Respected Financial Institution Readied for Secure, Efficient Transition to Windows 10
Objective
A locally managed bank needed to transition to the latest version of Microsoft Windows to better secure its organization.
Solution at a Glance
Deployment of Microsoft Windows 10
Challenge
The client in this case study is one of Delaware’s oldest locally-managed banks. For almost two centuries, the organization has provided banking and wealth management services to both individual and corporate clients.
Security has become a chief concern for organizations regardless of industry, however, it’s of particular prominence in the financial services field. These organizations make tempting targets for cyber criminals in search of a big payday, necessitating an even greater effort from IT professionals tasked with keeping networks and data secure. This inherent need for increased security led this financial institution to begin exploring Windows 10.
Microsoft’s latest operating system has been touted by many as its most secure ever. This reputation is due in part to the security capabilities native to Windows 10, features such as Credential Guard, which isolates and secures user and system credentials and Device Guard, which works to keep malware from gaining a foothold in a network. The combined might of these and other features have helped organizations keep users safe in an increasingly high-risk business climate.
The financial institution already had Windows 10 desktop images in its production environment, however this deployment was not widespread. The organization wanted to evaluate these existing images for security and stability. In addition, it also wanted an outsider’s eye on its delivery method to ensure it was acting in the most logical and efficient way possible. Arraya Solutions was selected to perform each of these functions and to use our experience with Windows 10 to suggest possible risks as well as improvements.
Security has become a concern, especially for those within the financial services industry. This client was seeking a partner to provide an outsider’s perspective on its delivery methodology to ensure they were acting in the most logical and efficient manner possible.
Solution
Arraya Solutions leveraged our proven Windows 10 lifecycle management methodology to analyze and sure up the customer’s existing images as well as its approach to deployment. This began with a discovery phase. Our team worked closely with the customer’s group to gain further insight into the motivations behind its interest in Windows 10. Arraya also analyzed WSFS’s existing hardware and software, cross-checking it against the recommended Windows 10 specifications laid out by Microsoft. Doing so ensures any discrepancies are addressed and that Windows 10 has a solid, secure foundation within the environment.
Next, Arraya dug in to the mission critical applications the members of the financial institution’s team use as part of their day-to-day routines. Of particular interest were apps built either in-house or with the help of a third party as these may not have been compatible with Windows 10. Once any such issues were reconciled, using a combination of short term fixes and long term remediation, Arraya moved on to the next step knowing business could carry on as usual at the organization following its Windows 10 migration. Overall, while their existing methodology and images were solid, Arraya did uncover areas that could be strengthened and streamlined.
The last piece of this process was customizing images and a deployment model uniquely crafted for this client. Arraya’s team used SCCM to build a refresh-styled deployment so the client could use the same strategy repeatedly for deploying systems whether they were new or already deployed. Arraya also automated the process of including certain, industry-specific apps in the deployment, saving the customer a substantial amount of time and effort in the long run. These same apps were integrated in a way that would allow them to deploy specific configurations based on an employee’s department and location.
Arraya used its proven lifecycle management methodology to implement Windows 10, providing a solid, secure foundation within this client’s environment.
Results
Arraya’s Windows 10 methodology can begin or end at any of the above steps – or it can go even further. Arraya’s team can also assist with pilots, migration, and long term support. However, in this case, Arraya’s mission ended at leaving the financial institution with a workable Windows 10 instance ready for pilot testing. As a result of this project and Arraya’s assistance, the client’s onsite IT team is now positioned to take that base and use it to launch a successful, efficient, and most importantly, a secure migration to Windows 10.
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This client now has a workable Windows 10 instance, ready for the client’s onsite IT team to launch.