In defence operations, agility is crucial. The MoD (Ministry of Defence), which covers all defence organisations in the UK, needs adaptable IT solutions for evolving challenges within the industry - from cyber security enhancements and the integration of AI and IoT, to scalable supply chain support. Softcat understands this need and provides tailored solutions for the evolving requirements of defence organisations.
In line with our commitment to robust partnerships, Softcat will join cyber security partner Tanium at DPRTE, the UK’s leading defence procurement and supply chain event, on Wednesday 27 March. Recognising the paramount importance of security for our defence customers, we look forward to showcasing Taniums converged offerings in the market, which we believe could greatly benefit the organisations and attendees at DPRTE.
In this blog post we’ll explore the challenges faced by defence organisations, and how Softcat alongside Tanium can support.
What obstacles do defence organisations face?
Defence begins with visibility
The cyber attack surface has never been wider or more open, yet many organisations in the defence and aerospace industry are reactive rather than preventative when it comes to their security posture. This puts the entire supply chain at risk when incidents occur. Tanium is uniquely positioned to address these concerns for both clients and contractors. Its converged endpoint management tool XEM for example, is used by numerous defence departments as well as government agencies globally, and provides critical services from finance to power as well as education and healthcare. Many organisations use Tanium for one simple reason, visibility. Without visibility, you can’t protect your IT estate.
Are we playing a zero-sum game?
The defence and aerospace industries are a vital part of the UK economy and the backbone of Britain’s export market - but size and maturity are also their biggest weakness. Given the scale, reach and complexity of the incumbent organisations (especially Tier 1 suppliers), both sectors have become prime candidates for coordinated attacks from the outside and inadvertent data breaches from the inside.
The challenges of protecting the corporate IT estate are only growing as we see more technology assets in circulation, and a more widely dispersed workforce. But it’s not just security that’s at threat to these industries – it’s productivity too. Misconfigured devices, unpatched software and poor data health have two things in common: they disrupt workflows and they need time to fix. That’s why the twin concerns of security and productivity can feel, at times, like a zero-sum game.
“Cyber security is now firmly established as a boardroom issue. Our mission is to help businesses defend themselves, and no organisation can do this without knowing who it is defending against.”
Kevin Taylor, Managing Director, BAE Systems (Applied Intelligence)
What can defence organisations achieve with Softcat and Tanium?
Dynamic single threaded teams
The offering from Softcat and Tanium can help to create dynamic single threaded teams integrating your security, infrastructure, IT operations, compliance, and legal specialists. Ultimately this puts the power back in the hands of your team, helping to fight against an ever-evolving cyber threat and growing technology attack surface.
A single source of truth
Softcat, alongside Tanium can help to establish a trusted, single source of truth that you can send to your CMDB (configuration management database) or use to enrich other services and applications.
Accuracy
You’ll be able to take an accurate measure of your software bill of materials (SBOM) and the total cost of running your IT estate and calculate ROI metrics on all your technologies by reporting on asset utilisation and workflow productivity. Additionally, organisations will be able to understand the health of all assets, including how much memory its using or how many processes are running and fine cyber vulnerabilities and deliver automated patches or send tickets to ServiceNow.
Finally, the employee and customer experience can be improved by refreshing and taking care of your IT assets with help from Tanium and Softcat.
Want to find out more?
If you would like to find out more, visit Softcat and Tanium’s dedicated defence and government teams at Stand 57, at DPRTE on Wednesday 27 March.
Partnering with Softcat grants access to a wide range of cutting-edge IT products and services, addressing the MoD's diverse IT needs.
Thanks to a large ecosystem of vendors, Softcat can deliver timely support. Operating from ten UK offices, we offer local presence for regional customers and understand individual requirements.
We work closely with the MoD to understand its unique challenges, goals, and constraints with an aim of developing solutions that address its specific needs effectively. Whether it's strategic planning, solution design, or ongoing support, Softcat remains fully committed to fostering a collaborative partnership that drives innovation, and delivers tangible results.
If you would like to speak directly to Softcat's team of experts ranging from the Account Managers, Network and Security Specialist, and Advisory services to name a few, please get in touch via email: defenceteam@softcat.com.