CASE STUDY:
A cloud migration modernizes cybersecurity infrastructure for an investment advisory firm
Miles IT works with an investment advisory firm to migrate their business systems to the cloud while also improving their cybersecurity and client data protection.
THE CLIENT
A financial advisory firm
The client is a Philadelphia-based, independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with clients located throughout the US and internationally.
THE CHALLENGE
Cybersecurity threats in the financial sector
As with many organizations in the financial sector, the firm faces increasing pressure to ensure the safety and privacy of their client data. They needed to solve how to effectively maintain a high level of cybersecurity while continuing their high level of dedication to clients’ needs.
THE STRATEGY
Overcoming cybersecurity in the Cloud
Hosting their systems on an outdated local server was compromising the security of the financial firm’s client data. With this in mind, they wanted to get their cybersecurity up to spec while decreasing the need to dedicate attention towards cyber threats and the ever-changing compliance requirements for financial technology.
Planning the next steps
The firm consulted with Miles IT and chose to pursue a gradual migration of in-house technology to the cloud. Cloud providers would be selected based on fulfilling both technical and functionality needs of the firm.
Automating System Updates
Using cloud services means the provider will keep their system up-to-date and secure. This essentially shifts the ownership of compliance from the firm to those providers and allows them to focus their time elsewhere.
THE SOLUTION
Moving from an in-house solution to the cloud
The first step was to migrate all core investment applications. This included moving the firm’s hosted solution that housed the core wealth management and accounting functionalities needed for their business.
Once the core migration was complete, all common desktop productivity and messaging applications followed. This shift was made by moving to Microsoft Office 365 and Azure which offer extensive options for hosting, making it ideal for the firm’s needs.
Miles IT helped the financial firm mitigate the risk of migration by providing a proof of concept of the Microsoft platform. This allowed the firm to test functionality and determine the most appropriate set of solutions.
THE RESULTS
Highly available systems and a secure infrastructure
The firm now relies on its cloud-hosting providers to maintain the security and availability of the technology infrastructure. This has resulted in the following:
Secured Computing Environment
The firm’s new cloud solutions help to keep their client data more secure and and software systems up-to-date.
Predictable Technology Budget
The financial firm no longer has to worry about unplanned fees for system maintenance and business technology updates.
Highly Available Systems
The firm’s systems and client data are now all securely stored and run from the cloud, accessible from anywhere.
The increased functionality and reduced management overhead of the technology allows the advisory firm to concentrate more closely on their clients’ financial well-being.
Keeping up with cybersecurity compliance standards
Cybersecurity is constantly evolving. With the Miles Assurance Plan, we continue working with our customers to ensure they remain compliant and secure. This involves continued research and development on the latest cybersecurity technologies and recurring gap analyses to keep systems in check. Any security or compliance policy is a living process that needs to be continually evaluated. As policies evolve, we adapt your technologies so you can always focus on what matters most: your business.