About
A financial company with a strong commitment to digital banking, it has led the way in offering digital services that complement its branch network. With a focus on innovation, nearly all of its transactions are now conducted through digital channels, including mobile banking, internet banking, corporate banking systems (CBS), and ATMs. The organization strives to provide seamless digital banking experiences for both individuals and businesses.
The Challenges
The digital transformation journey of this organization accelerated in 2021 with the launch of its Bank app, a strategic initiative in partnership with one of Financial Corporation. This venture presented several key challenges that needed to be overcome to achieve its digital ambitions effectively.
“We identified the need to reinforce three crucial pillars: people – by promoting security awareness; processes – by updating internal policies; and technology – by investing in advanced cybersecurity and scalable cloud solutions” said the Head of IT Governance, Risk, Infosec, and Architecture.
As digital readiness progressed, the organization recognized the importance of robust cybersecurity to protect sensitive customer data. Additionally, by 2022, cloud technology was identified as essential for supporting a flexible and scalable security framework, offering more efficient deployment compared to traditional hardware.
CDT Proposed Solutions
Having previously worked with CDT, the organization implemented AWS solutions that aligned with its vision for a digitally resilient infrastructure. CDT addressed the challenges with a suite of AWS solutions designed to enhance security, scalability, and operational efficiency.
A key component of the solution was the deployment of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) for corporate applications, offering strong protection against the risk of a malicious actor discovering vulnerable applications, filtering out viewers trying to hide their identity, blocking sources associated with bots or other threats, and providing protection against exploitation of a wide range of vulnerabilities. These rules effectively mitigated risks associated with threats identified in the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10, ensuring that the application environment was successfully protected from cyberattacks.
Regarding protection against unauthorized access, CDT implemented AWS IAM Identity Center for centralized access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data and resources across AWS environments.
CDT also implemented Amazon GuardDuty, a threat detection service that continuously monitors the AWS environment for suspicious activity. Leveraging machine learning, anomaly detection, and malware analysis, GuardDuty has ensured a secure, resilient digital environment.
To further strengthen governance, CDT deployed AWS Security Hub, providing a centralized platform to manage the AWS environment with detective controls. This setup enabled monitoring of compliance and security across its multi-account structure, supporting secure, compliant growth on AWS.
Results and Benefits
The partnership with CDT and the deployment of AWS solutions delivered transformative outcomes. The IT team gained enhanced cybersecurity knowledge, enabling them to maintain a more secure digital environment confidently.
The shift to AWS infrastructure also accelerated application development timelines by approximately 50%, allowing the organization to launch new services and features faster and respond more effectively to customer demand. “Previously, developing an application with conventional, on-premises methods could take up to six months. With AWS, we’ve reduced development time to just two to three months,” explained the IT department head.
Furthermore, CDT’s initial security assessments and ongoing AWS setup helped the organization meet stringent cybersecurity standards, further enhancing resilience. Through this digital transformation, the company has strengthened its position in the competitive banking sector, delivering secure, agile, and innovative banking services with enhanced digital capabilities.
