Many organizations are under the misguided impression that criminals are focused on large organizations. The truth is that protecting sensitive data and maintaining robust cybersecurity measures is of paramount importance for organizations of all sizes and across all industries. In fact, insurance provider Hiscox’s 2022 Cyber Readiness Report found that cyberattacks on SMBs with 10-49 employees quadrupled from the previous year.

One Massachusetts property and casualty insurance company experienced this firsthand when they were attacked by a major Russian hacking group in 2022. Let’s dive into the details of what happened in this managed IT services case study!

Challenge: Detecting and Mitigating Cyber Threats

Insurance companies have a treasure trove of sensitive customer data and financial information. Protecting this information requires a comprehensive IT infrastructure and cybersecurity strategy to effectively detect and mitigate potential threats. Since hiring an entire IT department with specialists in infrastructure and cybersecurity is not cost-effective for most SMBs, this insurance company has been a loyal customer of the Cleartech Group for 20 years. They rely on the Cleartech Group to help them secure customer data, manage their IT systems, handle employee access transitions, and prevent data breaches.

The insurer was pleased with the responsive helpdesk support, regular infrastructure upgrades, training, and identity and access management, but they didn’t give too much thought to cybersecurity threats. While the Cleartech group prevented many cybersecurity incidents behind the scenes over the years, in 2022 the importance of cybersecurity was brought into sharp focus for this insurance company.

Result: Preventing a Major Cyberattack and Ensuring Business Continuity

The partnership with the Cleartech Group proved to be a game-changer for this Massachusetts insurance company. The cybersecurity solutions and managed IT services provided a robust defense against cyber threats, resulting in the prevention of a significant cyberattack. One of the Cleartech Group’s consultants, Jared Fields, was working as usual when an alert came across his screen indicating a potential new threat to the insurance company. Jared recalls, “I immediately checked the alert and then traced the impact of the malware, and I found several processes that looked very suspicious. I tracked the file to an email attachment that was opened by one of the insurance company’s users, so I quickly called her, accessed her computer, and found that the malware had attempted to install itself.

Luckily, our new generation antivirus analyzed the threat’s actions and killed it. We checked and remediated any potential damage to the system files. After confirming a cleaned PC with the customer, we got word that we had stopped a very high-profile threat and the client was able to avoid a very potentially harmful threat to their cyber security.”

The Cleartech Group later found out that the insurance company received a call from the FBI that the insurer through was a phishing scam, only to be surprised that it was legitimately the FBI! Government officials called to tell them they were part of a group of organizations attacked by a major Russian hacking group. After a quick conversation with the Cleartech Group, the insurance company was able to assure the FBI that no information was compromised.

The EVP of the company commented, “The Cleartech Group protected us from a major cyberattack! We were shocked when we received a call from the FBI alerting us that a major Russian hacking group tried to break into our systems. The email protections and cybersecurity solutions blocked the attack and protected us from what would likely have been a ransomware or extortion attack.

The Cleartech Group’s managed IT services kept our business and customers safe from this nightmare scenario.” While the insurance company was thrilled with the Cleartech Group’s response, they wished to remain anonymous in this managed IT services case study to avoid provoking the attackers.

The Cleartech Group Difference: Business as Usual for This Managed IT Services Case Study Insurer

This managed IT services case study of one Massachusetts insurance company illustrates the importance of a robust cybersecurity solution. By entrusting its cybersecurity needs to the Cleartech Group’s Managed IT Services, this insurance company successfully protected its valuable assets from potentially devastating cyber threats. In an era where cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, an experienced managed IT services provider is essential to maintaining data security, regulatory compliance, and business integrity. Not only did they prevent the attack, but the insurance company also experienced zero downtime and continued operations as usual.

Contact us to learn more about how the Cleartech Group’s Managed IT Services can help your organization.