How to get the most out of Microsoft’s E5 license.
Supporting Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall in executing a holistic IT security concept.
The challenge
Digitalization, home offices and a constantly growing number of cyber threats – like many other companies, Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall (BSH) was facing major challenges when it came to protecting its IT infrastructure. Especially during the coronavirus pandemic, new solutions were needed quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions.
“We deployed Microsoft 365 during the coronavirus pandemic to enable our employees to work from home as quickly as possible. After upgrading our initial E3 license to E5, we brought water on board as a partner to help us make the most of the new security capabilities.”
Christoph Rechtien (Senior-Manager IT-Security at BSH)
In addition to maximizing the use of the new E5 license, the goal, especially at the beginning of the collaboration, was to strengthen the ability of BSH’s internal SOC to effectively respond to cyber threats.
The solution
Together with BSH, we started by rolling out the Microsoft Defender XDR Suite and implementing Microsoft Sentinel as a cloud SIEM in 2023. In 2024, we focused on the information security features of E5. To this end, a number of individual projects were launched – from identity protection and endpoint detection to information protection and cloud security.
“water supported us as a conceptual and technical enabler and helped us to implement the projects quickly and successfully with manpower and know-how.”
Christoph Rechtien (Senior-Manager IT-Security at BSH)
To give you an example of the scope: In the area of information protection, existing sensitivity labels were revised and technical guidelines for data loss protection were implemented that are specifically tailored to BSH’s needs.
The benefit
Over the course of two years, BSH took a major step forward in terms of IT security. By optimizing the use of their E5 license, they are able to meet the strict security requirements for critical infrastructure companies. At the same time, the combined power of the Microsoft Defender XDR Suite and Microsoft Sentinel helps to ensure that security incidents are visible and converge in a central dashboard where they can be quickly tracked, sorted, and resolved.
“What I like most about working with water is that they are very straightforward. Issues are addressed quickly, the lines of communication are short, and I always felt that I could reach someone quickly.”
Ulrich Zmaila (Manager Cloud Plattform at BSH)
The most important thing for us as an IT security company: to always put our customers’ needs first. As a result, we have been able to ensure that the security features implemented were precisely aligned with BSH’s specific requirements – especially in the context of the projects realized in 2024 – and thus significantly improved the company’s security posture.
