The logistics industry is a vital part of the modern economy. The services provided by this sector ensure the availability of goods and products as essential as food and medicine. It could be seen as the backbone of the economy in many senses. The cybersecurity issues in the industry are, therefore, particularly worrying. A recent report reveals that only 35% of solutions/service providers have a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in place.
There is a slight improvement in shipping companies, where the figure is 43%, but this is far from ideal. More worrying is the fact that only 21% of logistics companies believe they even need a CISO. The same report reveals that over half (55%) of logistics companies believe that they are ill-prepared to identify and address potential cybersecurity threats.
Case study: Bidfreight Port Operations
Bidfreight Port Operations is one of the largest in-port logistics providers in South Africa, with expertise in warehousing, stevedoring, transportation and terminal operating services. With over 150 years’ experience in port operations in Africa, BPO has built a solid foundation of knowledge from which to offer an integrated solution to clients importing and exporting in South Africa.
The situation
Over the years BPO had implemented various solutions across their network, such as mail sanitation, spam, URL filtering, and conventional antivirus, to target a multitude of threats. However, in the first half of 2019 there were numerous cyberattacks around the world and closer to home. Reflecting on the advanced nature of today’s threat landscape, Boyd Bryson, IT Manager at Bidfreight Port Operations (BPO) recognised the need for a comprehensive approach to securing and managing a highly distributed network. Increasingly, there is an imperative to harden endpoints and reduce the attack surface.
Challenges
“We believe it is incredibly important to be prepared for and protected from cyberattacks, this is something that directed our search for a new endpoint security solution”, says Bryson.
“With offices in every commercial port in South Africa we needed a solution that could make the task of implementing new security and managing the network more efficient and less costly”, continues Bryson.
This is not a unique situation; globalisation and the mobilisation of the workforce means that many organisations face the challenges of a distributed network of users and endpoints. For BPO, aside from offering advanced protection from cyberattacks, their cybersecurity solution needed to address the following key concerns:
- Light endpoint footprint, requiring minimal resources
- Easy and rapid deployment
- Simple management and reporting
In this case a security solution that can be managed remotely, while ensuring visibility and protection of endpoints, including mobile and roaming users is ideal.
The solution
To meet BPO’s specific needs Panda and reseller partner FirstNet, recommended Adaptive Defense 360 (AD360), an automated and centralised advanced security solution delivered from the cloud. This next-generation solution integrates Endpoint Protection (EPP) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities with a 100% attestation service, as well as a managed Threat Hunting and Investigation Service (THIS).
“The solution is ideal for our distributed network of users, managing the installation of AD360 was simple using the install agent to automatically send the install link as soon as the endpoint comes online”, says Richard Hipkin, IT Operations Manager of BPO.
For BPO there was no noticeable impact on their resources after implementing AD360. AD360 does all the heavy lifting in the cloud resulting in a light endpoint footprint and limited strain on resources for organisations.
“We have used multiple products in the past and AD360 is the most thorough and easy-to-use. It is essentially an out-of-the-box solution that can be moulded to suit our needs where necessary”, continues Hipkin.