Filling the Cyber Security Expertise Gap for PT Contractors

PT Contractors (PTC) is a family-owned multi-disciplinary Building and Civil Engineering company that has been operating for over 40 years. They specialise in building electrical substations, often related to cloud and AI services, as well as general electrical distribution systems across the UK.

PTC are vigilant with their cyber security, often looking for ways to upgrade their systems and stay one step ahead of cyber threats. Every few years the PTC team actively look for ways to upgrade their security systems; it’s built into their IT strategy.

What to do with no in house expertise?

PT Contractors don’t have a dedicated IT manager; their design manager manages IT tasks alongside other important responsibilities. PTC face the challenge of lacking internal IT expertise, and it was impractical to hire a dedicated IT manager due to insufficient workload and retention concerns.

The company recognised the importance of giving cyber security the attention it deserved and sought enhanced cyber security services. PTC’s previous setup (antivirus, firewall, on-premise server) had the potential to fall short as cyber threats evolved, prompting a necessary shift in their IT strategy.

The previous on-premise server setup was vulnerable, with risks such as inadequate backup, exposure to physical hazards, and unfiltered email threats. After moving their finance software to the cloud and recognising vulnerabilities in their old server setup, PTC decided to push towards the decision of implementing more advanced cyber security measures. 

There was a need for regular improvements in security, especially as their Office 365 subscription and Microsoft Defender system was aging. All of this prompted PTC to adopt additional services like TSG Cyber Care.

Reaching out to the cyber experts

PTC partnered with TSG for managed IT and cyber security services, rather than hiring an internal IT manager. We helped them migrate from an on-premise server to cloud-based systems, including moving the finance software and adopting Microsoft 365 with Defender for security.

We implemented Cyber Care, which provides ongoing monitoring, regular security reviews, and quarterly meetings to discuss alerts and improvements.

While implementing new security protocols we had to ensure that PTC’s team could still access legacy data as their industry requires long-term record retention. Security protocols were tailored to their business needs, such as adjusting file access settings to accommodate long-term data retention requirements. 

How TSG Cyber Care has helped PT Contractors

Since the successful implementation of our Cyber Care services, PT Contractors have seen the following benefits:

Improved cyber security: Daily monitoring and regular reviews that help identify and address vulnerabilities quickly. 

Enhanced detection and response: Suspicious logins and MFA issues are flagged quickly, leading to targeted staff training and reduced vulnerabilities.

Actionable reports: The company receives actionable reports and guidance, enabling targeted staff training and reducing false positives and security risks. 

Tailored security settings: Security settings were adjusted to fit operational needs, such as maintaining access to older records without compromising safety.

Reliable IT support: The partnership with TSG provides reliable IT support and responsive problem-solving, ensuring business continuity and protection against evolving threats. 

Working with TSG has given PTC access to IT skills and professionals that would not be practical to train or recruit internally. The use of Cyber Care services means our cyber security setup is actively monitored, rather than being an unattended background function that inexorably becomes outdated.

David Block, Procurement Manager at PTC