Incident reduction
Avg response time
Threats blocked monthly
SOC coverage
Client profile
Industry
Life Insurance
Employees
320 distributed staff
Annual premiums
$180M+
Policyholders
45,000+
The problem
Distributed workforce security gaps: 70% of employees work remotely or in a hybrid model, accessing policyholder data from home networks with inconsistent security controls.
Reactive security posture: The company relied on antivirus software and periodic scans, with no real-time threat monitoring or 24/7 security operations.
Increasing attack attempts: Monthly phishing emails targeting agents tripled over 18 months. One successful credential theft led to unauthorized access to beneficiary records.
Compliance pressure: Regulators were demanding evidence of continuous monitoring and incident response capabilities for sensitive financial and health data.
The wake-up call
A claims adjuster clicked a phishing link while working from home. The attacker harvested their credentials and accessed the company's claims system for 6 days before internal IT noticed unusual login patterns.
Exposed data included: 1,200 beneficiary records with names, addresses, SSNs, policy values, and bank account information for direct deposits.
Cost of the breach: $180K in forensics, notification, credit monitoring, regulatory fines, and reputation damage. The board mandated immediate implementation of 24/7 security monitoring.
The solution
Phase 1: deployment (weeks 1-3)
- EDR agents deployed to 320 endpoints (desktops, laptops)
- SIEM integration with Microsoft 365, firewalls, and VPN
- Identity threat detection (ITDR) for Azure AD monitoring
- Baseline behavioral analytics established
Phase 2: tuning (month 2)
- Fine-tuned detection rules to reduce false positives
- Created custom alerts for insurance-specific threats
- Integrated with HR system for automated user lifecycle
- Incident response playbooks customized
Phase 3: ongoing operations
- 24/7 SOC monitoring by Cybool analysts
- Sub-15-minute response to confirmed threats
- Monthly threat intelligence briefings
- Quarterly security posture reviews
Measurable outcomes
Security improvements (6 months post-deployment)
- 87% reduction in successful security incidents
- 450+ threats blocked monthly (malware, phishing, unauthorized access)
- Average 12-minute response time to confirmed threats
- Zero data breaches since SOC deployment
- 93% of alerts investigated within 30 minutes
Business impact
- Avoided estimated $500K+ in breach costs over 12 months
- Passed regulatory audit with zero SOC-related findings
- Reduced cyber insurance premiums by 22%
- IT team reallocated 60 hours/month from reactive firefighting to strategic projects
- Board confidence restored in cybersecurity posture
"After our breach, we knew we needed more than just antivirus. Cybool's SOC gives us eyes on our environment 24/7, catching threats we'd never see on our own. It's like having a complete security team without the million-dollar price tag."
(CIO, Life Insurance Carrier)
This solution centered on SOC 24/7 (MDR/ITDR/SIEM). View more Case studies.