Case Studies > AlienVault USM™ Helps Community Bank Secure its Assets and Pass FDIC Audit

AlienVault USM™ Helps Community Bank Secure its Assets and Pass FDIC Audit

Company Size

11-200

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

AlienVault USM
SolarWinds Log & Event Manager (LEM)
GFI LanGaurd

Tech Stack

Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
Netflow Analysis
Threat Intelligence

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction
Digital Expertise
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Intrusion Detection
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Intrusion Detection Systems
Regulatory Compliance Monitoring

Services

System Integration
Training

About The Customer

The Bank of New Glarus, established in 1893, is a community bank located in New Glarus, Wisconsin. It started with $12,000 in capital and has grown to include over 100 employees across six locations. The bank provides personal and commercial banking services to customers in the region, including many from the agricultural industry. With a small IT team of just two people, the bank relies heavily on efficient and effective IT solutions to manage its operations and ensure security. The bank's commitment to maintaining a secure network is evident in its adoption of advanced security management platforms.

The Challenge

In 2015, the Bank of New Glarus faced an impending Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) compliance audit. With less than four months to prepare, Patrick Collins, the lead IT manager, needed to find and implement an intrusion detection tool that would help the bank pass the audit. Collins considered GFI’s LanGaurd and SolarWinds Log & Event Manager (LEM) but found them lacking in certain features and robustness. The challenge was to find a comprehensive and cost-effective solution that could meet the stringent requirements of the FDIC audit.

The Solution

Patrick Collins decided to implement the AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) platform after evaluating its features and cost-effectiveness compared to other solutions. AlienVault USM offered comprehensive features, including Netflow analysis, which were crucial for passing the FDIC audit. The platform allowed Collins to scan the bank's system for vulnerabilities, act on reports, and track intrusion alerts. The FDIC auditors were impressed by the platform's ability to generate alerts and provide extensive reports, which were crucial for compliance. AlienVault USM also offers hundreds of built-in compliance reports for various regulatory requirements, which are automatically updated as asset and vulnerability data changes. This feature allowed the bank to customize reports based on their compliance priorities easily.

Operational Impact

AlienVault USM enabled the Bank of New Glarus to pass the FDIC audit successfully, impressing auditors with its comprehensive reporting and alerting capabilities.
The platform allowed for automation of many security tasks, saving significant time for the IT team, particularly in scanning for vulnerabilities and tracking intrusion alerts.
Collins was able to leverage the AlienVault Open Threat Exchange (OTX) and AlienVault Labs threat intelligence to keep the bank's security infrastructure updated with the latest threat data.
The platform's ability to provide easy-to-understand threat data in a single pane of glass significantly reduced the time spent on reviewing logs and raw data.
AlienVault USM's automated updates and threat intelligence allowed the bank to stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain a robust security posture.

Quantitative Benefit

The Bank of New Glarus passed the FDIC compliance audit with flying colors.
AlienVault USM saved the bank's IT team upwards of 8 hours a week in reviewing logs.
The platform's cost-effectiveness was highlighted by offering the same functionality as SolarWinds LEM but at a lower price point.