Case Study Kardex
Kardex is a globally leading partner for intralogistics solutions in an attractive and growing market. The group offers automated premium products, standardized systems, and life cycle services that guarantee high availability and low total cost of ownership. With dynamic storage and retrieval systems, Kardex enables an intelligent entry into automation, provides integrated material flow systems, small parts storage, and automated high-bay warehouses, and acts as a global AutoStore™ partner with flexible and modular storage and order fulfillment solutions. The group employs around 2,500 people in over 30 countries. Kardex Holding AG has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1989.
The situation before baseVISION
Addressing the Evolving Security Landscape.
The security landscape is rapidly evolving, with new challenges and threats emerging at every turn. It became clear to Kardex that security measures can’t be static; they must constantly evolve to stay ahead of emerging threats. Understanding the complexity of this ever-changing landscape, Kardex recognized the need for a more strategic and comprehensive approach. It became clear that addressing cybersecurity wasn’t just a small endeavor, but a significant organizational priority. As a result, Kardex sought assistance in developing a holistic strategy to effectively mitigate risk and secure its operations.
The Vision
24/7 Security Monitoring: Our vision includes continuous security monitoring around the clock. This ensures that potential threats are detected and mitigated immediately, preventing any damage before it occurs.
Development of a detailed security roadmap over several years: We develop a comprehensive security roadmap that spans several years. This roadmap serves as a strategic guide to ensure that all security measures are systematically and sustainably implemented.
Benefit from focused Security Expertise: Benefit from our concentrated security expertise. Our team of experts brings deep knowledge and experience to create tailored security solutions that are precisely aligned with your needs.
The Transformation
A Journey towards resilience
Together with Kardex, we created a holistic roadmap. The entire project began in 2018 with the establishment of some key fundamentals to improve security, followed by advanced technology and onboarding to our Security Operations Center.
Initial Configuration and Foundation Setting
In 2018 it all started with the configuration of Microsoft Defender for Office 365. This initiative marked the beginning of a phased approach to bolstering their cybersecurity posture.
Access Management and User Empowerment
In 2019, projects centered around Entra ID Conditional Access and Self-Service Password Reset were launched.
Security Hardening and Cybersecurity Initiative Launch
The year 2020 saw a dual focus on security hardening and the launch of a cybersecurity initiative aimed at overarching security improvement. A pivotal component of this initiative was a security assessment based on the 18 CIS Critical Security Controls, leading to the formulation of a security improvement roadmap prioritizing identified gaps.
Comprehensive Security Solution Deployment
The acquisition of Microsoft E5 Security licenses in 2021 enabled the deployment of comprehensive security solutions within Kardex’s infrastructure, including Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Microsoft Sentinel, and Microsoft Entra ID Protection and Password Protection. This period also saw the continuous rollout and hardening of these solutions, demonstrating a commitment to an evolving security strategy.
Advanced Security Projects and Initiatives
The journey continued through 2023-2024 with projects like the Enterprise Access Model, focusing on Active Directory tiering and Hardening, and the implementation of Microsoft External Attack Surface Management., Entra ID Identity Governance and Lifecycle with Workday integration. The baseVISION SOC Onboarding, and the initiation of Microsoft Data Security (Purview) adoption further exemplified the holistic approach to cybersecurity.
Focused on Continuous Improvement and Expansion
The narrative of Kardex’s security evolution enters 2024 with a focus on continuous security improvement.
Most beneficial Microsoft technologies used
Microsoft Defender XDR
Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Data Security (Purview)
Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access
Microsoft Entra ID Identity Protection
Microsoft Entra ID Identity Governance
Microsoft External Attack Surface Management
Summary
Security is a marathon, not a sprint – The Kardex journey, initiated in 2018, focused on elevating security beyond just one-off projects, emphasizing the need for ongoing enhancement. Together, we shaped a vision to surpass conventional cybersecurity limits, striving for total protection across Kardex’s digital landscape. A detailed security roadmap was established, integrating advanced Microsoft technologies and a comprehensive strategy spanning cybersecurity’s six core pillars. The phased rollout of solutions such as Microsoft Defender and Azure Security, culminating in the MXDR Service, underscored the critical need to adapt to emerging threats and harness AI for improved efficiency and effectiveness in incident response.