How Cupertino’s IT Dept Addressed Its 2 Biggest Problems

Benny Hsieh has managed Cupertino, California’s IT infrastructure for about two years, and has already seen its cyberthreats landscape dramatically change. “It’s always a cat-and-mouse game in terms of cybersecurity,” he said. “We’re seeing more social engineering cyberthreats. It’s bad actors impersonating email accounts and phone numbers to try and get access to information.”

Hsieh said Cupertino’s IT department quickly realized partnering with a security operations center (SOC)-as-a-service provider could address its two biggest problems: money and expertise.

First, pairing with a SOC-as-a-service provider saves Cupertino money that would normally go to activities such as repairing its IT defenses.

“Having a SOC-as-a-service provider allows us to more easily budget what we do on our end for security.” -Benny Hsieh, IT Manager of Infrastructure, Cupertino, California

It has also helped Cupertino bring more cybersecurity knowledge to its IT department without hiring and training new staff. “Working with a SOC-as-a-service provider, you have access to someone who does security professionally,” Hsieh said.

Ultimately, Cupertino picked Arctic Wolf as its SOC-as-a-service provider. Cupertino’s IT department now meets with Arctic Wolf’s security team monthly to discuss potential vulnerabilities, including recent internet traffic, security patches and unusual activity logs. Together, this combination works to keep Cupertino’s networks safe 24/7.

Consider the average IT team. No matter its size, unexpected challenges can always leave it needing help. Enter Arctic Wolf, a SOC-as-a-service provider that can:

• Give agencies a tireless cybersecurity partner.
• Lend help with both human expertise and machines, easing the strain that cybersecurity often places on agencies.
• Boost an agency’s team by providing security experts who multiply their manpower.

Arctic Wolf typically provides agencies with at least two security engineers who help with 24/7 security coverage. After that, the company’s hybrid AI lightens the load further.

“We’re letting your IT people sleep at night,” said Dinah Davis, Vice President of Research and Development (R&D), at Arctic Wolf. “Working with a cybersecurity partner like Arctic Wolf means state and local security teams no longer have to go it alone.”

This article is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent report, “Combating Cyberattacks: How SOCs Protect State & Local Governments.” Learn how security operation centers (SOCs) can help state and local agencies advance their cybersecurity efforts here.