Comprehensive Cloud and Security Support for a Growing Regional Bank
The financial services industry, one of the most regulated sectors, constantly evolves to meet new compliance demands and leverage digital transformation for business growth. As financial institutions adopt cloud technology to enhance operations and security, ensuring compliance and cybersecurity becomes more critical than ever.
Financial Services Firm
in Texas, U.S
Our client, a leading financial services firm, recognized the need to bolster its cloud infrastructure and security measures to support its growing operations and maintain regulatory compliance. As the financial sector increasingly turns to cloud solutions, the firm saw an opportunity to enhance its IT infrastructure while ensuring the highest levels of security and efficiency.
Despite having a capable internal IT team, the firm knew it needed external expertise to handle cloud migration and long-term strategic initiatives. As one senior executive at the company said, “We have the right staff here to be operational, not to be transformative. Everyone’s too busy with day-to-day operations to make the progress we need.”
THE PROBLEM
The financial services firm faced several key challenges as it aimed to enhance its IT environment:
- Security and Compliance: Given the sensitive nature of financial data, the firm needed to align its security framework with NIST 800-53 standards and other stringent financial regulations.
- Systems Modernization: To effectively manage and deliver demanding services that met the firm’s growth objectives, they needed a more advanced IT framework that could scale with the business.
- Network and Identity Management: Beyond cloud solutions, the firm needed to overhaul its network architecture and implement a robust identity management system to secure user access and enhance overall network security.
- Operational Support and Resource Allocation: With the internal team stretched thin, they needed support to handle the cloud migration and other IT changes without overwhelming their staff. “We didn’t want to staff up for the migration. What I really wanted was for my staff to be operational after it was done,” said a senior executive.
In addition to these challenges, cloud infrastructure development played a crucial role. The client required a secure, scalable cloud environment capable of handling high-performance services to ensure operational efficiency and business continuity. Although cloud infrastructure is a common need across the financial sector, the firm’s challenge was aligning this with strict security and compliance requirements.
“When I joined, the IT infrastructure couldn’t support or scale with the firm’s growth. I had a vision, but I needed a partner who could help realize that vision while adhering to compliance and security requirements.” – Senior Executive
SOLUTIONS PROVIDED
Enstructure designed and implemented a customized solution to meet the firm’s specific needs. We employed a structured approach, focusing on the following:
Phase 0: Alignment & Readiness
Before diving into Discovery, we ensured alignment across business goals, stakeholders, and expectations to set the stage for a smooth transformation.
- Business Goal Alignment – Defined success metrics and strategic priorities.
- Expectation Setting – Established objectives, constraints, and risk appetite.
- Stakeholder Readiness – Identified decision-makers and key roles.
- Effort Sizing – Estimated resource needs and addressed skill gaps.
Phase 1: Discovery
- Infrastructure Assessment: Conducted an in-depth evaluation of the firm’s existing infrastructure to design a customized, secure cloud environment.
- Security Framework Design: Aligned their security measures with NIST 800-53 standards, ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
Phase 2: Implementation
- Cloud Infrastructure Setup: Worked closely with the firm to design and build a cloud environment tailored to their specific needs.
- User Training and Knowledge Transfer: Provided training and documentation for the firm’s internal IT team to effectively manage daily operations and new security protocols.
- Real-Time Security Monitoring: Implemented real-time monitoring to identify and mitigate potential threats, ensuring seamless protection.
- Innovative Architecture Design: Solves issues immediately, taking proactive actions that ensure future-proof strategies, focusing on efficiency and thought leadership.
- Security Compliance Program: Rolled out a comprehensive security compliance program to address regulatory requirements.
Phase 3: Monitoring and Support
- Strategic Security Meetings: Conducted weekly security meetings to assess ongoing challenges, prioritize issues, and implement proactive, strategic security measures.
- Ongoing Operational Support: Provided 8-5 support plus emergency support for critical issues, ensuring rapid response and resolution of any issues.
- Advisory Services: Offered strategic advisory services, helping the firm optimize its cloud environment for long-term success.
THE OUTCOME
Our collaboration with the financial services firm resulted in substantial improvements in their cloud security and operational efficiency:
Enhanced Security Posture
The firm increased its AWS security score by 5%, achieved 95% NIST 800-53 compliance, and zero (0) critical security vulnerability in six months, aligning its cloud infrastructure with industry standards.
Cost Savings
By optimizing resources and reducing cloud waste, the firm achieved a 5% reduction in monthly costs. Additionally, a projected annual savings of $20,000 will be realized from the Palo Alto Virtual Firewall – VPN Tunnel migration, further improving cost reporting and visibility as the company scales its AWS infrastructure.
Network Backup Routing for Disaster Recovery
Designed and implemented a resilient network infrastructure that achieved 0% downtime, ensuring 24/7 operational availability and uninterrupted business continuity, even during disasters.
Operational Efficiency
With a secure cloud infrastructure in place, the firm’s internal IT team could focus on core business activities while Enstructure handled complex issues and strategic planning.
Infrastructure Scaling for Mergers and Acquisitions
Led the strategic planning and implementation to integrate a recently acquired company into the firm’s infrastructure to leverage cloud solutions. This integration helped scale operations and improved efficiency across 50+ offices, enhancing service capacity and operational growth post-acquisition.
“We knew things needed to be done; we just didn’t know exactly what needed to be done. Enstructure helped us prioritize and implement what was most critical for our growth.” – Senior Executive
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