How lifecell Leverages The Picus Complete Security Validation Platform to Safeguard Ukraine's Telecommunications Landscape

Intro

lifecell, a leading Ukrainian telecom operator, strengthens security measures amid escalating threats during the country's war

lifecell, a leading Ukrainian telecommunications operator, is committed to delivering exceptional services to its customers. Recognizing the importance of information security and the escalating threat landscape in the wake of war in the country, the company  embarked on a mission to enhance its security measures. 

With over 8 million people relying on lifecell's services, the potential consequences of a cyberattack could be substantial, impacting its ability to provide uninterrupted services. As a result, lifecell wanted to ensure it was able to  protect the sensitive data entrusted to them and sought a solution that would fortify their security posture. 

This case study showcases how lifecell overcame these challenges by leveraging The Picus Complete Security Validation Platform to measure and validate the effectiveness of its security controls against the latest cyber threats.

The Challenges

Safeguarding a Distributed Workforce Amidst War and Employee Relocations

lifecell faced a unique set of challenges due to the critical situation prevailing in Ukraine. Due to the war situation, the company experienced a significant increase in attacks and other malicious activities. Furthermore, the circumstances forced many employees to relocate abroad, resulting in a drastically changed landscape for lifecell. As a result, protecting its distributed workforce became a critical priority. 

With a reduced team size and the evolving security landscape, lifecell sought a solution to help reduce the effort required to validate and  optimize the effectiveness of its existing security controls  They also aimed to be more proactive by identifying and mitigating threats as early as possible. 

Stanislav Klevtsov
Information Security Engineer | lifecell

"In a challenging environment with a war situation and employee relocations, protecting our internal workforce became critical. Picus Security provided the solution to optimize our workload and address increased security risks effectively."

The Solutions

Picus Platform Revolutionizes Lifecell's Security Operations, Empowering Proactive Defense Against Real-World Cyber Threats

In response to their multifaceted challenges and the critical situation in Ukraine, lifecell actively sought a security validation solution that would provide it with the real-time insights it needed to keep its network security controls optimized and minimize the manual effort required to do so. Recognizing the need to shift from reactive to proactive security measures, lifecell chose The Picus Platform as their ideal solution.

"We recognized the demand for a solution that would enable us to proactively manage our security operations and optimize our workload. The Picus Platform emerged as an ideal choice, offering the capabilities we needed to address our security challenges effectively."

Implementing The Picus Platform introduced a new dimension to lifecell's security expertise. Previously reliant on reactive security controls, lifecell could now take a proactive stance. By simulating thousands of real-world cyber threats, The Picus Platform enables the company’s security team to quickly test its firewalls, web application firewalls and endpoint security controls against the latest threats. 

"Thanks to the Picus Platform, we do not wait for something to happen. We are proactive and can check beforehand to ensure threats are not affecting us." 

The automation capabilities of the Picus Platform have significantly reduced the time it takes to perform security validation. By automating security tasks, lifecell reduced its dependency on manual processes. 

"The Picus Platform has helped us optimize our workload by automating security tasks, allowing our team to concentrate on more strategic security endeavors." 

Another valuable aspect of The Picus Platform is its ability to identify security control gaps not currently supported by vendors.  In such cases, it is able to raise requests with individual vendors to ensure that any missing mitigating signatures are promptly released. 

"One of the web application attacks provided by Picus triggered the failover of our web application firewall. Thanks to Picus tests, we found it out and we were able to contact the vendor and provide them with the necessary information about this threat."