Auto-Retailer Streamlines Security Needs by Choosing LevelBlue Managed Security Services

Overview

This mid-sized auto retailer specializing in high-end vehicles has approximately 2,000 employees and is headquartered in Miami, Florida with multiple other US locations.

Too many tools, not enough visibility 

The auto retailer understood the impact a data breach could have on its business and customers and had made significant cybersecurity investments to proactively protect both. Over time, the customer had contracted with multiple service providers and deployed a range of solutions from various technology vendors to secure the business. 

Despite these investments, the customer continued to experience challenges. Because it had invested in a range of tools from various providers, it was dealing with a security environment that not only was complex to manage but also was highly fragmented. With every tool being deployed and managed by a different vendor, there was a lack of integration between the different security products that was causing gaps in reliability and a frustrating lack of visibility for its IT personnel. 

Additionally, the customer was encountering issues with communication and support that stemmed from a lack of ownership by the different service providers. Oftentimes, when the customer reached out to one vendor for technical support, they would be directed to another vendor. These challenges were compounded by the fact that the customer had limited in-house 
IT resources. 

Less complexity and one point of contact

LevelBlue recognized that the customer needed an IT security environment with less administrative complexity and more centralized visibility, and that the way to do this was by consolidating some of its security tools. Most importantly, the customer needed a managed services provider that was willing to maintain a close, supportive relationship with its IT team and function as a single, trusted point of contact.

Trust earned over time 

The auto retailer has worked with LevelBlue for several years. The customer initially engaged LevelBlue Consulting for a virtual CISO engagement when it needed help meeting the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) compliance standards for auto dealerships, i.e., the FTC Safeguards Rule. Over time, the relationship grew to include other project-based consulting needs such as helping the customer’s IT team identify and address vulnerabilities in the company network and helping them work toward a more resilient cybersecurity posture. 

The relationship was further expanded when the customer engaged LevelBlue consultants to help it address the risk of account takeover (ATO). The consultants used the Dark Web Monitoring solution powered by SpyCloud to identify accounts at risk and take action to remediate them. The solution, which is offered through the LevelBlue Managed Vulnerability Program (MVP), helps customers mitigate the risk of ATO and ransomware attacks and combat online fraud. 

Personalized strategic guidance 

As LevelBlue continued to work with the customer, its IT team’s confidence in our ability to help them achieve their various cybersecurity goals grew, and the relationship was expanded to include other cybersecurity projects. These included working with them to develop an incident response plan, business continuity plans, and more. The team also engaged further with LevelBlue Virtual CISOs for guidance on achieving strategic cybersecurity goals, and more recently, for penetration testing services.

Help protecting the business 

LevelBlue helped the customer replace its managed security information and event management (SIEM) service with LevelBlue Managed Threat Detection and Response (MTDR), working closely with the customer’s IT team to ensure a premium onboarding experience. The foundation of this managed service is the LevelBlue USM Anywhere open XDR platform, which centralizes visibility and monitoring across a customer’s environment to help security teams connect the dots and uncover threats before they harm the business.

Our team also assisted the customer in moving to a consolidated endpoint detection and response (EDR) strategy. Initially, the customer deployed endpoint technologies from several vendors but with help from LevelBlue, it successfully transitioned to one managed EDR solution, deploying LevelBlue Managed Endpoint Security with SentinelOne across all the company locations.

More recently, the customer has deployed LevelBlue'S SASE with Palo Alto Networks solution to help reduce the risk of data breach and increase productivity and efficiency. The team was concerned about outdated technology and inadequate access management policies, which potentially placed the business at risk. Not only could a breach result in loss of revenue and productivity, but it could also cause significant damage to a company’s reputation.

 An “always-on” ally

The relationship between LevelBlue and the auto retailer has grown and expanded as LevelBlue has continued to demonstrate its capability not only to help the company solve a range of cybersecurity challenges but also as it has proven its willingness to be available 24/7/365.