The Challenge
With almost 1,000 employees supporting around 2,500 individuals across 42 remote sites, NEAS is dependent on its WAN (wide area network) in order to deliver vital front-line services.
In recent years the relationship with the company’s previous IT provider had fragmented which meant that their IT systems were not getting the necessary attention. Their infrastructure was outdated and in need of an urgent refresh.
Before partnering with Aspire, hackers exploited NEAS’ poor digital security and lack of network patching, resulting in the company suffering ransomware attacks on four separate occasions within a five-month period. Known as ‘CryptoLocker’, the strain of ransomware was so dangerous that it took a dedicated global government task force to bring it down.
NEAS had experienced a decline in service level from their previous IT provider; support ticket requests were increasing with limited support. The charity was lacking a strategic technical partner to help them plan their IT projects and budgets more accurately. This meant that costs were spiralling in tandem with a reduction in both service performance and system functionality.