TL;DR
Pike Township Fire Department strengthened its cybersecurity posture by deploying ArmorPoint’s SOC-as-a-Service to protect sensitive systems and enable secure emergency response operations. The initiative reduced risk exposure and improved cyber resilience for mission-critical infrastructure.
Founded in 1965 and based in Marion County, Indiana, Pike Township Fire Department is led by IT Director Brandon Krieger, a former firefighter turned administrator. Serving and protecting a Township with over 83,000 residents, the department's reliance on technology has become indispensable in ensuring effective and timely emergency responses. Recognizing the vital role of cybersecurity in safeguarding these operations, the department has committed to implementing robust cybersecurity measures under Krieger's guidance.
Why Pike Township Fire Department Upgraded Cybersecurity Services
The rapid evolution of cyber threats, particularly those augmented by artificial intelligence, places the department in a vulnerable position, with potential consequences for public safety and community trust.
Krieger explains the high stakes: “In the event that we had some kind of data breach or we had a ransomware or other cybersecurity incident, our township is impacted immediately. It impacts our taxpayers because they're counting on us to provide emergency response and government solutions for them, and when our infrastructure goes down, our taxpayers suffer. We're talking about an emergency response organization, not being able to get fire trucks or other medical services to individuals in a timely manner which could cost lives.”
Krieger further describes the operational challenges his department is up against: “Our personnel face significant hurdles if unable to access or update patient care records and other essential reports. Hospitals may not receive the critical information needed to treat patients effectively. Therefore, robust cybersecurity is crucial not only for maintaining our operational integrity but also for ensuring that we can respond to emergencies without fail.“
The Strategic Partnership with ArmorPoint
To address these challenges, Pike Township Fire Department partnered with ArmorPoint, facilitated by their managed service provider, ESI Technologies, Inc., to overhaul their cybersecurity strategy.
ArmorPoint was selected for its cost-effectiveness, user-friendly interface, and comprehensive 24/7 monitoring capabilities, as Krieger explained, “ArmorPoint provided a reasonable price point and a more intuitive user interface myself and my team could learn quickly and utilize for the key metrics we needed to be able to measure.”
Partnership Outcomes
The collaboration with ArmorPoint and ESI led to several significant improvements in Pike Township Fire Department’s cybersecurity management, including:
Streamlined Alert Management
Pike Township Fire Department is now able to prioritize important alerts, ensuring that the team is not overwhelmed by frequent, irrelevant notifications. Krieger emphasized this improvement, adding, “Our partnership with ArmorPoint has really made cybersecurity management a much easier process. We get notified when we need to be notified, and we're not inundated with obscure or out-of-left-field kind of notifications.”
Efficient Incident Response
When incident notifications are received, ArmorPoint jumps into action immediately by automatically remediating some issues, streamlining the response process. Plus, by also collaborating with ESI, they have established clear protocols for incident handling, ensuring that Krieger’s involvement is reserved for critical issues. He notes, “When I actually have to get involved and help mitigate a problem, it is pretty significant.”
Reduced MTTD & MTTR
The ArmorPoint dashboard significantly enhances their ability to proactively monitor threats. Its user-friendly configuration allows for easy customization, enabling the team to access both short-term and long-term data trends. This functionality helped Krieger and team anticipate potential security issues or vulnerabilities, effectively reducing the mean time to detect (MTTD) and respond (MTTR) to threats.
Furthermore, the depth of the dashboard's analytics ensures that only the most critical notifications are escalated, allowing for immediate action. This selectivity in alert management empowers Krieger’s team to prioritize their responses effectively. “When a critical issue arises, we can quickly decide whether to handle it internally or escalate it to ArmorPoint's specialists, facilitating swift and efficient resolution,” explains Krieger.
Simplified Cybersecurity Management
Overall, Krieger appreciates the ease brought about by this partnership, adding, “The partnership between ArmorPoint and ESI and myself makes for a pretty seamless and cohesive way to manage [cybersecurity], and everyone likes it when it's a little bit easier to manage your cybersecurity.”
