Case Study
Breaking Down Security Barriers to Close Million-Dollar Deals
THE CHALLENGE
THE Solution
The Result
• SOC 2 Type II certification
• GDPR alignment ahead of enforcement date
• EU-US Privacy Shield certification
“The auditor had been doing this for more than 20 years and said he had never seen someone so well prepared.
What normally takes three days, Essendis got through in one day — the fastest audit and approval the bank had ever done.”
— Georgia Ouren, VP of Customer Success, AgilityHealth®
Dave Paul and Georgia Ouren of AgilityHealth® were burnt out. Security audits and reviews had worn them down. AgilityHealth® is an enterprise business agility enablement platform.
Then came the breaking point. Its first million-dollar deal was on the line. The buyer was one of the biggest banks in the world. They knew they needed help.
“This was a make or break deal,” said Dave, solutions architect at AgilityHealth®. “We needed someone who understood what was being asked of us and who could advise and consult so we could be compliant,” added Georgia, vice president of customer success.
That’s when they turned to the cybersecurity experts at Essendis.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING SECURITY AUDIT EXPERTS
You sell to enterprise prospects. A security review is a key part of that sales cycle. Think banks or healthcare providers.
You must finish security questionnaires and in-person audits on time. You must also show a mature operations and security program. That can decide whether you win the deal.
AgilityHealth® wanted a security partner to take audits and reviews off its plate. That would free the team to focus on the rest of the business.
“To pass security audits, it takes more than someone who knows security well,” Dave said. “It takes someone who builds relationships and can work with prospects. It's not just about smarts, it's about personality."
That’s exactly what the Cybersecurity Advisory team at Essendis offered.
Former auditors make up the Essendis cybersecurity team. That gives them a rare view of security audits and reviews. They know which questions come up and why. They know how to work with prospects to meet the rules.
Next came the on-site audit at the bank weighing the million-dollar deal. Essendis was ready.
"The auditor had been doing this for more than 20 years and said he had never seen someone so well prepared," Georgia said. "What normally takes three days, Essendis got through in one day — the fastest audit and approval the bank had ever done.” The client signed a three-year contract up-front.
“To pass security audits, it takes more than someone who knows security well; it takes someone who builds relationships and can work with prospects. It's not just about smarts, it's about personality."
— Dave Paul, Solutions Architect at AgilityHealth®
