ED&F MAN: From blindspots to complete visibility
Industry
Challenge
Solution
Results
Executive Summary
ED&F Man, a global commodities trading group operating across 80 countries, faced significant cybersecurity challenges exacerbated by the shift to hybrid working post-COVID. Their existing tools lacked unified visibility across both network traffic and endpoint activity, particularly for remote workers. Furthermore, the security team was overwhelmed by a high volume of alerts, many of which were false positives. After a rigorous Proof of Concept (POC) comparing SenseOn against their incumbent provider across 50 distinct use cases, ED&F Man selected the SenseOn Intelligence Cloud. The platform's AI Triangulation drastically reduced false positives, improving team efficiency. Its unified sensor deployment provided critical visibility on and off the corporate network. Coupled with highly responsive integrated SOC support, SenseOn has become a trusted partner, enabling ED&F Man's lean security team to operate more effectively and confidently.
Challenges
Unified Visibility and Alert Fatigue in a Hybrid World
The global pandemic accelerated ED&F Man's shift towards a more flexible, hybrid working model. This presented a critical security challenge: maintaining visibility over devices regardless of their location. "We needed a product that gave us both the network capabilities and the ability to see what was happening on endpoints," Mr. Turner states. Compounding this visibility gap was the issue of alert fatigue. John Jordan, Cyber Security Analyst at ED&F Man, notes that previous tools generated an excessive number of alerts that required investigation. "Our previous tool resulted in a lot of false positives and needless investigation", placing a significant burden on the small cybersecurity team
Solution
SenseOn Intelligence Cloud – Unifying Data and Intelligence
ED&F Man deployed the SenseOn Intelligence Cloud platform, leveraging its unique ability to ingest and analyse telemetry from identity, network and endpoint sensors within a single platform. Key aspects included:
Unified Sensor Deployment
SenseOn provided visibility across ED&F Man's entire digital estate, covering network traffic and endpoint activity (servers, laptops) through its lightweight universal sensor. As highlighted by Harry Patching, Cyber Security Analyst, "Our prior tool... was only looking at our infrastructure on the network. SenseOn gives us visibility across all of our devices, even when off the network."
Root Cause Triangulation
SenseOn's AI Triangulation intelligently correlates multiple related, potentially suspicious activities over time and across different data sources (network, endpoint, identity) to build high-fidelity 'cases' that represent genuine threats requiring attention. No more high volume alerts for every potential threat.
Integrated SOC Support
Direct access to SenseOn's expert Security Operations Centre (SOC) analysts via an in-platform messaging tool, connecting you straight to a human analyst
"Try it. You can listen to all the marketing and all the hype... but actually trying it and doing a proof of concept and seeing real-world what it does is the best way of finding out that it's going to work for you."
Results
Drastic Reduction in False Positives & Improved Efficiency
The most significant impact has been the reduction in alert noise. "We have seen a huge reduction in false positives based on how SenseOn correlates signals into a case," says John Jordan. He quantifies the impact: "We managed to reduce alerts from 40 per day to about 40 per month... it massively reduces how much time we waste on false leads.." This allows the small team to focus on genuine threats. Harry Patching adds, "the AI triangulation reduces the time that we spend on alerts... only surfacing the stuff that we really needed to pay attention to."
Complete Visibility for Hybrid Work
The ability to monitor endpoints both on and off the corporate network proved invaluable, especially during the pandemic-driven shift to remote work. "Our rollout was during the pandemic, giving us the visibility we needed," notes Harry Patching.
Responsive and Expert SOC Support
ED&F Man views the relationship with SenseOn as more than just a vendor-client transaction. "I believe that to get the best out of any contract or solution, it's a partnership," says Glyn Turner. "What we found here is that we can do that. So when we have an idea, SenseOn is very open to listening to that idea and, if it makes sense, baking that into the roadmap and getting that into the product... the partnership element is key.
Conclusion
A Clear Recommendation
ED&F Man's experience demonstrates the power of SenseOn's unified approach and intelligent data analysis. By consolidating identity, network and endpoint visibility and leveraging AI Triangulation, SenseOn has dramatically reduced alert fatigue, enhanced the security team's efficiency, and provided crucial visibility for a modern hybrid workforce. The responsive SOC support and collaborative partnership further solidify SenseOn's value.
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