Financial Case Study

Banking and Healthcare IT Specialists

Executive Summary

Cybernut Solutions is a security-savvy IT solutions provider specializing in the challenging banking and healthcare industries, sectors which are sweating regulatory pressure to improve security and also receiving increased attention from malicious hackers. One of the biggest risks their clients face is customer and patient identity theft, a potential reputation nightmare.

A Solution which Provided Relief

Cybernut’s experts were stretched thin providing both heavy-duty security services and growth-oriented IT consulting. Once they implemented the innovative Oasis Titan solution, the pressure to balance these goals was reduced on both Cybernut and their banking and healthcare clients. The solution, simple to implement but broad in scope, proved itself under pressure. Executives breathed a sigh of relief as the systems withstood both government tests and hacker attacks. These results are letting them keep their focus on company operations while Titan stands guard.

Background

From ransomware to DDOS attacks, “trojan horse” invasions and direct data theft, businesses are under constant attack on the Internet. Cybernut personnel are working hard to help their clients deal with these assaults. They investigated the Oasis Titan, a before-the-fi rewall add-on solution, as a way to keep clients (and themselves) protected while they refocus on building out and maintaining IT operations for clients. Since their clients include sensitive institutions such as banks, their successful results caught the attention of the FBI and other government agencies.

Company Overview

Cybernut Solutions is an IT consulting fi rm specializing in helping healthcare organizations, fi nancial institutions, and small business with leading IT support and services. They manage and assume responsibility for clients’ computer systems, network, and IT security. Cybernut provides fully managed IT service support and consults on best practices for safeguarding patient records, critical business data, and fi nancial information.

Highlights

• Bank client was recognized as being in the top 1% of 6,000 being security tested
• FDIC and internal auditors couldn’t get through Titan to penetration test the bank’s systems
• Cybernut was invited to work with the FBI and FDIC and given clearances

 

“The solution is solid and the team at Oasis are security experts that will give you and your clients some peace of mind that your network is secure and being protected real time.”

Stephen B Faulkner

President and CEO of Cybernut

High-Value Targets

Small- and medium-sized businesses in the financial and healthcare industries, because of their value as targets and their limited IT resources, face a burden beyond that of most businesses to ensure reliable IT operations and data security. Larger players in these industries have access to major players in IT security, and other types of businesses don’t face the intense scrutiny and government regulation that they do. It’s a tough situation and a daily concern for corporate leadership.

Experts Taking Responsibility

Cybernut steps in to handle their clients’ IT operations and shoulder the security burden. They join with the companies in assuring compliance with strict regulations, avoidance of known risks, and implementation of broad-based mitigation strategies from employee training to system monitoring. Their security offerings are extensive,  including:

• Email Encryption
• Email Security Services
• Managed Wifi services
• Pen Testing
• Ethical Hacking
• Managed Firewall
• Malware Protection
• Wireless Networking
• Internal Vulnerability Assessments

A Dual Role for a Complete Client IT Relationship

The banks, credit unions, surgery centers, dentists, and others who rely on Cybernut have taken steps to address risk by engaging the company for both IT operations and information security. Cybernut creates innovative programs which involve companies in recognizing attacks aimed at personnel such as ransomware attacks, phishing exploits, and social engineering attempts. They are also constantly reviewing security products which provide firewall technologies, antivirus  protection,  incoming/outgoing data monitoring and filtering, deep packet inspection, and threat analysis. They keep their clients updated with the technologies they recommend, evaluating the products in-house first.

Challenges Faced

Of their twenty years in business, the last five have seen an exponential increase in attacks and exploit attempts on Cybernut’s clients and throughout their industries. Firewalls, antivirus software, and other traditional security solutions are not meeting companies’ needs. As a managed services provider, they are committing much of their time to seeking solutions, but winding up integrating multiple protection technologies.

Costs of Security Technologies

These technologies often overlap to ensure that there are no gaps in clients’ defenses, reducing IT systems’ performance. They also are spending a significant amount of time reviewing attack information, verifying system integrity, and working with clients to show and reassure them that they are well protected and compliant. As a provider of flat-rate support, this is a serious concern for their bottom line as well as for their clients’ welfare.

Restoring Peace of Mind

Frequent hacker attacks are weighing heavily on the minds of management. Smaller financial and healthcare organizations  have increasingly been targets of hackers for the valuable identity, financial, and insurance information which can be used for criminal activity. Hacking organizations know that small and medium-sized businesses generally are small fish, but with even smaller defenses. Cybernut’s clients are typical of companies bearing the brunt of this trend, which is likely a major reason for the recent increase in attack attempts Cybnernut personnel have seen.

Solution

Oasis Titan, a pre-firewall hardware-based solution, came to their attention as an integrated solution to their clients’ Internet security problems. They evaluated it in-house and deployed it to clients, including a bank which was undergoing routine auditing and FDIC evaluations. The Titan system’s defenses made it essentially impossible for auditors to do required penetration testing on their network, and the testing personnel’s IP addresses had to be manually given access through Titan’s protections in order to complete the tests. The evaluators were surprised by the technologies they were encountering, and asked, “What do you have there?” — they had not encountered anything similar during their testing rounds.

“The evaluators were surprised by the technologies they were encountering, and asked, “What do you have there?” — they had not encountered anything similar during their testing rounds.”

Results

In addition to gaining their banking client a top 1% rating or security and compliments from security testing experts, Cybernut has found themselves invited to work with FDIC and FBI personnel. They are helping to help spread the word about protection technologies, and aiding companies who are lagging behind hackers in their use of technology, helping them to catch up and get ahead in their security practices.

Less Battle, More Prevention

In addition to employing the Titan system, Cybernut continues to emphasize training and tests client employees’ knowledge and response with simulated email attacks and other conditions which keep their security awareness high and current. Oasis Titan’s low- maintenance operation has allowed them to make this effort instead of spending consulting hours chasing individual attacks and installing new technologies as malicious efforts evolve. Stephen B Faulkner, President and CEO of Cybernut, speaks to their results and sense of relief: “The solution is solid and the team at Titan are security experts that will give you and your clients some peace of mind that your network is secure and being protected real time.”

Summary

Oasis Titan, working outside of a company’s firewall to provide diverse first-line defenses, is providing companies like Cybernut with a solution that not only meets their demanding standards for in-house use but which they are deploying to customers who trust them for top-notch IT security services. Titan is a simple solution to deploy and works in conjunction with existing systems and firewalls. This makes it an ideal answer for companies like Cybernut that can offload day-to-day security protection to Titan. They can then focus on helping their client companies compete and grow without concerns that malicious external forces will threaten their future.