Case study

Multi-layer protection
against unknown threats
Lomma Municipality strengthens its defense against ZeroDay-attacks and harmful content with WithSecureTM
Elements Collaboration Protection

CustomerLomma Municipality

Country
SwedenIndustry
Public sector

Solutions
WithSecure™ Elements Collaboration Protection

Case Study | Multi-layer protection against unknown threats for Lomma Municipality

Lomma Municipality, located on the southern coast of Sweden with 1700 employees, has large
amounts of personal data to handle. Their heavy email flows via Microsoft 365 platform wereletting malicious content through. Recovering from incidents took its toll on their IT department.
Another layer of protection was needed – and they found it in the cloud native solution from longtime cyber security partner WithSecureTM.

The Zero Day attack: a wakeup callOver the past 11 years. Lomma Municipality has used various
client protection solutions from WithSecureTM to protect
the municipality against various types of cyber-attacks. To
strengthen their defenses against targeted cyber threats,something traditional anti-virus solutions simply can’t do,
Lomma Municipality deployed WithSecure's Rapid Detection & Response solution, which uses automated sensors
and machine learning to analyze users and alert them about
deviant behavior patterns.
Before deploying WithSecure’s RDR solution, Lomma Municipality was subjected to a Zero Day attack. Municipal employees clicked on a link contained in an email, not realizing thatthe link carried malicious code. The malicious code spreadthroughout the IT-system by exploiting unknown vulnerabilities in the municipality's software. The breach was not detected by the municipality's existing client protection at the timeand caused significant damage, a costly and time-consuming
affair to recover from.
In light of this, the municipality, led by IT and service manager
Patrik Flensburg, decided to further strengthen its defenses– especially against Zero Day attacks, which have become
increasingly common in recent years. These attacks can result
in sensitive and valuable data ending up in the wrong hands, if
the intrusion is not detected and mitigated at an early stage. In
addition they can require time consuming and costly management and restoration afterwards.
These were the main challenges for the municipality:• A heavy email workload of 1700 employees• Large amounts of crucial personal data
• An increased number of Zero Day attacks• Malicious content getting through the built-in protection ofMicrosoft 365“ We realized that we needed to add new layers
of protection to our existing client protection
as hackers constantly develop their attackmethods.”
Patrik Flensburg, IT and Service Manager2

Case Study | Multi-layer protection against unknown threats for Lomma Municipality“ Having a solution that can easily control allincoming emails is extremely important. Not
least considering the statistics that show 94
percent of all malware spreads that way.”
Patrik Flensburg, IT and Service Manager“ Knowing that our system controls all
emails before they are let through meansthat I can now sleep well at night.”
Patrik Flensburg, IT and Service Manager

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3

The search for an effortless
cloud-based solution

Time and money saved –no more malicious content

Lomma Municipality needed to strengthen its protection,with a solution that would be easy to manage in the cloud.
After testing several different solutions, they chose WithSecure's new cloud-based and future-ready solution WithSecure Elements for Collaboration Protection. It strengthens themunicipality's defense against Zero Day attacks as well as its’
Collaboration Protection, as the built-in protection in Collaboration Protection does not safeguard all the properties thatusers populate it with.

In the first two months since the system was deployed, itscanned four million emails, of which 51 objects and 104 web
addresses were identified as malicious and flagged. The systemselected 626 events, such as emails, calendar invitations,contacts, Outlook groups, etc. and placed them in the sandbox
environment to be tested during these first two months.

WithSecureTM Elements Collaboration Protection automatically controls the content of all emails and links sent to themunicipal employees' email addresses and flags them for any
anomalies that break the pattern. Every part of the email isscanned, and the system responds immediately. If it detects
a file with a malicious behavior it places that file in a sandbox
environment - a virtual environment where suspicious objects
are quarantined and executed, to determine how they behave
and whether they are malicious or should be allowed to passthrough. The system also detects and responds to emails withpossible phishing behaviors, as well as ransomware threats.
“When WithSecureTM Elements for Collaboration Protection
was launched, we felt, after testing the solution, that it was
an affordable, comprehensive and user-friendly product thatsuited our needs very well”, says Patrik Flensburg.

“This new solution has clearly increased the efficiency of ourwork which has saved us both time and money. Before, wesometimes had to spend time dealing with the harmful effects
and restoration after malicious emails, such as phishing or
ransomware emails, had been opened, “ Patrik describes andcontinues: “We now have a complete solution that guarantees
that no malicious emails enter the system.”
Key benefits for Lomma Municipality:• Time and money saved• Comprehensive and easy to manage cloudnative solution• Automated discovery of previously unseen threats such as
phishing emails, ransomware content and Zero Day attacks• Faster response to emerging threatsWho We Are
WithSecureTM is cyber security’s reliable partner. IT service providers,MSSPs and businesses along with the largest financial institutions,manufacturers, and thousands of the world’s most advanced
communications and technology providers trust us for outcome-based
cyber security that protects and enables their operations. Our AIdriven protection secures endpoints and cloud collaboration, and ourintelligent detection & response is powered by experts who identify
business risks by proactively hunting for threats and confronting liveattacks. Our consultants partner with enterprises and tech challengers
to build resilience through evidence-based security advice. With morethan 30 years of experience in building technology that meets businessobjectives, we’ve built our portfolio to grow with our partners throughflexible commercial models.
WithSecureTM is part of F-Secure™ Corporation, founded in 1988, andlisted on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.