“ We have helped transform a previously fragmented global security operation into a unified security differentiator. By delivering always on protection and rapid response across more than 280 cinemas, BlueVoyant has provided ODEON Cinemas Group with complete visibility into, and total control over, its security posture,” said Holly Steele, SVP, UK and EMEA, BlueVoyant.

We asked Chris Tayler, Head of Information and Cloud Services, ODEON Cinemas Group, further questions to find out more.

How did the partnership with BlueVoyant help ODEON Cinemas Group modernise and unify its security operations across multiple countries?

As we had already deployed the Microsoft Defender stack, we could quickly and easily integrate a large volume of telemetry into the new Sentinel SIEM. This enabled us to spend more time on the core technologies that ODEON Cinemas Group( OCG) use. With BlueVoyant driving the project forward during the deployment and onboarding phases, we could dedicate more time to the strategy of unifying our international security operations – instead of getting trapped in the process of change itself.

What were the biggest challenges in managing cybersecurity across such a large and diverse technology environment?

With OCG operating across eight countries, each with its own IT team, centralising processes or technology was always going to be complex and require careful management and co-ordination. The availability of ticketing platforms, and the required development rates( both in IT and our interactions with guests), necessitated a rapid and efficient way of working.

People skills are also a must, and this is where BlueVoyant gave us absolute confidence that the transition would be a seamless one. Its team is always available, and fully open and transparent when working with the OCG teams.

How has migrating from a legacy SIEM to Microsoft Sentinel improved visibility and operational efficiency?

Bringing the SIEM in-house, into OCG’ s Sentinel environment, has allowed us to be more hands on in the configuration, usage and monitoring of data. The ability to quickly and cleanly interrogate log sources, and monitor ingestion volumes and costs, has been a game changer. With BlueVoyant always available to help manage the SIEM, our teams can continue to develop their own skills, whilst having the added assurance of a key supplier behind them.

What impact has the significant reduction in security alerts had on your regional InfoSec teams?

BlueVoyant’ s SOC has helped to remove 98 % of the tickets that were previously triaged by regional teams. The end-to-end tracking of those alerts( including knowing when an alert warrants attention or not all the way through to resolution), and compliance monitoring has given valuable time back to centralised teams that are now freed-up to focus on strategic initiatives, instead of volume. This has also significantly reduced alert fatigue.

How important is third-party risk management in the cinema and entertainment sector today?

The increased use of AI in offensive and defensive cyber-operations has challenged the notion of what‘ secure’ looks like within every organisation. Every company needs to put the strength and resilience of their overall cybersecurity posture at the top of their priorities list and continuously re-evaluate established systems and processes.

This has never been more important for third parties in complex supply chain ecosystems. Whether it’ s content delivery partners, logistics suppliers, or food and beverage companies, each are critical to deliver the guest experiences that we aspire to at OCG. This is why BlueVoyant’ s comprehensive third-party risk management( TPRM) solution has been deployed. It delivers continuous monitoring of OCG’ s extensive supplier network, pre-procurement assessments and directed remediation for critical vendors.

What lessons have you learned from this transformation that could benefit other organisations looking to strengthen cyber- resilience?

Change isn’ t to be feared, it’ s to be embraced. If a process isn’ t working, there’ s likely an alternative. And it doesn’ t have to be prohibitively expensive. The switch may be daunting, but with proper planning, review and execution, it can be delivered effectively, resulting in rapid and tangible improvements.

Every company needs to put the strength and resilience of their overall cybersecurity posture at the top of their priorities list.

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