Wortell as a security partner for the City of Lokeren: a secure administration from A to Z
From workplace management to security
The collaboration with the City of Lokeren started with workplace management, and organizing the use of different devices. During this process, the security issue came up: how could the board ensure watertight security?
"As a local government, we experience the same security challenges as larger organizations, but we have fewer resources"
Philippe Buyle, head of the ICT department at the City of Lokeren, once again saw a preferred partner in Wortell. "As a local government, we actually experience the same security challenges as larger organizations. However, we are bound to a fixed number of resources, both in terms of technology and employees. Such restrictions should never be at the expense of an institution's level of security."
We therefore joined forces with the City of Lokeren for Managed eXtended Detection and Response (MxDR). This service is aimed at solving problems as soon as they arise, but above all at preventing them. "MxDR - in our case Wortell Protect - is an advanced service that we have designed to protect governments and local authorities day and night," says Jurgen Van Eynde, Microsoft Security Lead at Wortell. "In terms of security, you can't leave anything to chance, and it's a matter of keeping your finger on the pulse."
Overcoming security challenges with a roadmap
A few intensive workshops later, we had drawn up a security roadmap together, from policy and planning to implementation and compliance. This roadmap was based on two pillars, the priorities for the City of Lokeren:
- Information Protection: what information is confidential and how can we protect it fully and 24/7? This includes encrypting sensitive documents and emails.
- Identity Protection: How can we protect users' identity and data from A to Z? These include Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Conditional Access & Privileged Identity Management.
"Government agencies sometimes make security unnecessarily complex"
"Many government institutions do not outsource their security because they shy away from the possible obstacles of such a policy," explains Van Eynde. "But our support is precisely aimed at avoiding these pitfalls. One of those pitfalls is the unnecessary complexity that you often see in practice. For example, there is a chance that MFA does not always have to be a requirement, but that type of location and device are sufficient as registration criteria."
"The right support from the right partner is invaluable. Thanks to Wortell, we know that we can sleep soundly, and that peace of mind allows us to focus on our core business," says Buyle.
The synergy between technology and awareness
Wortell's technical support may have proved extremely valuable, but according to Van Eynde, 95% of Information Protection lies with the end users. "Information protection is a cultural issue, so a substantial part of the investment must be spent on the human aspect," he believes.
For this reason, Wortell Protect is based on a seamless synergy between technology and awareness. In other words, raising awareness among staff was a priority in the rollout of MxDR. "At home, in the office, on the road, ... Whoever the account belongs to, we pride ourselves on intervening as soon as there is a potential security breach," says Buyle.
Wortell uses the Zero Trust approach to secure the City of Lokeren through their MXDR solution that aligns with Microsoft's best practices.
"Hackers are getting smarter and smarter, so you have to stay on your toes all the time"
"It is also important that this training program is dynamic," adds Van Eynde. "Hackers are getting smarter and smarter, so it is also useful for the City of Lokeren to constantly stay on their toes. That also applies to Wortell, by the way. If a cyber attack takes place at the City of Lokeren in the future, we will carry out a forensic investigation to determine the extent and damage. This is then documented in a report, with action points to prevent such hacks."
The result of our collaboration? 6 months later, the secure score of the City of Lokeren has increased by 20%!