Mining the cloud for security

1 July 2013 Information Security

A specialist in outsourced operation and maintenance of minerals and metals processing plants, Minopex boasts a workforce of more than 2000 employees working in a number of different locations. It has operations in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique and Tanzania and, together with its sister company, DRA, offers clients a one-stop shop for processing requirements.

The widely distributed network of employees working with a wide variety of devices presented Shape Technology Management with a number of unique business challenges.

Prior to the installation of the Panda Cloud Systems Management (PCSM) solution, all software, hardware and site audits were manually managed by Shape Technology Management on behalf of Minopex. Audits were time-consuming, taking four to five months to complete, as well as laborious.

Phillip Abrie, Shape’s ICT manager, had to collect information from each machine (more than 500 in total as well as 150 laptop users) in a variety of different locations. This incurred additional travelling expenses and cost employees in terms of downtime. In addition, a number of inexpensive management applications had resulted in fragmentation of data, which in turn had created inefficiencies within the system. Maintenance of the system was time-consuming and inefficient.

As a long-standing Panda Security partner, Shape turned to Panda for a solution. “Panda Cloud Systems Management provides a valuable addition to the security solution,” asserts Abrie. Accessible through the Panda Cloud Partner Centre, a one-stop console enabling management and security of each client’s IT infrastructure, it offered Shape the ideal tool for managing its customer.

With PCSM, Shape is able to perform audits, make diagnoses and resolve incidents wherever they are and whenever they occur and in a non-intrusive manner, thus permitting Minopex to focus on its business.

“Thanks to the installation of PCSM, maintenance of the system is now minimal. PCSM is everything we wanted and needed, with one of the real attractions being that we are able to customise as we go.”

PCSM offers users an easy and affordable way to centrally manage, monitor and support all of an organisation’s devices from a single console. The evolution of remote management and monitoring (RMM) solutions towards centralised and unified platforms has created a simpler, more efficient way to manage devices. The integration of advanced tools (such as monitoring, scripts and patch management, etc) has resulted in a higher quality of service.

Benefits of Panda Cloud Partner Centre

* Centralised monitoring: Shape is able to manage Minopex’s IT resources proactively from a single Web-based console, reducing costs and improving efficiencies.

* Ease of management: Management is simple and 100% cloud-hosted so no additional on-site infrastructure is required. Automation of tasks eases IT load.

* Remote control: PCSM’s ability to manage a large number of devices remotely all from a single console, obviates the need to deal with individual workstations.

* Affordability: PCSM is an easy-to-use, affordable tool. Software is constantly updated and extended and the communication agent is light.

* Inventory: PCSM allows users to know what they have at a glance.

* Reporting: Work can be evaluated regularly. It is possible to show who did what, with which device, and for how long, etc.

For more information contact Panda Security, +27 (0)21 683 3899, [email protected]





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Highest increase in global cyberattacks in two years
Information Security News & Events
Check Point Global Research released new data on Q2 2024 cyber-attack trends, noting a 30% global increase in Q2 2024, with Africa experiencing the highest average weekly per organisation.

Read more...
The rise of AI-powered cybercrime and defence
Information Security News & Events AI & Data Analytics
Check Point Software Technologies launched its inaugural AI Security Report, offering an in-depth exploration of how cybercriminals are weaponising artificial intelligence (AI), alongside strategic insights defenders need to stay ahead.

Read more...
The deepfake crisis is here and now
Information Security Training & Education
Deepfakes are a growing cybersecurity threat that blur the line between reality and fiction. These AI-generated synthetic media have evolved from technological curiosities to sophisticated weapons of digital deception, costing companies upwards of $600 000 each.

Read more...
What does Agentic AI mean for cybersecurity?
Information Security AI & Data Analytics
AI agents will change how we work by scheduling meetings on our behalf and even managing supply chain items. However, without adequate protection, they become soft targets for criminals.

Read more...
Phishing attacks through SVG image files
Kaspersky News & Events Information Security
Kaspersky has detected a new trend: attackers are distributing phishing emails to individual and corporate users with attachments in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files, a format commonly used for storing images.

Read more...
Crypto in SA: between progress and precaution
Information Security
“As cryptocurrency gains momentum and legitimacy, it’s becoming increasingly important for people to pay attention to financial security”, says Richard Frost, head of technology and innovation at Armata Cyber Security.

Read more...
Cyber recovery requires a different approach to disaster recovery
Information Security
Disaster recovery is about getting operations back on track after unexpected disruptions; cyber recovery, however, is about calculated actions by bad actors aiming to disrupt your business, steal sensitive data, or hold your system hostage.

Read more...
MDR users claim 97,5% less
Sophos Information Security
The average cyber insurance claim following a significant cyberattack is just $75 000 for MDR users, compared with $3 million for endpoint-only users, according to a new independent study.

Read more...
The impact of GenAI on cybersecurity
Sophos News & Events Information Security
Sophos survey finds that 89% of IT leaders worry GenAI flaws could negatively impact their organisation’s cybersecurity strategies, with 87% of respondents stating they were concerned about a resulting lack of cybersecurity accountability.

Read more...
Efficient, future-proof estate security and management
Technews Publishing ElementC Solutions Duxbury Networking Fang Fences & Guards Secutel Technologies OneSpace Technologies DeepAlert SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Information Security Security Services & Risk Management Residential Estate (Industry) AI & Data Analytics IoT & Automation
In February this year, SMART Security Solutions travelled to Cape Town to experience the unbelievable experience of a city where potholes are fixed, and traffic lights work; and to host the Cape Town SMART Estate Security Conference 2025.

Read more...