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Strengthening Cyber Defenses: A Case Study of Solutions for a NYC based Financial Services Company
In the bustling city of New York, a financial services company found itself struggling with challenges in its IT infrastructure. Operating in a competitive industry with intense security demands, the company needed a solution to strengthen its operations while ensuring compliance. Their four-person IT team got in contact with Port53, and Port53’s expertise in cybersecurity and networking encouraged the financial services company to go on a transformative journey.
The company started with a trial period of about 60 days with a large package for ransomware readiness. This allowed the team to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed solutions and to design a comprehensive security program to effectively counter potential threats. Their main goal was two-fold: to bolster the company’s security infrastructure since their workforce was very dispersed and to meet compliance requirements. Port53’s integrated package, featuring Cisco Umbrella, Cisco Secure Endpoint, TrustMAPP, Penetration Testing, and MDR, formed the foundation of this formidable security infrastructure. This comprehensive approach defended against ransomware attacks and enhanced the company’s overall cybersecurity posture.
With this initial success, the partnership between the financial services company and Port53 expanded. Recognizing the ever evolving landscape of cyber threats, additional layers of protection were introduced. Our Account Executives created a custom consultative approach to cater to the unique business and cyber strategy plans of the financial services company. This roadmap, aligned with the company’s aspirations and security needs, acted as the catalyst for adopting additional security solutions. Solutions like Duo and KnowBe4 were seamlessly integrated into the existing framework, providing multi-factor authentication and advanced employee training to combat cyber attacks effectively.
In 90 days, the financial services company witnessed a remarkable transformation in its IT capabilities. With Port53’s guidance, they established a security framework that mitigated risks, met the rigorous compliance requirements of a financial services organization in New York, and allowed the company to thrive by empowering and enabling employees to work from anywhere. This partnership empowered the financial services company to uphold its commitment to security, compliance, and efficient operations.
Strengthening Cyber Defenses: A Case Study of Developing a Cyber Program for an International Asset Management Company
Financial services companies are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the valuable data they store. Recognizing this threat and their vulnerability to cyber attacks, an international asset management company partnered with Port53 to take action, identify security gaps, and implement effective measures for protection.
Initially, the company deployed Cisco Umbrella as a first line of defense, which provided DNS and IP layer security. Leveraging Umbrella’s DNS allows them to gain visibility into their threat landscape, enhance network resiliency, and ensure reliability. Umbrella also blocks access to malicious websites, preventing malware infections and containing threats before they cause significant harm.
With the company wanting to continue their security journey, Port53 advised on how the proper cybersecurity framework can help build a roadmap to address gaps in policies, processes, and infrastructure. They determined that the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) best fit their needs and took advantage of a platform called TrustMAPP, which automated implementing and managing their cyber posture and strategy to align them with the NIST CSF. The application of TrustMAPP has a similar approach to scrum, agile software development. Instead of an annual compliance check, TrustMAPP continuously identifies and prioritizes areas requiring improvement. Progress is monitored in real-time using the TrustMAPP platform and addressed through “remediation sprints,” enabling the company to stay current on their cybersecurity status.
An early project identified during this program was for Port53 to help implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for employee access. Cisco Duo protects financial services companies against cyber attacks by limiting unauthorized access and defeating credential theft. Duo’s solution granted the client enhanced visibility and control over system and data access, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
Port53’s Customer Success Manager closely collaborated with the company throughout this process to instill confidence in their security journey. A tailored environment was created to suit their specific needs, bolstering the overall strength of their security approach. Since then, the company has integrated Port53’s continuous penetration testing and 24x7 Managed Detection and Response programs into their cybersecurity regimen, taking advantage of all available specialized cyber services
