Introduction
Funding Circle is the UK’s leading finance platform for SME borrowers. Established in the UK in 2010, Funding Circle has extended more than £13,6bn in credit to c.103,500 businesses. For SME borrowers, Funding Circle provides an unrivalled customer experience, delivered through its technology and data, coupled with a human touch. Its solutions continue to help customers access the funding they need to win. For institutional investors, Funding Circle provides access to an alternative asset class in an undeserved market, and delivers robust and attractive returns.
SEP2 has been a trusted provider of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services for Funding Circle since September 2023. This case study sheds light on the early days of their partnership and how working with SEP2 has benefitted the company.
The need for a Managed Detection and Response service
In the modern cyber security landscape, it is vital for organisations to have the capacity to react to threats in a consistent and timely manner. To do this, Funding Circle welcomed the VP of Security and Infrastructure, Marc White, to implement an overall security strategy. Marc has nearly 30 years of experience in payments and financial services from a security standpoint and said, “I’ve seen the whole transition of physical servers under a desk, that became a comms room, that then went on to be a data centre and then the transition of the cloud. I’ve come along as part of the journey.”
Built on the core technology of Google SecOps, SEP2’s Wingman MDR is delivered as a service by SEP2’s UK-based 24/7/365 staffed SOC. Wingman MDR brings detection and response capabilities to organisations of all sizes and types.
When Marc joined Funding Circle, he encountered the usual challenges of “disparate tooling and limited visibility.”
“Often the term used is ‘you can’t see the wood for the trees’. Most organisations implement security tooling tools and you’ve got different dashboards. The idea is you put them into a single place, and leverage expert resource such as the SEP2 SOC that actually understands that data and work with it on a daily basis. They can assess it case-by-case and escalate it back to us at Funding Circle only when necessary. And that whole process has been really, really smooth.”
Marc White, VP of Security and Infrastructure – Funding Circle
Finding SEP2
Marc had previously worked with Google Chronicle and was keen to find a trusted partner to deliver their technology. Google recommended SEP2 to him as a key partner within the UK, their endorsement a testament to SEP2’s exceptional capabilities and reputation in the industry.
Marc recalls that selecting SEP2 was an easy choice, as our values aligned with his own, “you want to work with an organisation that’s got the same values, not just company values, but personal values. They’re people who have seen how things have been done badly – with some providers just wanting to sell you the next shiny thing. SEP2 completely flipped that on its head. It was just refreshing to be able to have a conversation and not be force-fed a silver bullet.”
His initial exchange with SEP2, coupled with the establishment of a genuine partnership based on shared values, made the decision to work with SEP2 “a bit of a no-brainer”.
Working with SEP2
Funding Circle found the onboarding process with SEP2 to be smooth and uncomplicated. Marc recognised that the most significant challenge was internal, stemming from the complex processes and systems that were in place at Funding Circle. The data was dispersed across various sections of their security stack, presenting a challenge. He required a solution that could consolidate this data into a single, accessible location. The integration of Wingman MDR was made straightforward by the combined efforts of SEP2’s SOC experts and Google, resulting in a seamless process and positive experience for the Funding Circle team.
Looking to the future
Funding Circle’s collaboration with SEP2 has strengthened their security infrastructure, streamlined their tools and made their business more secure. As Funding Circle continues to grow, their partnership with SEP2 will remain a cornerstone of their commitment to safeguarding the businesses they serve.
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Why Choose Us
Our values inspire and guide us towards cyber security excellence
SEP2 are cyber-security specialists whose success is built on five values:
Honesty
We have always worked hard to ensure that we are offering an honest and transparent set of solutions to our clients. This means always prioritising the right solutions to our customers.
Committed to Good
SEP2 is an honourable organisation guided by a strong moral compass. We live this value with authenticity; it is not about simply ticking a social responsibility box. We understand that we are on the side of ‘good’ in a continuing war against cyber criminality, and that we have a purpose and duty to perform.
Passion
No matter who you talk to at SEP2, you will find someone truly passionate about the sector that they are working in. We are fanatical about the sector – working in cyber security really means something to each and every one of us.
Tech Driven
People Powered
We understand that the tech alone is not going to provide you with the security you need. It is our job to know these solutions inside-out to ensure they are right for your requirements. We understand that we need to listen and be proactive. We live our ‘people powered’ value and have a proud history of investing in apprentices to help us grow.
