The Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute (PGI-NRI) has decided to enter into strategic cooperation with Secfense, a company specializing in IT security solutions. A key element of this cooperation is the implementation of the User Access Security Broker (UASB) system to secure the Outlook Web App (OWA) platform used by the institute’s employees. UASB enables the integration of multi-factor authentication (MFA), which increases protection against unauthorized access and other cyber threats.
The introduction of UASB into the Outlook Web App system allowed for a significant strengthening of data and communication security at the Polish Geological Institute. Institute employees can now use advanced authentication methods. Thanks to this solution, only verified users have access to the OWA platform, which reduces the risk of data leaks or phishing attacks.
The implementation of the UASB system is one of the elements of implementing the security strategy of our institution. We are fully aware of cyber threats and we see that many organizations are struggling with the effects of cyber attacks today. That’s why protecting the systems our employees use every day is crucial. Our priority is the protection of data – employees, contractors, institutions from around the world with which we cooperate – but also securing the intellectual property of the institute. Thanks to solutions such as UASB, we improve cybersecurity and are better protected against threats. Importantly, we also provide employees with flexibility and convenience. Because they can choose authentication methods themselves, the new, more secure procedure of logging in to the email program is not burdensome for them – explains Grzegorz Suproniuk, head of the IT Department at the Polish Geological Institute.
The Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute (PIG-PIB) is one of the oldest Polish scientific institutes with nationwide scope. The headquarters in Warsaw and 7 regional units (Gdańsk, Kielce, Kraków, Lublin, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Wrocław) employ just over 900 people. Each year, the institute cooperates with approximately 200 domestic entities and geological centers from several dozen countries around the world.
Cybersecurity concerns us all. Not only large corporations and banks, but also smaller companies and state institutions. It is worth remembering that cybercriminals have different motives. They are not always interested in extorting a ransom. They often look for company trade secrets or access to sensitive data, previously unpublished research results or expert opinions. State institutions store and exchange a lot of such information. Securing access to them and to communication channels between employees and external entities plays a key role in the process of protecting digital resources – sums up Tomasz Kowalski, co-founder and CEO of Secfense.
