Case studyAviation industry

AERO Vodochody: Developing a Cybersecurity Strategy

ComSource helped AERO Vodochody move from reactive incident handling to systematic cybersecurity management. The engagement combined risk analysis, a security strategy, infrastructure changes and operational monitoring.

Customer: AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s.
Period covered: 2019–2023

Project at a glance

Risk analysis
Infrastructure assessment and penetration testing to identify priorities.
Security strategy
Target architecture, network segmentation and operational process changes.
Monitoring and development
CISOaaS, SOCaaS and NOCaaS for security and operations management.

Customer challenge

The manufacturer of military aircraft and civil aviation equipment needed a systematic approach to protecting its know-how and operations. Parts of its IT environment were ageing, and some controls had been introduced as immediate responses to incidents. A comprehensive security strategy, risk management methodology and sufficient network documentation were missing.

Develop the security architecture and plan targeted investments.
Make better use of existing security tools.
Improve LAN management, documentation and preventive infrastructure maintenance.

ComSource’s solution and role

Building on joint incident response and red team work, ComSource assessed the network and security infrastructure. Penetration tests helped identify the most urgent risks. ComSource then developed a cybersecurity strategy and target architecture.

The strategy led to network and firewall segmentation, replacement of selected security and access technologies, process changes and traffic monitoring. It also considered the potential adoption of cloud services.

Main components of the engagement

CISOaaS: an outsourced cybersecurity management role, strategy development and mentoring for operational teams.
SOCaaS: security monitoring connected to selected domain, firewall, authentication and authorisation technologies.
NOCaaS: network component monitoring, operational support and preventive maintenance.
Operational support for Juniper, Flowmon, Cisco, Check Point and Fortinet technologies.
Passive network documentation and consistent physical and electronic records.
Investment strategy advice, ROI analysis, financial and documentation services, red teaming and perimeter penetration testing.

Outcomes

AERO gained a coherent framework for proactive security management, visibility of its IT assets and risks, and corresponding corrective measures. Cybersecurity became part of infrastructure management and future development.

The engagement established a basis for technology renewal and potential cloud adoption. These are qualitative outcomes; the case study does not provide measured savings or a percentage reduction in incidents.