Wat is SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) en hoe verhoogt het je security?

Bringing two companies under one banner. This is more than a financial agreement. Because after the decisive signature, the real transition only begins. And it also becomes very concrete: how do you bring two IT systems together, for instance? And what consequences does this have for cybersecurity? This is the challenge Richa and MKC Moto face when they join forces in 2020. Together with IT manager Nic, aspida unifies the entire IT network and strengthens cybersecurity. With success: "Today we are more than 50 per cent safer than a year ago."

Richa is a Belgian manufacturer of motorbike clothing with a strong B2B focus. In 2020, the company acquires MKC Moto, a motorbike retail chain with 18 shops across Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria. Nic Lampaert, independent IT manager for Richa under the name LMPRTech, is tasked with making both brands one house. With a clear IT infrastructure and secure network. For this, he enlists the help of aspida.

"Before Richa, I already worked with aspida for other projects, and we always completed them flawlessly. Both with Hannes and the other engineers I have a good click. So I had every confidence in aspida to complete this project together as well."

"The fact that aspida is a small organisation is definitely an advantage. Their personal approach transcends them from any other IT partner. They listen attentively and give incisive advice based on expertise. They go beyond question-answer, but think long-term and propose total solutions tailored to the customer."

Step one to a total solution for Richa? Looking at the situation as it is. We conduct an IT audit of the entire organisation, looking at both Richa and MKC Moto's IT infrastructure. "I already knew that the result of the audit would not be good," Nic says, "but it is valuable to have this examined and substantiated by a neutral partner. The passwords were very weak, the segmentation of the network was not up to scratch, the wifi network was open to everyone ... In short, both companies were failed. An eye-opener for the organisation. We need to invest in IT, and especially in IT security."

Work to be done, then. Time to equalise IT infrastructure and security and build one secure house. "Together with aspida, we are opting for a Zero Trust security model. A foolproof plan to keep cybersecurity withinRicha as high as possible. We are writing the vision and roadmap for the future and getting to work on concrete improvements in the short term."

One of the biggest challenges? Aligning all 18 shops security-wise. "Together with aspida, we are implementing a Fortinet network. We install a firewall, network switches and access points in each store. All this information comes together in an umbrella software, which we use to monitor each shop's IT network in real time. We notice faults or abnormal behaviour immediately and can now solve them faster.

In addition, aspida also took care of the Wi-Fi network in our headquarters in the Netherlands and Belgium. And they did an NIS2 check, so we are ready for the future in this area too. Thanks to all these interventions, we have moved to a high level of security. Compared to the previous situation, our cybersecurity has increased by more than 50 per cent."

Is the collaboration over now? "By no means. We have a three-year contract with aspida for Managed Services. That means that aspida actively monitors our networks. Do they notice abnormal traffic? Is there a potentially interesting update for our firewall? Or do they detect an outage? Then they contact us proactively. But it also goes the other way round. Do we have a question about our network? Then we can always turn to aspida. So the cooperation is far from over. And as far as I am concerned, it will continue to flourish for quite some time."

Is the collaboration over now? "By no means. We have a three-year contract with aspida for Managed Services. That means that aspida actively monitors our networks. Do they notice abnormal traffic? Is there a potentially interesting update for our firewall? Or do they detect an outage? Then they contact us proactively. But it also goes the other way round. Do we have a question about our network? Then we can always turn to aspida. So the cooperation is far from over. And as far as I am concerned, it will continue to flourish for quite some time."

Is the collaboration over now? "By no means. We have a three-year contract with aspida for Managed Services. That means that aspida actively monitors our networks. Do they notice abnormal traffic? Is there a potentially interesting update for our firewall? Or do they detect an outage? Then they contact us proactively. But it also goes the other way round. Do we have a question about our network? Then we can always turn to aspida. So the cooperation is far from over. And as far as I am concerned, it will continue to flourish for quite some time."

Is the collaboration over now? "By no means. We have a three-year contract with aspida for Managed Services. That means that aspida actively monitors our networks. Do they notice abnormal traffic? Is there a potentially interesting update for our firewall? Or do they detect an outage? Then they contact us proactively. But it also goes the other way round. Do we have a question about our network? Then we can always turn to aspida. So the cooperation is far from over. And as far as I am concerned, it will continue to flourish for quite some time."

Is the collaboration over now? "By no means. We have a three-year contract with aspida for Managed Services. That means that aspida actively monitors our networks. Do they notice abnormal traffic? Is there a potentially interesting update for our firewall? Or do they detect an outage? Then they contact us proactively. But it also goes the other way round. Do we have a question about our network? Then we can always turn to aspida. So the cooperation is far from over. And as far as I am concerned, it will continue to flourish for quite some time."