Visibility is key: Strengthening security with Sysdig

As digital operations expand, the financial industry is facing heightened regulatory and security demands. With the European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) set to take effect in January 2025, financial organizations must now comply with additional rigorous standards for operational resilience and cybersecurity. DORA’s mandates require financial entities — from banks to asset managers — to detect and disclose incidents rapidly, with a four-hour window for reporting major breaches. Moreover, DORA extends oversight to third-party providers, including cloud services, and calls for multicloud strategies, which can further complicate visibility and security management.

This high-stakes environment means that any gaps in visibility across containerized cloud infrastructures are a critical risk. Blind spots can lead to undetected vulnerabilities, putting organizations at risk of regulatory fines, data breaches, and reputational damage. For finance organizations aiming to stay secure and compliant, comprehensive, real-time oversight of their digital infrastructure is essential. 

The challenge: Uncovering security gaps

A prominent finance organization approached Sysdig with a pressing issue: they were struggling to detect and respond to security incidents within their containerized environments. Despite employing several security tools, the customer faced significant blind spots that hindered their ability to maintain a clear view of their security posture.

The stakes were significant. It was crucial for the organization to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities. Undetected issues could lead to data breaches, compliance challenges, and potential regulatory fines. Their security team was overwhelmed by the complexity of managing fragmented tools, making it increasingly difficult to identify compliance issues and respond promptly to incidents.

As they grappled with these challenges, it became clear that a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to visibility was essential for enhancing their security posture and ensuring compliance with emerging regulations.

Read our POV paper on upcoming cloud security regulation

Sysdig’s approach: Comprehensive assessments for better visibility

To tackle the customer’s visibility challenges, we initiated a thorough assessment of their existing security practices. This process involved identifying gaps in their current security posture and analyzing how well their various security tools were integrated. The assessment aimed to pinpoint specific areas where blind spots existed and evaluate the effectiveness of their vulnerability management processes.

After gaining a clear understanding of the customer’s needs, our team introduced Sysdig Secure, a real-time cloud and container security platform. The platform was designed to streamline security operations by consolidating multiple tools into a unified framework. By working closely with the customer’s DevOps and security teams, Sysdig ensured that the implementation of its platform seamlessly integrated into their existing workflows.

Key components of the Sysdig approach:

• Visibility enhancement: Sysdig focused on providing real-time visibility across the customer’s containerized environments, ensuring that potential threats and vulnerabilities were quickly identified and addressed.
• Integration of security tools: By consolidating various security solutions into a single platform, Sysdig reduced the complexity and fragmentation the customer had previously experienced, allowing for a more effective security strategy.
• Collaboration with teams: Engaging with the customer’s DevOps and security teams fostered a collaborative environment that facilitated smoother implementation and a better understanding of security processes.

Through this structured approach, Sysdig aimed to empower the customer with the tools and insights needed to strengthen their security posture and ensure compliance with evolving regulatory requirements.

The outcome: Stronger security posture and operational resilience

The implementation of Sysdig’s Secure platform brought significant improvements to the customer’s security operations. Upon deployment, the organization experienced immediate benefits in several key areas:

• Enhanced visibility and threat detection: Sysdig’s real-time threat detection capabilities enabled the customer to gain comprehensive visibility into vulnerabilities across their containerized and Kubernetes environments. Previously, they struggled to manage these effectively, but with Sysdig, they could quickly identify and address potential security issues.
• Streamlined incident response: The integration of Sysdig’s Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Workload Protection (CWPP) features allowed for continuous monitoring of their cloud assets. This proactive approach reduced the risk of unpatched vulnerabilities being exploited and significantly improved their incident response times. The customer was now equipped to detect and respond to incidents faster, minimizing potential disruption.
• Improved operational efficiency: By consolidating security tools and improving integration, the customer not only reduced their security risks but also enhanced their overall efficiency. The centralization of security data allowed for quicker decision-making and a more coordinated response to security events.
• Compliance assurance: The customer felt more confident in their ability to meet regulatory requirements. The improved visibility and threat detection capabilities positioned them to respond effectively to compliance audits and inquiries.
• Empowered teams: Sysdig’s platform allowed the customer’s security and DevOps teams to focus more on innovation and application development rather than getting bogged down in manual security management. The automation of vulnerability scanning and real-time oversight during runtime streamlined their processes.

Overall, the collaboration with Sysdig transformed the customer’s security posture, equipping them with the necessary tools to thrive in a complex regulatory environment while maintaining operational resilience.

Sysdig features

Some Sysdig features that we used to assist our customers:

• Vulnerability management: You get the best of both worlds through agentless scanning – simplifying setup and maintenance – while filtering out 95% of the noise through agent-based runtime prioritization.
• Cloud security posture management: Sysdig’s CSPM goes beyond traditional security, with end-to-end visibility and full coverage. When we say runtime insights, we mean real-time context.

Conclusion 

As regulatory requirements like DORA come into play, organizations must prioritize security to navigate the evolving landscape effectively. This story illustrates the critical importance of achieving comprehensive visibility and real-time monitoring across digital infrastructures in the finance sector. The integration of Sysdig’s Secure platform not only addressed the customer’s immediate challenges but also laid a solid foundation for ongoing security and compliance.

By consolidating security tools, streamlining incident response, and embedding security practices into their CI/CD processes, the customer significantly strengthened their security posture. This proactive approach to risk management ensures they are well-equipped to meet regulatory expectations while safeguarding sensitive data.

Previously in Customer Care Chronicles:

On-Prem and Kubernetes: A delicate relationship

How to securely onboard customers during a cloud security solution migration

Sysdig Customer Care Chronicles – Security Is A Team Sport