In light of numerous dramatic shifts in the geopolitical landscape in recent months, this blog has reiterated the need for organisations across all sectors to strengthen and - if necessary - reconsider their cyber security postures, in order to prepare for the anticipated attacks by global bad actors. The legal sector is no exception, particularly as these attacks are anticipated to specifically target the most high-value data.
The digital landscape is evolving at a rate that's never been seen before and is set to continue accelerating in the years ahead. In such a fast-paced environment, the ability to work flexibly, responding to unexpected challenges and optimising the time-to-market for new innovations, is critically important for all organisations - whether they're ambitious start-ups or established global leaders. While IT infrastructure must certainly support this - hence the widespread phasing out of legacy infrastructure in favour of increasingly sophisticated Cloud transformation strategies - any new technology will be of limited effectiveness if processes and methodologies do not evolve in parallel.
For some years now, Cloud adoption has been steadily on the rise across the UK's Finance sector, with organisations including banks, insurers, and investment firms phasing out increasingly cumbersome legacy systems in favour of more scalable, agile, and cost-effective infrastructure. Indeed, more than 48% of UK banking services are now built on Cloud infrastructure.
In a heightened cyber threat landscape - where ransomware attacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication - and having weathered the challenges of COVID-19 and the resulting move to hybrid working, the Finance sector is still continually challenged to demonstrate to its customers that critical services will remain available no matter what, and that sensitive financial data will remain fully secure at all times.
When it comes to building brand loyalty, customers increasingly expect the retailers they shop from - whether that's online, in person, or via click-and-collect - to demonstrate tangible efforts to operate in an ethical, sustainable, and environmentally friendly manner in everything they do.
About Nicholls & Clarke
Since 1875, the Nicholls & Clarke group has supplied the highest quality building materials to professionals across the UK. Based in South-East England, the group offers more than 60,000 world-class products, including bricks and mortar, tiling, stone, adhesives, ceramics, decorating products, and high-performance tools, along with an extensive portfolio of living solutions - all available for immediate delivery across the country via a self-owned fleet of 110 commercial vehicles, and supported by expert technical advice.
The Solution
Having already established a strong working relationship with Nicholls & Clarke as their ISP, Exponential-e was subsequently selected as their new technology partner, following a rigorous tender process. A dedicated account team was assigned, who immediately began planning for a seamless transition, with zero service disruption.
With a private WAN as the foundation, the full range of connectivity solutions utilised across Nicholls & Clarke's sites include Wi-Fi 6, a guest network, a public guest access network, and a corporate wireless network - all secured by a robust cyber security ecosystem, with compliance and PCI DSS requirements inherent to the design, and fully integrated with their own, hosted ERP systems.
Furthermore, in order to futureproof the entire infrastructure, measures were put in place to prepare for ISDN and PTSN lines being shut off in 2025, to ensure this would not affect the performance and security of Nicholls & Clarke's network, or the exceptional standard of service delivery their customers have come to expect. This involved consolidating multiple, disparate telephony solutions into a single solution, delivered over the WAN, that would provide an additional level of control and visibility over network performance and day-to-day operations.
This inherent flexibility has allowed for the successful deployment of virtual desktop environments across the entire infrastructure, providing Nicholls & Clarke's teams with a smooth transition to hybrid working, with zero disruption to service delivery, or effect on security and compliance. Recent developments have included the deployment of high-performance HP Aruba WiFi solution at their company headquarters.
Plans for further developments are already in place, with Nicholls & Clarke's account team working proactively to identify new areas for improvement and optimisation, along with providing regular reports on network performance.
Solution benefits
It's a pleasure for us to work with Exponential-e on the wide area network. It's radically changed our business in terms of how we work. Over the last month alone, just upgrading the network would have been a mammoth task, but the way we've gone about it and the way it's been delivered has been completely seamless across every one of our branches.
Narendra Joshi - Head of IT, Nicholls & Clarke
A traditional internet service provider and, later, wide area network service provider has now grown into a multi-dimensional service that has provided a lot of value throughout many areas of our business.
Narendra Joshi - Head of IT, Nicholls & Clarke
Providing the technological foundation for true immersive experiences, across every channel, throughout every step of the customer journey.
Our Retail brochure offers a comprehensive overview of how we draw on a deep understanding of the sector's singular challenges, an evolving technology ecosystem, and a highly consultative approach to offer bespoke solutions that help staff deliver their best for every customer - both online and in person.
The UK's Legal sector must contend with some of the most stringent compliance and data protection obligations in the current digital landscape. For many years, this has hindered the progress of digital transformation initiatives within firms, but in recent years, in order to meet the challenges of COVID-19, many firms have seized the opportunity to modernise cumbersome legacy systems and develop cutting-edge IT infrastructure that enables their staff to work more flexibly.
With lockdown restrictions finally easing, and the public looking forward to enjoying the different activities they have been deprived of for the past two years, it's certainly an exciting time for the UK's Hospitality & Leisure sector. But as hotels get ready to open their doors again, it is essential that hospitality professionals do not lose sight of the challenges that will be involved.
In spite of the ongoing evolution of cyber security processes and technology, human error is still responsible for 95% of data breaches1. Phishing attacks alone represent a particularly insidious risk, with 91% of organisations experiencing a successful attack in 2021 alone2.
In light of recent geopolitical events, and the increased threat to corporate infrastructure, organisations across the UK must assume that they will be forced to contend with a cyber-attack in the near future and prepare accordingly. Indeed, the NCSC has already set out its own guidance to help organisations bolster their defences, which we strongly advise you to read and implement.
The healthcare sector generates higher volumes of patient data on a daily basis than ever before - all of which conceals a rich vein of opportunities to optimise efficiency and enhance patient care. The demand for more efficient diagnosis and more effective management of data has naturally led to the rise of digital pathology and - in turn - the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) that underpin these initiatives.
Ever since the Cloud as a concept entered the public consciousness, concerns about its perceived cyber security weaknesses have been a major obstacle to organisations - and, indeed, entire sectors - embracing digital transformation. The AEC sector, in particular, has traditionally been slow to begin the process of Cloud transformation, although the number of future-minded firms phasing out their legacy systems and embracing the scalability, agility, and operational resilience the Cloud has to offer in recent years indicates that we are seeing a shift in this regard.
There's no doubt that the past two years have challenged the Hospitality & Leisure sectors in ways that would previously have been unimaginable, with social distancing requirements limiting the number of guests who can be hosted and making familiar processes like checking in and out significantly more complex. But, like every sector impacted by the pandemic, these challenges have inspired a new wave on innovation, as IT infrastructure has evolved to support staff and guests alike, ensuring safety does not have to come at the expense of an enjoyable stay.
Let's consider some of the ways the challenges of COVID-19 have impacted the Hospitality & Leisure sector, and how the lessons learned can - in the long term - open up new opportunities to deliver truly unforgettable experiences for every guest…
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