Food Concepts Plc, a prominent player in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, boasts a solid reputation for efficiently managing and operating franchise South African Quick Service Restaurant brands within Nigeria. Recognizing the critical importance of safeguarding their operations against cyber threats, the IT team at Food Concepts, a division of Food Concepts Plc, sought the expertise of Sidmach, a reputable IT company in Nigeria to protect their cybersecurity infrastructure.

Client: Food Concepts Plc

Industry: FMCG

Services: Cyber Security 

Challenge

Food Concepts Plc faced a critical challenge in safeguarding their operations against escalating cyber threats. The company’s concern extended beyond mere protection of their workforce’s devices such as laptops and deskphones to encompass securing their servers as well. With the potential risks looming, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information became paramount.

Solution:

Sidmach, a leading IT company, astutely recognized the gravity of the situation. Without comprehensive management and protection of Food Concepts Plc’s hardware devices and servers, the risk of hacking or cyber attacks loomed large, potentially resulting in the loss of critical business information. To address these vulnerabilities, Sidmach proposed the implementation of Sophos Endpoint Protection solution.

Sidmach introduced the Sophos Endpoint Protection solution, designed to protect Food Concepts Plc’s devices and workloads across various environments, including endpoints, mobile devices, cloud platforms, on-premises systems, and virtual servers. Beginning with the deployment of Sophos Intercept X Endpoint, aimed at halting ransomware, malware, exploits, and other imminent threats, Sidmach ensured a robust defense mechanism. Subsequently, Sidmach integrated Sophos XDR (Extended Detection and Response) into the solution framework. This comprehensive tool amalgamates endpoint protection into a unified platform, facilitating seamless detection, investigation, and response to potential security incidents.

Results 

The implementation of Sophos Endpoint Protection solution yielded significant results for Food Concepts Plc in the following areas:

Enhanced Security: With Sophos Intercept X Endpoint and Sophos XDR in place, Food Concepts Plc witnessed a notable enhancement in their cybersecurity posture. The proactive measures taken by Sidmach significantly reduced the risk of successful cyber attacks, ensuring a more resilient defense against evolving threats.

Improved Incident Response: The integration of Sophos XDR empowered Food Concepts Plc’s IT team with enhanced visibility and capabilities for incident detection, investigation, and response. This streamlined approach facilitated prompt mitigation of potential security breaches, minimizing the impact on business operations.

Safeguarding Critical Assets: By safeguarding staff devices and servers against cyber threats, Food Concepts Plc effectively protected its critical business assets and sensitive information from unauthorized access or compromise. This instilled greater confidence among stakeholders and nourished the company’s reputation for reliability and security compliance.

The post Fortifying FMCG Cybersecurity: Food Concepts Plc’s Strategic Alliance with Sidmach appeared first on Sidmach.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a mandatory year of service in Nigeria for university and polytechnic graduates. Launched in 1973, it targets both national unity and development. By bringing young Nigerians together from diverse backgrounds, NYSC fosters understanding and breaks down regional divides. It also cultivates a spirit of service in graduates and deploys their skills across the country to contribute to national progress. Importantly, the program aims to instill a sense of responsibility and willingness to serve the nation’s needs, whenever necessary.

Client: National Youth Service Corp (NYSC)

Industry: Education

Services: Portal development, Infrastructure Solution, Network and Connectivity Solution.

Challenge:

The organization has long relied on manual methods to drive both internal and external business processes. While these methods have served them adequately, they now present significant challenges, which are time-consuming, cumbersome, less effective, and come with a hefty price tag. In today’s fast-paced Internet and Technology Age, they recognize the urgent need to evolve their operations to stay competitive and relevant.

Their manual processes, though functional, were no longer sustainable in the face of modern business demands. They impede their ability to deliver quality and performance efficiently. Moreover, it hinders their agility in responding to market changes and customer needs promptly.

Solution:

To remain successful, they undergo a digital transformation that streamlines operations, enhances efficiency, and enables them to adapt swiftly to evolving business landscapes.

We deployed an “Integrated System” to ensure better application of ICT infrastructure and software solutions to enhance NYSC’s operations. The platform deployed aims to revolutionize their business processes, making them more agile, cost-effective, and responsive. The platform combines advanced state-of-the-art infrastructure, network, database, and applications to unify and secure all WAEC processes. The platform reduces the time and resources needed for various tasks and improves the quality and speed of the operational services.

It also connects the branch offices, zonal offices, the HQ office, and NYSC’s development partners. The platform has been operational since 2014 and is regularly updated and upgraded to the latest technology.

Results

The implementation of Sidmach’s solution delivered significant benefits for NYSC, including greater reliability through robust ICT infrastructure, improved efficiency with automated processes, and enhanced agility for quick adaptation to market changes.

Also strengthening their security with advanced cybersecurity measures, simplified operations and management for increased manageability, substantial cost savings from eliminating inefficiencies, and a competitive advantage positioning NYSC as an industry leader, attracting new opportunities and enhancing its reputation.

The post Empowering National Service with Digital Transformation: The NYSC’s Leap into the Future appeared first on Sidmach.

The West African Examination Council (WAEC), is a prominent examination body that conducts assessments across Nigeria and Anglophone countries, granting certificates that hold international equivalence. Given their pivotal role in the education sector, WAEC faced the challenge of expediting result verification while ensuring the credibility of candidate credentials.

Client: West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

Industry: Education

Services: Software development, Application deployment, Infrastructure Solution, Network and Connectivity Solution, Mailing System, Identity Management Solution,

Challenge:

The organization faced several challenges with its IT infrastructure, which had dispersed stand-alone servers that occupied significant space and consumed excessive power. Operations were manual, making them susceptible to failures. Additionally, the organization struggled with separate networks lacking proper IP management, limited network monitoring, and insufficient bandwidth.

The organization encountered further hurdles due to diverse interfaces and technologies, which complicated its IT infrastructure. Notably, there was a lack of a corporate mailing system, hindering efficient communication. Furthermore, the absence of a document management system and a conferencing and collaboration system impacted productivity. Lastly, integration among the various communication silos was lacking, creating further inefficiencies.

Solution:

We deployed our “Integrated System Platform” to ensure better application of ICT solutions to enhance WAEC’s operations. The platform deployed aims to transition, modernize, and integrate WAEC’s legacy and disjointed systems and operations, making them more efficient and cost-effective. The platform combines advanced state-of-the-art infrastructure, network, database, and applications to unify and secure all WAEC processes. The platform reduces the time and resources needed for various tasks and improves the quality and speed of the operational services.

It also connects the branch offices, zonal offices, the HQ office, and WAEC’s development partners. The platform has been operational since 2008 and is regularly updated and upgraded to the latest technology.

Results:

The adoption of Sidmach’s solution brought about transformative advantages for WAEC, revolutionizing its operational landscape. It ensured that their systems operated reliably, minimizing disruptions and downtime. Processes became more streamlined, reducing manual effort and errors while accelerating task completion. This newfound agility enabled WAEC to swiftly respond to evolving market dynamics and changing customer needs.

Furthermore, the implementation bolstered security measures, safeguarding sensitive data against potential cyber threats with advanced encryption and access controls. Management of IT infrastructure became more straightforward, facilitating easier monitoring, control, and optimization. Additionally, the solution introduced a modular approach, enhancing flexibility and scalability for future growth and adaptation.

The post Revolutionizing Educational Assessment in West Africa: The WAEC IT Transformation Project appeared first on Sidmach.