LAB³ worked in partnership with the Commission to swiftly deploy comprehensive solutions to uplift their security posture and maintain data sovereignty. This included a collaborative transition from an incumbent provider of Sentinel and SOC to ensure the seamless continuity of cybersecurity measures throughout the uplift to LAB³.

Microsoft Sentinel Uplift

The Commission’s Sentinel environment was uplifted by layering LAB³ code and introducing automation into the equation. Sentinel was further enhanced with LAB³ analytical controls to immediately improve security and threat visibility. The automation capabilities have reduced the Commission reliance on human analysis, providing increased detection and response capabilities.

LAB³ SOC Implementation

In tandem with the Sentinel uplift, LAB³ deployed its SOC capability, working hand in hand with the incumbent provider to ensure a seamless outcome.

The LAB³ SOC is provided using DevSecOps to provide continuous detection and response to reduce dwell time, simplify compliance, and strengthen trust. The SOC roadmap included items like SOAR optimisation and XDR introduction.

Critical to the Commission’s decision to opt for the LAB³ SOC is that it is ‘based in the cloud’ which means data sovereignty is always maintained. The Commission were also reassured by the fact that LAB³ is fully Australian based with onshore resourcing.

The partnership has achieved significant improvements in the Commission’s security posture and provided genuine strategic value.

Operational Excellence:

• Enhanced incident detection and response capabilities, with improved visibility of events and incidents
• Continued compliance with the Essential 8 – assessments to ensure matching compliance between the Government Cyber Guidelines and Microsoft Security Guidelines
• Automations to remove human intervention and improve security operations
• Reduction in time to identify and respond to threats.

Strategic Value:

• Achieving the Commission’s commercial requirements
• Cost optimisation: Cost comparison provided between VMSS and ACI agent – ACI agent to be more cost effective. Review of current policies against CYBER GOV recommendations and identification of opportunities for cost optimisation
• Education for Commission teams, uplifting their knowledge of security threat detection, triage, categorisation and response
• Created a framework for ongoing collaboration and continuous security improvement.

Security Posture:

• Strengthened protection against the increasing risk of ever-increasing sophisticated attacks and threats, by countering AI by using automation
• Improved security control optimisation with new monthly governance cadence.

Future

The partnership has established foundations for long-term security excellence to cover the delicate and highly confidential services the Commission provides. Embedded into operations, LAB³ is playing an ongoing role in the FWC’s security journey, including regular Sentinel and Essential 8 assessments.