From Cyber Risk to Cyber Assurance: A Pension Fund’s MDR Transformation Story
About Dana Pensiun Perkebunan (DAPENBUN)
Dana Pensiun Perkebunan (DAPENBUN), a major player in the Indonesian financial services and pension sector, handles a vast volume of highly sensitive personal and financial data. Operating in a tightly regulated industry, the company must uphold the highest standards of cybersecurity to protect client trust and meet compliance requirements.
In the following case study, Bapak Hariyanto, Division Head of Information Technology at DAPENBUN, shares the key security challenges the company faced and how they were addressed through the adoption of the Athena MDR.
Bapak Hariyanto, Division Head of Information Technology at DAPENBUN
Challenges
DAPENBUN recognized that its internal IT and security team was increasingly stretched in its ability to keep up with today's sophisticated cyber threats and randomly large number of alerts on various days. Building an in-house Security Operations Center (SOC) with 24/7 threat detection and response capabilities required heavy investment in talent, tools, and operations—resources that were difficult to scale quickly in a cost-effective manner and with unpredictable costs.
The team needed a solution that could deliver continuous monitoring, fast threat detection, and real-time incident response while also complying with industry regulations. Local and global managed detection and response (MDR) vendors were evaluated, but few could offer the responsiveness and regulatory awareness the company needed.
The Sangfor Solution: Athena MDR
After evaluating several MDR providers, DAPENBUN chose the Sangfor Athena MDR service (previously known as Sangfor Cyber Guardian MDR) for its strong regional and global presence, customized approach, and deep understanding of local compliance requirements.
The Sangfor Athena MDR team conducted a thorough consultation process to assess the company’s infrastructure, cybersecurity gaps, and regulatory obligations. Throughout the evaluation phase, Sangfor stood out for its:
- Proven track record and strong reputation as a global security vendor
- Responsiveness and expert guidance during vendor selection
- Seamless integration with the customer’s existing environment
Once selected, Sangfor deployed its MDR solution with minimal disruption to operations. The onboarding process included continuous visibility, SOC integration, and threat hunting capabilities that immediately strengthened the customer's cyber posture.
Results & Benefits
Since adopting Sangfor’s MDR services, DAPENBUN has achieved major and fast improvements in threat detection and response, including:
- Faster response times to potential threats compared to relying solely on internal resources
- 24/7 threat monitoring, real-time support and clear incident explanation from Sangfor’s security analysts
- Improved visibility into cyber risks and stronger operational confidence, without much hands-on or micromanagement from company
More importantly, the company no longer relies solely on reactive responses. Sangfor’s team proactively identifies and analyzes threats, allowing them to take preventive action faster and with greater accuracy. This has significantly improved the overall security posture and strengthened stakeholder confidence.
Bapak Hariyanto checking a security notification from the Sangfor Athena MDR team
Cybersecurity isn’t something you can afford to put off or taken lightly. For peers in the financial or pension sector especially, I highly recommend looking into MDR solutions like Sangfor’s. Their expertise and hands-on support have been a real asset to us. It feels like a partnership rather than just a vendor-client relationship, and this partnership has added substantial value to our security operations.
Bapak Hariyanto, Division Head of Information Technology at DAPENBUN
Future Outlook
With Sangfor’s commitment and performance proven, DAPENBUN is now considering expanding its use of Sangfor’s solutions. The organization is exploring opportunities to adopt Sangfor’s other security and cloud infrastructure offerings to further enhance system efficiency and protection across its IT environment.
We are always looking for solutions that can improve the efficiency and security of our infrastructure. Sangfor has demonstrated strong commitment and capabilities, so we will definitely consider their products moving forward.
Bapak Hariyanto concluded, expressing confidence in the ongoing collaboration.