Dirk Zurawski is an authorised signatory and member of the management board at Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH. He is responsible for corporate communications and network and security solutions at the system house. He answers our questions in this interview.
What exactly does Oberberg-Online do and what role do you play in the company?
Dirk Zurawski: We have been providing IT services to businesses, local authorities, schools and other public institutions for more than 30 years. Our focus is on IT security, telecommunications solutions, regional cloud services and traditional IT support. We operate our own on-site data centre and offer interproviding (procurement, provision and operation of IT systems and services for companies).
How long have you been working with G DATA CyberDefense and what makes the partnership special?
Dirk Zurawski: The partnership has been in place for more than 25 years. When I started working at Oberberg-Online, G DATA CyberDefense was already an established partner of ours. So the collaboration goes back much further than that. I can't say how it came about, but the fact that it has been going on for so long speaks for itself.
I took over direct management of the partnership with G DATA around five years ago, when IT security became part of my area of responsibility. For me, our collaboration is characterised by openness, mutual trust and a very cooperative exchange. This attitude is actively practised by employees on both sides. In my view, the connection between Oberberg-Online and G DATA goes beyond a purely business relationship: it is a partnership between equals, characterised by reliability and a shared understanding of IT security.
Why did you decide to add G DATA's Managed SOC to your portfolio?
Dirk Zurawski: G DATA 365 | Managed Extended Detection and Response closes an important gap in our portfolio. As a medium-sized system house with around 30 employees, we cannot operate our own Security Operations Centre (SOC) and thus provide 24/7 monitoring of IT systems at this level of depth and quality on our own.
The collaboration with G DATA CyberDefense enables us to offer our customers precisely this added value. In this way, we are complementing our existing range of services in a meaningful way and creating a well-rounded, holistic and effective security concept.
What role do you play as a partner between the customer and the Managed SOC?
Dirk Zurawski: That varies greatly and depends heavily on the customer in question. In many cases, we consult with the experts at G DATA, find the right solution and support the implementation. If the local authority or company has its own well-established IT team, the operational cooperation often takes place directly between G DATA and the customer. The situation is different for companies that do not have their own specialists. In these cases, we act as a service provider and serve as an extension of the internal IT department.
There are also different models for dealing with incidents: some customers want to be informed directly in an emergency, while others expressly request that G DATA contact us first. Our technicians then take over the further coordination and implementation of the necessary measures. The spectrum is broad. We consistently tailor our cooperation to the individual requirements of our customers, covering the entire service portfolio.
In an emergency, Oberberg-Online is also on call outside of business hours. As a data centre operator, we offer 24/7 support. Our technicians are trained in IT security. If the Managed SOC detects a critical incident, we are informed in coordinated cases, as already described, and take over the operational implementation of the necessary measures at our customer's site – for example, to contain threats or stabilise systems. The steps that are permissible and desirable in this context are determined in advance. This means that it is decided in advance who will be informed, how far interventions in the network may go, and how IT security and operational capability can be optimally balanced.
For which customers is a managed SOC well suited and how do they benefit from it?
Dirk Zurawski: In my opinion, G DATA's managed SOC is particularly ideal for companies that do not have their own qualified security analysts in-house. Almost every company today uses classic protection measures such as firewalls or endpoint protection. The real challenge lies in monitoring IT systems around the clock and evaluating all the alerts generated by the analysis systems. Often, there is a lack of either personnel or the specialist knowledge required to evaluate security-related events in a well-founded manner. This is exactly where G DATA's Security Operations Centre comes in.
The solution is also particularly interesting for organisations that have to meet increased compliance and data protection requirements. These include public administrations and KRITIS companies. For them, legal and regulatory security plays a decisive role in addition to a high level of protection.
Our customers therefore benefit not only from a first-class level of protection, but also from the fact that development, operation and service take place entirely in Germany. The server infrastructure is subject exclusively to German legislation. This creates transparency and legal certainty – especially in comparison to non-European providers. ‘Made in Germany’ is therefore an important factor for our customers, but also for ourselves.
How do you explain Managed SOC to a customer who has never heard of it before?
Dirk Zurawski: I describe a Managed Security Operations Centre as an extended team of experts who continuously monitor all network activity. This is also the case when customers have already finished work for the day or internal resources are insufficient. For companies, this means they have access to highly qualified security expertise around the clock. They do not need to maintain their own staff for this purpose. The Managed SOC acts as an extension of the IT team, is permanently active in the background and specialises in the rapid detection, assessment and response to security-related events.
In your opinion, how does G DATA's Managed SOC offering differ from comparable offerings on the market?
Dirk Zurawski: Compared to other providers, G DATA is firmly committed to Germany as a location. The SOC is operated and the service provided exclusively here and not abroad. The entire infrastructure is subject to German legislation and is therefore also GDPR-compliant. This creates maximum transparency and legal certainty. This is a clear advantage, especially when compared to non-European providers. German-language support is also not a given. In addition, G DATA has around 40 years of experience in IT security.
Another advantage is that the Managed SOC can be flexibly expanded, for example with a dedicated incident response team that provides immediate support in an emergency. Customers thus receive not only a monitoring and response service, but also a comprehensive security solution that combines technological strength with digital sovereignty.
Is there a specific experience or moment with a managed SOC customer that has particularly stuck in your mind?
Dirk Zurawski: There are companies and organisations that only take action after a specific security incident has caused an eye-opening moment. In one case from the municipal sector, a security-critical incident occurred via the IT systems in a school. This had a significant impact. This was the trigger for fundamentally reviewing their own IT security strategy and taking a structured approach to managed SOC. Situations like this clearly show how important it is to continuously monitor and professionally evaluate security-related events – ideally before any damage occurs.
If you had to describe G DATA Managed SOC in one sentence, what would it be?
Dirk Zurawski: Managed SOC from G DATA CyberDefense is expert protection for everyone, around the clock, from Germany.
This is the fourth article in the blog series about ‘The minds behind G DATA Managed SOC’ with a long-standing partner. At the beginning, Andy Felbinger, G DATA Sales Director Germany, talked about the distribution of a Managed SOC and customer questions. In the next article, Tobias Misse explained the onboarding process for new customers. Part three focused on the work of the SOC team at G DATA CyberDefense. The next article in the series will feature a customer.
