Client: Cisco’s Enterprise Customer, Dubai, UAE
Sector: Telecom / Enterprise ICT
Service: Managed SOC Operations, Cyber Defense & Intelligence
Business Challenge
Cisco required a trusted, highly specialized Managed Security Services Partner to operate and enhance a mission-critical Security Operations Center (SOC) for one of its major customers in Dubai.
The customer environment was exceptionally complex — comprising 50,000+ monitored assets, 2,000+ alerts per week, and 150+ cybersecurity applications (SIEM, SOAR, EDR, NDR, TIP, IAM, VTM, etc.).
The challenge was to elevate cyber defense maturity, deliver 24×7 incident readiness, improve threat visibility, and maintain stringent SLA adherence across all security domains.
The SOC needed a partner capable of:
- Real-time threat monitoring & incident response
- Cyber infrastructure operations & DevOps
- Identity & Access Management (IAM) governance
- Vulnerability & threat exposure management
- Security change reviews and compliance assurance
All while ensuring uninterrupted operations and robust governance for Cisco and the end customer.
Solution
Flint International was engaged as Cisco’s Managed Security Services Partner to run the customer’s end-to-end Cyber Defense & Intelligence program for a full year.
The engagement spanned operational, analytical, and strategic layers of the SOC, incorporating L1/L2 (24×7) and L3 (business hours with on-call) support across all cybersecurity domains.
Our service coverage included:
- Security Monitoring & Incident Response: Proactive threat detection, triage, IOC analysis, incident handling, and threat intelligence enrichment.
- DFIR & DevOps: SIEM/SOAR optimization, log source onboarding, security automation, patching, use-case engineering, and content modernization.
- Identity & Access Management (IAM): User access governance, UAM ticket execution, access reviews, and audit-ready reporting.
- Vulnerability & Threat Management: Scanning, prioritization, remediation guidance, and risk escalation to reduce high-risk exposures.
- Operational Change Reviews (OCR): Firewall assessments, configuration audits, infra change reviews, capacity planning, and documentation.
This consolidated model enabled cohesive cyber defense operations supported by strong service governance with Cisco’s regional leadership.
Solution Implementation Process
The engagement followed a structured operational and governance-driven service model:
Phase 1 – SOC Mobilization & Framework Alignment
Baseline assessment of tools, platforms, and alert volumes; refinement of governance workflows; onboarding of security use cases; definition of SLA models; and integration with Cisco + customer leadership.
Phase 2 – Operational Execution & Continuous Optimization
24×7 monitoring, incident handling, threat analysis, IAM operations, and vulnerability management running in full production.
SIEM/SOAR tuning, automation enhancements, and new content onboarding ensured continuous efficiency gains.
Phase 3 – Governance, Reporting & Maturity Improvement
Monthly and quarterly dashboards, SLA audits, escalation management, and leadership reviews.
Proactive initiatives implemented to reduce alert fatigue, accelerate remediation cycles, and strengthen overall security posture.
Customer Benefits
- Stronger Cyber Defense Posture: Improved real-time threat visibility, faster response cycles, and enriched intelligence.
- Automation-Driven SOC Efficiency: SIEM/SOAR tuning and DevOps enhancements reduced manual effort and boosted detection accuracy.
- Audit-Ready IAM Governance: Improved compliance, accurate access reviews, and high SLA achievement across identity services.
- Faster Vulnerability Remediation: Significant reduction in exposure windows across emergency, critical, and high-risk vulnerabilities.
- High SLA Performance:
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- P1 detection ≤ 15 min and resolution ≤ 75 min
- IAM SLA ≥ 95–97%
- Content/onboarding SLA achievement at 99%
- VTM SLA adherence across all severity categories
Together, these outcomes ensured maximum uptime, reliability, and confidence for both Cisco and the customer’s leadership.
Result
Flint’s managed cyber defense leadership enabled Cisco’s customer to achieve a highly resilient security operations environment with stronger threat detection, accelerated remediation cycles, and robust governance maturity.
The partnership ensured uninterrupted SOC operations in Dubai, reinforcing trust and establishing a scalable framework for future cyber defense initiatives across the region.
