Background
Svenska Petroleum, an international oil and gas exploration company, faced significant challenges in managing their global IT infrastructure. With operations spread across Sweden, Norway, England, and Guinea Bissau, Svenska Petroleum struggled with high operational costs, security vulnerabilities, and inefficiencies in collaboration, particularly in managing large seismic data files.
Objectives
Unity Metrix worked with the IT department to develop a solution that would:
- Reduce operational costs
- Improve global collaboration
- Enhance overall security
Solution
In close collaboration with Svenska Petroleum’s IT manager, Unity Metrix helped to devise and install a comprehensive solution leveraging advanced technologies and best practices in cybersecurity. The solution comprised:
- Centralized Workstations: Deployment of Citrix ESXI with centrally-hosted heavy-duty workstations for scientists, enabling seamless collaboration on large projects.
- PCoIP Zero Clients: Introduction of PCoIP zero clients for enhanced security and simplified IT management.
- Data Management: Migration of technical data to a fibre-channel NAS and daily operations data to Office 365, streamlining access and collaboration.
- Security Enhancements: Implementation of security best practices, an RMM solution for centralized malware detection and system monitoring, and a security audit to identify and mitigate administrative weaknesses.
Results
The transformation resulted in:
- Seamless Collaboration: Technical staff could collaborate effortlessly on extensive projects, regardless of geographic location.
- Enhanced Security: The comprehensive security measures significantly improved Svenska Petroleum’s security posture across all operations.
- Increased Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness: The new IT infrastructure not only reduced costs but also improved the efficiency and security of operations.
- Improved Resilience: Business continuity and disaster recovery processes were simplified, with multiple hosting locations ensuring operational resilience.
Lessons Learned
A key lesson from this project was the importance of balancing autonomy with centralized governance. Svenska Petroleum’s diverse and independent country operations required a delicate approach to ensure both local flexibility and overarching control and security.
Conclusion
This case study not only showcases Unity Metrix’s expertise in transforming IT infrastructure to support global operations securely and efficiently but also highlights our deep-rooted understanding of the intricate relationship between cybersecurity and IT infrastructure. As cybersecurity experts, Unity Metrix brings to the table many years of training and extensive experience in both domains. Our work with Svenska Petroleum exemplifies our approach: we are not an IT provider; we are a security-focused company that leverages our substantial IT expertise to ensure that our cybersecurity solutions are not only robust but also seamlessly integrated with our clients’ IT environments. This project underlines the fact that effective cybersecurity measures are built on a foundation of comprehensive IT knowledge and tailored to meet the unique challenges of each client, demonstrating our commitment to delivering security solutions that are as sophisticated and multifaceted as the IT infrastructures they protect.
