Tendring District Council – Utilising Digital Transformation to provide quantifiable time savings
Tendring District Council, based in Essex, have worked with Sophos and Espria for their IT security needs since 2014.
Sophos is a world leader in next-generation cybersecurity, protecting more than 500,000 organisations and millions of consumers in more than 150 countries from today’s most advanced cyber threats.
Espria is the expert in the delivery of IT services. It is an award-winning and trusted provider of IT solutions, managed and integrated services to a wide range of UK organisations of all sizes.
Business Challenges
Several years ago, Tendring District Council implemented on-premise Sophos Endpoint Protection Advanced and was happy with the solution. More recently, the council has focussed on further digital transformation, moving all services and servers to a cloud environment.
With this in mind, and working with Espria, the council opted to transition to cloud-based Sophos Central. Completed in May 2020, Espria supported the organisation in working remotely with an ongoing priority for IT security after a minor ransomware incident caused the team to be highly aware of the prevalence of attacks in their sector.
The Technical Solution
The council moved to Sophos Central for cloud-based IT security for endpoints and servers with the added benefit of ransomware protection from Intercept X Advanced with EDR. The council also called in Sophos Professional Services to assist with the installation. Throughout the project, the team at the council used each step as a way of learning about the solutions, which included:
- Sophos Central: a unified console for managing Sophos products
- Intercept X Advanced for Server with EDR which protects virtual and physical servers without sacrificing performance, including one-click Server Lockdown
- Intercept X Advanced with EDR: a signatureless anti-exploit, anti-ransomware and root cause analysis tool that protects endpoints from advanced threats
- Professional Services: consultation, implementation and configuration of solutions aligned with security needs and Sophos best practices.
Business Benefits
Sam Wright is Cyber Security & Systems Manager at Tendring District Council. He lists the benefits of the Sophos/Espria partnership and moving to Sophos Central as being:
- Automation: the automation in Sophos Central when detecting and alerting potential threats eases the pressure on the IT team
- The interface: the team finds the Sophos Central interface very easy to use and issue-free, particularly when working remotely
- Threat analysis: Sam was impressed with the Sophos Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) threat analysis in Intercept X Advanced with top threat indicators, live discovery and multiple categories and queries
- Behaviour analysis: Intercept X Advanced examines the behaviour of attacks rather than definition – a different approach that provides heightened security
- Data security: Device Control within Sophos Central keeps data safe and the council compliant with GDPR
- Price: Sam believes he got a good deal from Sophos with customer-specific pricing
- Service: “The council is pleased with the service it has received from Sophos and Espria who are there to help whenever it’s needed.”
Sam is so pleased with Sophos’ services and the solutions provided that he has recommended them to his peers in the Essex Online Partnership – a collaboration of authorities including emergency services – and he also ran a demo for them.
“I’m always happy to recommend Sophos & Espria,” he says. “It’s easy to use, makes complete sense and empowers our technicians. Plus, Sophos is a well-established and trusted company that’s here for the long term. Sophos has definitely played a key role in our digital transformation project.”
Testament to the hard work carried out by the team, Tendring District Council were shortlisted in The MJ Achievement Awards 2020, in the Digital Transformation category.
“Our technicians are very happy with Espria & Sophos Central. It makes it easy for them to drill down, review and investigate any issues that arise. It just makes sense, and it empowers our team.”
You may be interested in
Businesses are losing money and jeopardising security to IT sprawl and quick fixes, says Espria
IT Leaders must take action on unchecked technology sprawl and shadow IT that are draining budgets, increasing cyber risks, and complicating their digital environment. According to a recent study, budgets towards insider risk management have doubled in the past 12 months, with 81% of business leaders looking to secure their internal business infrastructure as geopolitical tensions escalate and remote workforces become the norm. ‘Digital transformation ushered in new possibilities and solutions for computing, but it also introduced a potential for sprawl that burdens IT teams everywhere,’ said Brian Sibley, Virtual CTO at Espria. ‘When faced…
Espria launches Espria Connect, enhancing Microsoft Teams with Advanced Unified Communications
The new product, Espria Connect, isn’t just another telephony solution. It’s a game-changer, offering a cost-effective, scalable, and secure telephony solution for SMBs, mid-market and enterprise customers. Combining the power of Microsoft Teams with Cloud-Based Unified Communications, Espria, the leading managed services provider, is excited to introduce Espria Connect. This powerful solution streamlines business communication infrastructure and addresses the growing demand for a unified communication solution that supports hybrid work environments. Designed for businesses of all sizes, Espria Connect allows users to manage voicemail, make and receive calls, and access a diverse range of other…
Reimagining education: How AI is changing the way we teach, learn, and collaborate in schools
Technology has long been used by educators to support teaching and operations, facilitating staff with a wide range of platforms and resources. A particular tool that has sparked both controversy and curiosity is the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI). A study by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, found that most teachers are reluctant to use AI for pupil learning with 84% of educators not changing the way they assess their students’ work. This comes after Ofsted recently launched an independent review on the use of AI in schools and how to develop the understanding of…
Espria launches CSP renewal assessment service
Leading managed service provider launches new service to address the costs associated with software sprawl, helping to drive down OpEx as businesses increasingly feel the financial squeeze. Espria, a leading digital solutions provider, has launched a free M365 Licence Assessment programme to help businesses save costs by reviewing existing licence estates and identifying those licences not in use or no longer being utilised. With Microsoft recently changing how they sell and structure licenses, businesses must now reassess their current M365 licenses, looking for ways to reduce costs and keep the capabilities they need as they…
Your guide to leveraging NCE pricing to get the best value
Renewing your Microsoft Licensing Agreement is an opportunity to align your IT strategy with your business goals. It allows you to take advantage of the latest technologies, optimise costs, and ensure compliance with industry standards. While this might seem straightforward at first glance, to achieve the best value and biggest discounts, it’s often more complex than it appears and navigating the renewalprocess requires careful planning. In this Blog we will walk through what you need to know about the new Microsoft Licensing rules,when to get the best value from your renewal, and how to review…
Loving your customers with AI, cybersecurity and peace of mind with MSP support
2024 has marked a massive shift for SME IT needs, as creating an appropriate and optimised business strategy has become an increasingly difficult challenge for business owners and IT operators nationwide.