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Structuring the IT landscape to be both secure and economical: SerNet GmbH is the right partner for this. For over 25 years, the company has been a service provider for information security for customers in the region, in Germany and worldwide.
This text first appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of faktor.
At SerNet, the two team leaders Krischan Jodies and Christian Börker ensure for the technical and sales level that the portfolio around IT security, data protection, virtualization and much more is state of the art, while at the same time taking into account security and audits that have to be managed regularly.
In recent years, vulnerabilities, hacker attacks and data leaks have led to a major exposure of the topic of IT security . Did the awareness increase for it also in the operational everyday life?
Christian Börker: IT security has gained a different status, that's always noticeable in customer discussions: basic knowledge is present everywhere today. For the details and expert knowledge, we come into play. With us, customers can rely on being not only technologically top positioned, but also secure.
Krischan Jodies: I can confirm that - the topic of security has caught on with customers. We no longer have to do the same persuasion work as before. We are now approached by people who already know that they need to be active in terms of IT security. Together, we then figure out how it makes sense for the company.
How have customer requirements and wishes changed?
Börker: More and more parts of the customer infrastructure are moving to the cloud. Many customers are also driven by the fact that the functionality of their software solutions and their interfaces needs to be maintained. One of our challenges is to accompany them on this journey, making it clear why secure processes play such a major role, even or especially in the cloud.
Jodies: By switching from servers in their own data center to software-as-a-service offerings, our customers can save on operating their own data centers. However, there is an enticement to let security aspects fall by the wayside with these offers. How do I connect my endpoints to cloud services without sacrificing firewall protection? How do I secure my data? It is easy to overlook, for example, when a cloud provider writes in the fine print that the customer has to take care of a backup himself. We see time and again that customers "just put" a server in a cloud network. Whereas in a customer's own data center, protecting the server would be a matter of course to protect the server with a firewall - but this is simply forgotten in the cloud variant. Customers are often surprised to learn that firewalls are also available for cloud servers and are, of course, mandatory if the server is not to become an open barn door.
Börker: There are also many innovations in classic endpoint security, i.e. the protection of end devices. You can say: the classic antivirus scanner is dead and is being replaced by new technologies, which are precisely at the heart of the SerNet area of expertise.
Jodies: A change is currently taking place in endpoint security, as we have also seen with the switch to next-generation firewalls. Where once they only looked for already known viruses, today's technologies can also detect unknown threats. Firewall and endpoint security products collect telemetry data together, set traps for the attacker, and apply artificial intelligence. So the familiar cat-and-mouse game between attackers and defenders goes on and on.
What makes working with SerNet different?
Jodies: In all IT projects, we always keep in mind that the solutions must be secure if they are not to blow up in your face sooner or later. IT projects usually take place under time pressure. So it's an advantage if one of the parties involved wears safety glasses. Humorously, one customer wrote in an email: "We first have to see if we can get this measure through at SerNet." That describes our role nicely. Yes, it's annoying when we always remind people that a seat belt must also be installed in the car. But at the end of the day, our customers are happy that we're paying close attention.
In addition, the customer does not end up in an anonymous call center with us, but has usually known his contact person for years. Our customers value our vendor-independent consulting and the security expertise we bring to projects.
Börker: We at SerNet are really thorough and very good at being technologically up-to-date. At the same time, we are also conservative with a healthy measure.
