Innovam uses Guardian360 for IT security

Innovam is the number-one training institute for the mobility sector. The organisation believes in results-oriented personal development and links between education and business. Cooperation is definitely a key value that is important to Innovam. Since 2008, Innovam has been working with SLTN in terms of infrastructure, workspaces and security. The Nieuwegein-based company decided this year to extend its security portfolio to include Guardian360.

Maarten van den Berg is an IT project leader at Innovam. He is responsible for all the IT technical work, such as office workspaces and the training environment, and also for the cybersecurity portfolio. “I have been working for Innovam, the trainer for the mobility sector, for approximately 20 years. We provide training, consultancy and HR facilities for the industry. We are best known for our technical training, such as 1st and 2nd installer, but perhaps more so for our MOT tester exams. Our IT department is key within Innovam. We take care of the technical side of exams and training courses when it comes to IT facilities, such as the networks and their security.”

IT enables people to work together better in many organisations, irrespective of their location or the equipment they are working with. At Innovam, IT really is key. Maarten van den Berg explains: “We use IT to connect up all of our primary processes, i.e. the various silos that provide training and examinations. The operational processes are linked in this way too. Within that key function, business, staff, trainee and exam-candidate data security is crucial. Over the past couple of years, we have seen an enormous expansion in the importance of security and that means the IT department has to keep on honing and broadening both its capacity and its knowledge. You have to expand your range of tools, too, and that is what we talked to SLTN about.”

Innovam came to SLTN with a clear request: more insight and a clear overview of all IT assets and their associated vulnerabilities. As Maarten tells us, “Previous tools we used for this only did part of the work, and we saw that this was not enough to keep meeting the current standards. So we went looking for other tools. SLTN and Innovam came to the conclusion that Guardian360 would be a great addition to our security portfolio.”

Guardian360 is a tool that continuously scans the business network and gives live reports on it. All aspects of our network are monitored day and night. Because vulnerabilities change daily, the Guardian360 platform offers quick detection. In the event of security incidents, a team of specialists tackle them immediately. That way, the company can rely on specialist cybersecurity knowledge without needing to have it in house.

Because SLTN and Innovam have been working together for years, we are thoroughly acquainted with Innovam’s IT needs. Maarten is enthusiastic. “Working with SLTN has turned into a real partnership based on subject knowledge on one side and knowledge about the size of Innovam and the tasks of its IT department on the other. SLTN also has a broad range of customers that are of a similar size to Innovam, meaning that they know what works with other customers and what might also work for Innovam. We looked in depth at two tools so that we could properly evaluate the differences, which is something I would recommend for other organisations too. Scrutinise the market well and get properly informed about the different tools, because there is a lot out there. Thorough research and good advice are crucial. And those were the things that SLTN offered us.”

Apart from the right tools, knowledge of cybersecurity is very important. Innovam staff are participating in a process to heighten awareness of security. Besides being made aware of their own responsibility, staff receive information about the steps the IT department is taking to protect them and the organisation. Guardian360 helps Innovam by giving an insight into vulnerabilities, such as when staff use weak passwords.

Guardian360 has given Innovam a full overview of all IT assets and also simplified several of its processes. Maarten says: “This has been done in a way that is long-lasting enough for us, enabling us to keep applying it for several years to come. The way the tool is used is one of the cornerstones on which our risk management rests. It is really the foundation of risk management, in terms of IT. Although Innovam is not ISO27001 certified itself, we regularly get audits in all sorts of aspects of ISO27001. The possibilities offered to us by Guardian360 have greatly simplified this process and made it much more effective.”
Innovam is very happy with Guardian360 and can rely on this solution growing along with Innovam over the coming years. That gives us peace of mind.

Innovam is the number-one training institute for the mobility sector. The organisation helps industry professionals and organisations get the best out of themselves by means of training and advice. The training courses are for the entire industry: from companies that work with ordinary cars, company cars, bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds to repair firms, petrol stations and carwashes, car rental, caravan, camper and trailer companies. Innovam gives training to importers and manufacturers, chains and formulas and to all employees who want to develop their skills. The training covers MOTs, professional skills, e-vehicles, all technical subjects and personal development.