CUSTOMER CASE STUDY NIKO

Niko automates cloudsecurity withSophos Cloud Optix
Niko started out in 1919 as a producer of switches, power outlets and relatedmaterials. From its headquarters in the Belgian town of Sint-Niklaas, thecompany is now a market leader in the field and has expanded its range toinclude access control, lighting control, energy management and smart homesolutions. Supplementing its advanced technology, the company has a strong
focus on sophisticated design, high-quality products and an environmentallyfriendly production process – a strategy that has brought innovation andgrowth. The Niko group currently has nearly 750 employees across various
branch locations, with a presence in Denmark, Germany, France, theNetherlands, Slovakia and Switzerland.

CUSTOMER-AT-A-GLANCE
NikoIndustry
Services
Websitewww.niko.eu

Number of employees
750Sophos Solutions
COPX

CUSTOMER CASE STUDY NIKO

“We determine the added value of tools basedon actual, day-to-day practice. That’s why we
do not bother with a proof of concept in a test
environment, so we can avoid having tools
respond differently in production. By testing thesolution directly in the production environment,
Innovation is at the heart of business operations at
Niko. In their drive to improve how buildings workfor people, their experts developed cutting-edge
solutions that make buildings smarter. Technology,
design and user convenience go hand in hand. The
product range includes smart switches and lighting
sensors, access control and energy management
solutions, and a complete Home Control system.
The aim is always to ensure seamless integrationof solutions and create an ideal indoor climate forhomes and businesses, in buildings that are readyfor the future. The business processes and R&D
activities require Niko’s IT landscape to be clearlystructured, controllable and secure, both onpremises and in the cloud.

Moving to the cloud

Risks assessed automatically“We support our business operations and R&D
with an on-premises environment comprising 250
servers. In recent years, we have also been moving
to the cloud in order to improve our flexibility
and reduce costs,” says Jan Van Moere, Network& Security Engineer at Niko and responsible for
the Belgian company’s infrastructure, networkand cybersecurity. “We are currently running 150
servers in the cloud, divided between AWS andMicrosoft Azure. Based on our history, we have asolid overview and a firm grasp on our on-premises
environment. This is less applicable to our resourcesin the cloud. It’s a real advantage that people fromdifferent departments can independently arrange
cloud capacity and start working. But this does leadto a bit less supervision and reduced visibility ofthese cloud activities.”

Sophos Partner SWITCHPOINT has been supporting
Niko for years in security for its IT landscape. The
two partners regularly sit down to discuss market
developments and how to adapt Niko’s security
in response. The topic of visibility and security
in relation to cloud activities was raised during a
discussion on security analytics & intelligence. “Weended up discussing security solutions that not only
provide insight into cloud activities but also assessvulnerabilities and risks. SWITCHPOINT indicated thatSophos Cloud Optix not only visualises activities in
the cloud but can also provide automated security.”
Although Niko was definitely intrigued by theopportunities that Sophos Cloud Optix could offer,the company takes an extremely critical approachto validating new tools. Van Moere explains, “Wedetermine the added value of tools based on actual,CUSTOMER CASE STUDY NIKO

day-to-day practice. That’s why we do not botherwith a proof of concept in a test environment, so
we can avoid having tools respond differently inproduction. By testing the solution directly in theproduction environment, we can see what a productcan truly offer for our environment and what added
value it can bring.”

Fast installation andconfiguration
Working with SWITCHPOINT, Niko started rolling out
Cloud Optix for their AWS cloud and Azure cloud.
One major advantage is that the installation andconfiguration processes were very simple. That
was also aligned with Niko’s preferences, Van Moerestates. “Configuration only took a few hours, andthen the dashboard quickly presented valuable

information about how our clouds function. The
dashboard offers a comprehensive visualisation of
our activities at both cloud providers. This overview
is useful, since it gives us a good idea of theresources we are purchasing and how we are usingthem. That helps us to optimise costs.” But that’s
essentially just a nice extra, Van Moere adds.

“The main priority is that wehave insight into the security
measures in the cloud andhow they are applied inpractice.”

Automatic detection
Sophos Cloud Optix also analyses the predefinedpolicies using machine learning. “Deviations
in behaviour or configurations are detected
automatically. If certain access activities on a server
are unusual, for instance. Let’s say that a systemadministrator is running an activity in the AWS cloudand has outsourced part of that to someone in adifferent country. When that person logs in, thataccess is flagged. That makes it easy for us to checkthe activity and proactively prevent risks as needed.”
Access rights are also monitored closely andassessed based on current policies. “For example,
the dashboard shows us which users have accessbased on a one-step password without multi-factor
authentication. Or if users have multiple access codes.
Once that is revealed, we can take immediate action inresponse.”

CUSTOMER CASE STUDY NIKO

Focus on innovation andgrowth
By deploying Sophos Cloud Optix, Niko can benefit
optimally from the flexibility and scalability of thecloud without making concessions on security. Van
Moere concludes, “Our employees can use AWS
and Microsoft Azure cloud resources flexibly andsafely. We always have a comprehensive overviewof the activities. And we only have to monitor theflagged deviations in our dashboard in order tosafeguard the current level of security. With Sophos
Cloud Optix, our security is always up-to-date andguaranteed. This allows us to focus all our energy
and attention on continued innovation and growthin our organisation.”

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