Case Study
How UST helped a global credit reporting leader overcome cybersecurity challenges
OUR CLIENT
Our client, a global leader in credit reporting and information services, provides essential data to empower businesses and consumers worldwide to make informed financial decisions. Operating across multiple countries and serving financial institutions, government agencies, and individuals, the client offers a range of services, including credit scoring, fraud prevention, and identity protection.
THE CHALLENGE
Overcoming a range of issues to bolster cybersecurity
As a key player in the credit reporting industry, the client faced a range of complex IT management and cybersecurity challenges, including:
- IT infrastructure management—Maintaining and securing backend systems and endpoints posed a significant challenge, requiring consistent upgrades, patching, and maintenance to ensure stability and protection against threats.
- Vulnerability patching—Proactively addressing vulnerabilities in backend systems was critical to prevent security breaches. However, this required a coordinated and timely process that was difficult for the client to implement effectively.
- Complex endpoint deployment—Testing and deploying agents across various endpoints within the organization was complex and demanded meticulous planning and execution to avoid disruptions to ongoing business operations.
- Cross-platform compatibility—Supporting technical solutions across multiple operating systems introduced additional complexity, requiring the client to manage compatibility for reliable performance across diverse platforms.
These challenges underscored the need for a trusted partner capable of delivering comprehensive IT platform management. The partner needed to safeguard the client’s systems, ensure robust security, and provide seamless, efficient IT health monitoring and performance management.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Delivering a multi-pronged approach that enhanced security and laid the foundation for growth
UST worked closely with the client’s IT team to ensure a seamless project. We started by assessing the company’s backend systems, analyzing existing vulnerabilities, and outlining a tailored approach to IT management and cybersecurity. From there, we embarked on a phased managed services implementation to minimize business disruptions. Each phase included essential system updates, endpoint agent management, and proactive patching. UST delivered a robust solution for credit reporting cybersecurity with a focus on:
- Backend system and IT health monitoring—UST took over backend system management, including patching, configuration, and regular updates to ensure the client’s infrastructure remained secure and stable.
- Continuous IT health monitoring and performance management—Proactive monitoring allowed for early issue detection, improved IT platform performance, and enabled data-driven decision-making.
- Enhanced cybersecurity tools and vulnerability patching—By integrating security tools, such as IBM’s Security Key Lifecycle Manager (SKLM), Devo, BigID, and Qualys, we strengthened the client’s cybersecurity posture and reduced vulnerability risks.
- Incident response and major incident management process (MIMP)—Implementing a streamlined incident response and MIMP helped UST resolve incidents swiftly, reducing downtime and enhancing IT infrastructure stability.
- Customized reporting and SLA management—Monthly reports on KPIs and service level agreement (SLA) management provided valuable insights, enabling the client to align IT operations with strategic business objectives.
This solution effectively positioned the client to meet industry demands for secure credit reporting while facilitating growth, operational efficiency, and proactive management.
THE IMPACT
Reducing security vulnerabilities by 70%
The implementation of the solution led to transformative and substantial improvements for the client. It not only addressed their critical challenges but also enhanced the overall efficiency and security of their IT infrastructure. These advancements contributed to higher productivity, reduced risks, a more reliable digital environment as well as these additional business benefits:
- Improved cybersecurity resilience—Real-time vulnerability patching and security monitoring reduced the number of open vulnerabilities by 70%, helping the client mitigate risks.
- Streamlined operations—By consolidating L1 and L2 services under one provider, the client increased efficiency.
- Enhanced IT infrastructure stability and faster incident resolution—Consolidated service levels improved communication between support teams, leading to more efficient incident response and resolution times.
The client’s IT infrastructure is now more secure, resilient, and capable of supporting growth objectives with reduced vulnerabilities and security breaches. With a fortified IT infrastructure and improved data security measures, the client is prepared to meet evolving cybersecurity needs confidently. UST’s proactive and data-driven approach will continue to support the client in maintaining a stable, efficient IT environment, critical for its mission of empowering data-driven businesses in the global financial services landscape.
Click here to sign up here for a free cloud security transformation workshop.
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/what-we-do/digital-transformation/managed-security-services
https://www.ust.com/en/insights/cloud-cybersecurity-industrial-supplies
https://www.ust.com/en/insights/cybersecurity-mdr-travel-software