ACTS

ACTS is one of the leading providers of software-based solutions across a wide range of industries in the Caribbean and beyond. As specialists in software development and Web-based applications, they provide clients with an unmatched combination of software and technology expertise to meet organizational goals. ACTS takes pride in being experts in application development and security within the financial and judicial sectors, which are areas that recognize elevated risk and increasingly require advanced cyber security. ACTS works with diverse organizations including banks, insurance companies, border patrol, police and organizations in the legal profession.

Challenge

As ACTS develops new solutions for clients, it needs to incorporate a variety of cyber security features so that client data is protected. Their clients also need to remain compliant with constantly evolving security regulations. So developing and modifying these solutions and getting them rapidly to market can be a challenge.

When ACTS conducts testing on solutions, it needs a sufficient quantity of reliable test data, which requires the use of production data. But this data must remain secure and obfuscated at all times.

In addition, ACTS needs to meet the challenges posed by regulatory commissions. Many clients need to be compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under GDPR, customer data must be deleted or anonymized after a certain period.

The challenge, ultimately, was to find a solution that could help ACTS and its clients with a variety of data security requirements.

Solution

ACTS began the search for a proven IBM i data security solution. Several options were considered, including X-Datatest, a solution from Fresche. After careful deliberation, ACTS was very impressed with X-Datatest’s data anonymization capability. What made it the best choice, however, was the unique ability to identify and help implement required changes in applications, which aided significantly in expediting time to compliance for both ACTS and its clients.

For example, ACTS used Fresche’s X-Datatest in conjunction with Fresche services to perform a pilot project for a key client. The client needed complete anonymization of test data and also needed to remove some records to be compliant with GDPR. “This is really what we needed,” says ACTS CEO Jairo Belioso, “because one of our biggest headaches is that the applications we work with are big, and to add that functionality without automation would be a very big project and expensive.”

Results

With X-Datatest, ACTS has everything it needs to help keep customer data secure at a reasonable price, since the solution automates anonymization, record archiving and impact analysis. “What we really liked about X-Datatest is that it’s a Power i solution, and the underlying X-Analysis technology provides impact analysis for any changes we made. We fell in love with the solution. It’s exactly what we want,” said Mr. Belioso.

As more companies permit working from home and as the need for data security increases, ACTS sees possibilities for further use of Fresche solutions. The financial sector in particular becomes more securityconscious every year. With Fresche as its partner, ACTS is ready for any opportunities: “What’s very important right now,” says Mr. Belioso, is that Fresche solutions are a part of our business model, part of our continuity of business. Fresche’s IBM i specialisation, their services — we have been very happy working with them over the past ten years, first with WebSmart, and now with data security solutions.”