Case Study
Securing Global Democracy Through Resilient Cyber Defence
- Industry
- Government
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- CyberOne solution
- Assure365 - Managed Security Services
- Products
- Microsoft Security, Automox and Cato Networks
Overview
International IDEA is a global intergovernmental organisation committed to advancing sustainable democracy worldwide. With its users distributed across its Stockholm headquarters and over 20 regional offices, the organisation supports electoral processes, democratic governance and political participation, particularly in developing and transitional democracies.
With highly sensitive political and personal data and operations often spanning regions with elevated cyber risk, they must contend with threats from state and non-state actors. As digital communication and collaboration become central to fieldwork and policymaking, organisations like International IDEA must ensure robust cyber security to protect their operations, maintain stakeholder trust and uphold the integrity of their mission.
The Challenge
As a globally distributed organisation operating in sensitive political environments, International IDEA faced complex cyber security demands. It required a modern, proactive security posture to protect against advanced threats, including potential nation-state actors.
Key challenges included:
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Strengthening endpoint and infrastructure security.
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Enhancing secure remote access across a globally dispersed workforce.
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Managing vulnerabilities and ensuring timely patching.
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Ensuring compliance with international data protection and governance standards.
To meet these needs, International IDEA sought a trusted partner to deliver comprehensive managed security services with the agility to support its operational footprint.
The Solution
Following a competitive tender process, CyberOne was chosen to provide robust Managed Security Services built around its Microsoft investment.
International IDEA leverages the Microsoft Security ecosystem, Microsoft Sentinel for SIEM, Defender for Endpoint, Entra for Identity & Access Management and Intune for device compliance and policy enforcement. The service also supports future integration opportunities for Microsoft Purview and Priva for data protection and privacy.
CyberOne augmented the Microsoft environment with third-party solutions to enhance resilience and coverage:
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Automox: Delivered centralised, policy-based patch management across all endpoints.
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Cato Networks: Implemented a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution for seamless, secure connectivity to internal applications from anywhere in the world.
This combination provided International IDEA with a fully integrated, scalable security posture tailored to its global mission.
The Results
By partnering with CyberOne, International IDEA gained a comprehensive, scalable cyber security framework that aligned with its operational and strategic goals:
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Enhanced Security Across Global Operations
Providing centralised visibility and control, ensuring consistent protection across all offices, users and devices, regardless of location. -
Strengthened Patch & Vulnerability Management
Defender and Automox delivered automated, policy-driven patch management across endpoints, significantly reducing exposure to unpatched vulnerabilities. -
Improved Remote Access & Connectivity
Cato’s SASE solution enabled secure, high-performance access to internal systems for field teams and remote workers, supporting productivity without compromising security. -
Increased Compliance & Governance Readiness
The solution aligned with international best practices and supported readiness for evolving regulatory requirements across regions. -
Reduced Risk of Data Breaches
Proactive monitoring, rapid response and strong identity controls reduced the likelihood of cyber incidents and protected sensitive data. -
Executive Confidence in Security Operations
Clear reporting, measurable outcomes and proactive collaboration with CyberOne’s team gave senior leadership greater visibility and assurance in the organisation’s security posture.
The solution has equipped International IDEA with a globally consistent, secure and future-ready cyber security framework. This empowers leadership with visibility, reduces operational risk and enables the organisation to fulfil its mission with confidence in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
CyberOne's information security solutions and services have significantly improved both our security posture and our operational efficiency. As an organisation with a global footprint and a vital mission, it's essential that our IT infrastructure is resilient, responsive and capable of supporting our work in complex and sometimes high-risk environments. CyberOne has delivered a level of expertise and service that has given us real confidence in our ability to proactively manage cyber threats.
There has been overwhelmingly positive feedback from across the organisation, particularly regarding the collaboration and responsiveness of the CyberOne Security Operations Centre and Customer Success teams. Their professionalism, knowledge and commitment to supporting our internal team have made a real difference in how we manage risk and maintain continuity across all regions.
