Case study by Alex Clonaris - IT Manager, Wotton + Kearney
Our Background
Wotton + Kearney is a specialist insurance and dispute resolution law firm with over 140 lawyers working across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth in Australia and Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, because of our dedication to insurance, we are the law firm of choice for some of the largest insurers, brokers and industry participants in the region. As a result of what we do and who we are, data security is incredibly important to Wotton + Kearney.
The Goal
We conduct regular external and internal Penetration Testing, but we’re always looking for new strategies to enhance the infrastructure and security of our workplace.
Prior to engaging The Missing Link, we had worked with a number of IT security firms on a project basis. However, as a small internal team performing such a critical role, we felt the need to develop an ongoing partnership with a supplier that understands our firm and the sector we work in – one that can provide a proactive service to ensure we maintain a robust security posture.
The Selection
I approached The Missing Link because I’d had a positive experience with them when working at another legal firm. For purposes of due diligence, I also approached another security vendor. We received quotes from both however, The Missing Link quickly and accurately scoped our project which gave me great confidence in their capability. Based on this, my previous experience, and importantly, recommendations from colleagues in the sector, we were keen to move forward with them.
Our initial project was a network Penetration Test, but since then we’ve worked with The Missing Link to implement Zscaler Private Access and more recently to develop a Security Awareness and Training platform which, we will roll out across the organisation.
Implementation of Zscaler Private Access for our agile lawyer pilot program really demonstrated The Missing Link’s expertise and capability. Our account manager, managed the vendor relationship and was pivotal in setting up a viable proof of concept. Had we liaised directly with the vendor, the process would have been much more expensive.
Zscaler has been transformative for our lawyers piloting our agile working program because it makes it so fast and efficient to securely access our internal network from mobile devices while they’re travelling or at home. The lawyers enjoy using it, because they find it so easy to use and they can work when they want and where they want, with the confidence they are secure.
Our Relationship
It has been a pleasure to work with The Missing Link. The partnership is easy-going – they understand the legal market because they work for other legal firms and the banking sector, so they know our pain points. They’re also very easy to communicate with.
The Missing Link regularly contributes to IT forums and seminars, so they’re abreast of what’s happening in the market in terms of data security and infrastructure and importantly, what’s happening in the legal sector – and they’re happy to share their knowledge with us.
The way they work with vendors has also been impressive. I believe they are transparent when it comes to describing their vendor relationships and vendor partner costs and that they really work hard to keep vendors honest – it’s evident in their approach and their pricing.
Having completed penetration testing, implemented Zscaler Private Access and developed the security awareness and training platform, I’m confident that The Missing Link will be a great partner for Wotton + Kearney going forward. We’re now working with an organisation that is best in the breed, and with a great account manager who is willing to go above and beyond.
