How FMHC Reduced Alert Fatigue and Achieved Compliance with MXDR

Why FMHC came to us

First Mutual Holding Company (FMHC) engaged Gradient Cyber to provide 24/7 security telemetry monitoring, threat detection and response, and an overall stronger cyber security posture for stringent regulatory demands across affiliate banks.

FMHC faced the same cybersecurity hurdles that many mid-market financial services organizations encounter: alert “blindness," as well as a lack of experience and bandwidth to effectively analyze and correlate logs across systems. Without the resources for 24/7 monitoring, potential threats could slip through unnoticed. Adding to the challenge, strict OCC and FDIC regulations demanded robust compliance measures. Limited resources left FMHC stretched thin, making it hard to manage daily IT operations while maintaining strong security.

Our Solution

For seven years and running, Gradient Cyber MXDR has been a cornerstone of FMHC’s cybersecurity strategy, monitoring and leveraging their existing IT and security infrastructure – including Active Directory, Sophos firewalls, Sophos endpoint detection and response, and Cisco routers. By centralizing and analyzing logs, Gradient Cyber delivered clear visibility into network activity, while 24/7 threat monitoring enhanced FMHC’s ability to respond to priority alerts in a timely manner. Gradient Cyber’s actionable situational reports (SitReps) have become a key component of FMHC’s weekly and monthly security updates, enabling them to stay ahead of threats and focus on core operations.

The Results

With Gradient Cyber’s MXDR, FMHC was able to:

• Proactively identify and analyze anomalies, providing the insights needed to prevent potential breaches
• Achieve regulatory compliance with extended log retention and advanced reporting to satisfy regulatory audit requirements
• Leverage 24/7 monitoring without the need to hire additional staff or invest in expensive tools
• Reduce “alert blindness” and allow the IT team to focus on business initiatives and operational efficiency

FMHC relies on Gradient Cyber to meet its security and regulatory needs with confidence. By incorporating their SitRep insights into weekly and quarterly reports, FMHC keeps stakeholders informed and ensures transparency. Gradient Cyber MXDR allows our IT and security affiliate support team to focus on the core business needs of banking operations.