Customer Story: IMB Bank
Proactively Securing Members’ Data for the Future.
IMB Bank (IMB), a leading NSW-based mutual bank, is deeply committed to the financial well-being of its members. With a rich history spanning over 140 years, IMB is focused on delivering world-class, highly available, resilient, modern and secure IT systems and services. Their proactive stance on cyber security is driven by a vision to keep member and bank data safe, while supporting the success of the business.
Customer
IMB Bank
Industry
Banking
ASX Listed
Public Company
Solutions
Cyber Security
The Challenge
Cyber focused. Future ready.
IMB has long understood the need to anticipate future cyber security challenges, rather than just reacting to immediate threats. With a long-term security vision, the bank recognised that staying ahead in an evolving threat landscape required more than just maintaining their current security posture. They also needed a partner to help them as they continue to mature their operations to meet future needs.
Enrico Conte, Manager Information Security Officer at IMB Bank, emphasised the importance of being prepared: “We didn’t want to wait until something forced us to take action. Our goal was to set ourselves up for the future, knowing that the decisions we make today will serve us in staying secure in 3, 5, or even 10 years from now.”
Expertise gap
Symal needed a specialist partner with deep Azure expertise to support a rapidly evolving environment.
Resource constraints
The internal IT team was overwhelmed by time-consuming infrastructure and maintenance tasks.
Security & compliance
Robust cybersecurity and governance controls were required to protect critical systems and data.
Innovation speed
Maintaining momentum in digital transformation demanded a more scalable, future-ready platform.
The Cloud Reset Podcast
Listen to Enrico Conte on our Podcast 'Cloud Reset'
In this episode of Cloud Reset, Jono and Naran are joined by Enrico Conte, CISO of IMB Bank, to unpack the challenges of managing cyber security in an ever-evolving threat landscape. Fresh off the plane from Microsoft Ignite, Naran shares key insights on Microsoft’s roadmap, the explosion of generative AI, and the critical role of data governance as organisations prepare for the future.
The Solution.
After a thorough evaluation process, IMB selected Microsoft Sentinel as their preferred SIEM solution, which would allow them to build on their already robust security monitoring and incident response capabilities. However, deploying and managing the Sentinel platform required expertise, and for this, IMB partnered with Macquarie Cloud Services. The Macquarie team took charge of Sentinel’s deployment, providing continuous oversight, optimisation and management through their 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) to ensure seamless performance.
Enrico reflected on the decision to partner with Macquarie Cloud Services:
“We wanted a solution that could grow with us and offer flexibility in the future. Microsoft Sentinel was a perfect fit because it allowed us to have control over our security infrastructure, but it was Macquarie Cloud Services’ expertise and management that completed the solution.”
Enrico and team appreciated the fact that Macquarie Cloud Services didn’t just deploy the solution and walk away. Instead, they integrated their operations closely with IMB’s existing infrastructure, creating a seamless partnership.
Enhanced security controls and monitoring strengthened IMB Bank’s cyber posture and ensured compliance with strict regulatory requirements.
“It’s not just about delivering the technology and systems integration;
it’s about the way Macquarie Cloud Services worked with us,” Enrico explained.
“They took the time to understand our business and our infrastructure,
not just the requirements, and they’ve become an extension of our team.
Their approach wasn’t transactional – it was collaborative.
Enrico Conte
Manager Information Security Officer at IMB Bank
Key Results
Growing together.
IMB’s decision to partner with Macquarie Cloud Services wasn’t just about meeting their immediate security needs; it was also about setting themselves up for long-term success with a future-proofed security infrastructure. With the new partnership in place, IMB has a security solution that will scale with them as they grow and evolve in the years to come.
“We asked ourselves one key question throughout the process – if we doubled in size tomorrow, would our security infrastructure be able to handle it? Thanks to Macquarie Cloud Services and Microsoft, the answer is yes. We’re ready for whatever the future holds,” Enrico said.
Enhanced threat detection
Continuous monitoring and advanced analytics strengthened IMB’s ability to identify and respond to threats quickly.
Proactive risk management
A forward-looking security posture reduced reliance on reactive fixes and increased preparedness for future threats.
24/7 oversight
Managed Sentinel services provided round-the-clock protection and rapid escalation when needed.
Operational confidence
Security teams gained confidence from having expert support and automation in place.
Future adaptability
A scalable security platform positioned IMB to adopt emerging technologies and extend protections as threats evolve.
Stronger member trust
Improved security reinforced IMB’s commitment to safeguarding member data.
The Technical Solution.
- Microsoft Sentinel deployment and configuration on Azure, customised for IMB’s infrastructure to support threat monitoring.
- Onboarding of in-scope devices and data sources using Macquarie Cloud Services recommended collection methods for continuous log ingestion.
- 24/7 security monitoring and incident response provided by Macquarie Cloud Services SOC for real-time threat detection and analysis.
- Custom security orchestration capabilities (SOAR) developed by Macquarie Cloud Services in collaboration with IMB to enable rapid containment, isolation and eradication ability to the Macquarie Cloud Services SOC.
- Ongoing service reviews and optimisation of Sentinel with tailored rules, playbooks and custom PowerBI dashboards.
- Data sovereignty within Australia, with all data managed on compliant Azure infrastructure within the customers own tenancy.
- Managed XDR Services - Complete governance and best practice configurations for the entire Defender XDR eco system, managing security tooling across the organisation and ensuring.
How Macquarie Cloud Services helped IMB Bank.
Learn how the support of Macquarie Cloud Services elevated IMB’s cyber security to ensure its members’ data is safe.
“What I really appreciate about working with Macquarie Cloud Services
is their focus on continuous improvement. They don’t just monitor the system;
they proactively suggest ways we can improve it, and that’s what we need in
today’s fast-evolving threat landscape.”
Enrico Conte
Manager Information Security Officer at IMB Bank
Contact us
Talk to a cloud expert.
- 1800 004 943
- Level 15 2 Market Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia