Safeguarding PPWM with Data Protection and Cybersecurity Services

Client Overview: Premium Wholesale Meats (PWM), is a leading wholesale meat supplier based in Welwyn Garden City. A family run business since 1986, the company offers a daily processing and delivery service across the UK and prides itself on the reputation it has built over the years.

PWM initially engaged ITbuilder in 2020 to carry out an infrastructure upgrade to its server equipment to coincide with the migration to a new Enterprise Business Platform.

Following the success of this project, PWM has since expanded the partnership, contracting ITbuilder to deliver a managed perimeter firewall solution and comprehensive cybersecurity services to further enhance their business security posture.

Challenge (2020): In 2020, PWM’s IT Manager sought a local business technology partner to design and implement a resilient server architecture for their newly upgraded enterprise management and weighing-scale server infrastructure. The key requirements for this project included:

• A  highly resilient server architecture  for business continuity.
• Low-latency replication of server workloads to standby servers in geographically separated facilities.
• Backup storage  with a daily snapshot retention policy to secure data at a granular level.
• Secure, immutable offsite copies of backups to a third-party location for enhanced data protection.

PWM needed a solution that would minimise data loss (low RPO) and ensure rapid recovery times (low RTO), ensuring seamless operations in case of a failure.

Solution by ITbuilder (2020): ITbuilder delivered a tailored solution combining:

• Server Virtualisation Infrastructure  for efficient and flexible server management
• Data Backup & Replication Strategy  to provide robust data protection and seamless replication.

Key features of the solution included:

• Inter-site replication: Low-latency replication of PWM’s critical server workloads across two separate facilities ensured that PWM could quickly switch to standby servers in the event of a failure, minimising downtime.
• Backup storage with daily snapshots: ITbuilder configured a backup system with a retention window that captured daily server images, allowing PWM to recover individual files or entire systems if necessary to a given restore point in time.
• Offsite backup protection: Secure, immutable copies of backup images were sent to a third-party offsite location, providing additional protection against data loss or disaster events.

Outcome (2020):

• Low RPO and RTO: The inter-site replication to identical server hardware provided PWM with minimal data loss and fast recovery times.
• Resilience and security: With daily backup snapshots and offsite replication, PWM’s critical data was protected against hardware failures, data corruption, and cyberattacks.
• Business continuity: The solution ensured that PWM could maintain uninterrupted operations, even in the event of a failure.

Expanded Partnership (2023): Recognising the effectiveness of ITbuilder’s data protection services, PWM continued their collaboration with ITbuilder to address growing cybersecurity concerns. In 2023, PWM contracted ITbuilder to implement a managed perimeter firewall solution and provide ongoing cybersecurity services to strengthen their security posture.

The new services include:

• Managed perimeter firewall: ITbuilder deployed a next-generation firewall solution to protect PWM’s network from external threats, ensuring constant monitoring and proactive threat detection.
• Cybersecurity services: ITbuilder now manages PWM’s cybersecurity defences, including intrusion detection, malware protection, and vulnerability management, to prevent unauthorised access and safeguard sensitive business data.

Benefits of the Enhanced Security Solution:

• Stronger defence against cyber threats: PWM’s network is now fortified against malicious attacks, ensuring a proactive defence strategy and minimizing risk.
• Comprehensive protection: ITbuilder’s managed services provide continuous monitoring and swift response to emerging threats, helping PWM stay ahead of evolving cybersecurity challenges.
• Improved business security posture: PWM can now operate with increased confidence, knowing that their data and network are protected against both physical and digital threats.

Conclusion: Since the original project in 2020, ITbuilder has continued to be a trusted partner for Premium Wholesale Meats, evolving from data protection solutions to comprehensive cybersecurity services. By leveraging ITbuilder’s expertise in server architecture, data backup, and now perimeter defence, PWM has built a resilient IT infrastructure and a secure business environment, ensuring both continuity and protection in an ever-changing digital landscape.

IT Manager, DC, offered the following comment:

“I have always prided myself on the reliability of IT infrastructure. It has served the business well over the years, however as the business has grown and become a round-the-clock operation, I knew I’d need some extra help when we came to upgrade our ERP system.

ITbuilder provided a resilient server platform to the spec demanded by the software vendors, and then wrapped that with a managed disaster recovery service. It gave me and the business a lot of peace of mind and we have further expanded that work across our network, to ensure our systems are as resilient as possible.

Having a co-managed arrangement is ideal for me, as I know the system are in good hands if I am not available for any reason.”

*The identifies in this case study have been anonymised for this web edition for security reasons. A full edition including references are available on request.