds

Measuring Success

Once implemented, the new infrastructure brought immediate and substantial improvements to the bank’s security posture. The limited visibility of its previous system was replaced with a thorough view of its security landscape. This provided the small IT team with the tools it needed to manage the bank’s security effectively. Key improvements included:

  • Complete visibility into the IT environment, allowing for better threat detection and response
  • Implementation of 24/7 security monitoring, addressing a critical gap in their security coverage
  • Reduced burden on the internal IT team, enabling them to focus on other critical tasks
  • Enhanced ability to detect and respond to potential security threats
  • Improved compliance with banking industry security regulations
  • More efficient allocation of IT resources
  • Streamlined security operations and incident response procedures

Looking Forward

With the help of Advizex, Arctic Wolf MSP, and SentinelOne, this traditional regional bank is positioned to meet both current and emergingsecurity challenges. The scalability of the solution will keep the bank secure as it continues to grow and evolve. 

This transformation shows that regional banks with limited resources can still successfully modernize their security infrastructure. This transformation serves as a model for other financial institutions to balance security needs and operational constraints.

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