Rapid Technic AG – Rapid sensitises employees to cyber risks through Bechtle training courses.

Challenge.

The right solution for every application - that’s Rapid Technic AG. Whether mowing technology, forage harvesting or winter maintenance, Rapid offers the right agricultural and municipal technology with products such as the Rapid Monta, Rapid Kipos and Rapid Varea. With its innovative and practical equipment, Rapid makes work easier and more efficient worldwide. However, innovations also increase awareness and therefore the likelihood of a cyber attack. Rapid Technic AG is aware of the danger posed by cyber threats and wanted to improve its preventive security. But it’s not just the network itself that needs protective measures. Cyber criminals are increasingly taking advantage of employees’ often careless handling of emails to launch attacks and infiltrate companies with ransomware. Rapid therefore wanted to better train and sensitise its employees in Switzerland, Germany and Romania in dealing with such threats. The management wanted to improve the responsiveness of its employees with comprehensive security awareness training and sample phishing emails and was looking for a specialist who could tailor the training to the specific needs of the company. As Rapid Technic AG’s IT service provider, Bechtle was able to offer all of this with its in-depth security expertise.

Solution.

Bechtle was in a position to take on both the implementation and management of such a security awareness solution, as Rapid’s internal structure was already known and emergency scenarios were already defined thanks to the long-standing customer relationship. The IT service provider relied on Proofpoint’s tried-and-tested Security Awareness Training SaaS Portal for the customised training solution it wanted. Bechtle initially used it to plan and configure individual campaigns with which Rapid wanted to sensitise its employees - sometimes with links, sometimes with attached documents or with booking requests. To simulate the authenticity of the emails, Bechtle set up Rapid’s branding in Proofpoint, uploaded the employees’ data to the platform and configured the system to create realistic phishing emails. The subsequent campaigns enabled Bechtle to analyse employee behaviour and identify training needs. Based on the results, training modules with their own templates were developed for the employees of the individual departments, which could be specifically customised. Bechtle conducted several such training campaigns to continuously improve employees’ awareness and skills in dealing with cyber security threats. The severity of the phishing emails increased steadily. In the end, Bechtle even used internal data and project knowledge to intercept data or money. The results were incorporated into the training courses. Among other things, employees learn how to check emails and their real senders or recognise fake URLs. In this way, employees learn how to handle their user data securely. Rapid now uses Proofpoint’s virtual training modules for every new employee and runs another campaign for everyone in the company at least once or twice a year together with Bechtle. In this way, Rapid Technic AG has been able to improve user behaviour in the long term and ensures that cyber threats become a pause topic and that employees prefer to check the senders of emails once too often rather than too little.

Business Benefits.

Thanks to the phishing emails sent by Bechtle on a trial basis and the training materials in Proofpoint based on them, Rapid Technic AG has achieved a higher level of cyber security. Employees at all locations are now better able to recognise potential threats and respond appropriately. Thanks to the training, they are aware that the dangers do not only come from classic e-mails, but that the threat can also supposedly come from within. Rapid’s proactive approach and the introduction of security awareness training improved the company’s risk management and reduced its vulnerability to cyber attacks.

Partner.