The National Animal Welfare Trust successfully transitioned to a cloud-native setup, improving operational flexibility and scalability by removing old on-premise servers.
Implemented Managed Security Operations Centre functionalities, including Managed Detection & Response (MDR) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) for advanced cyber security and compliance.
Provided IT management through SLA-backed Support Desk services and 24x7 security monitoring, overseen by a dedicated technical account manager and backed by a Fractional Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Expanded IT services including Entra ID, Intune (MDM), and security awareness training to strengthen cyber defence against threats.
The National Animal Welfare Trust a.k.a NAWT is a prominent charity in the UK that focuses on promoting the well-being of animals. They focus on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming animals that require assistance, guaranteeing that each one is given thorough care and an opportunity for a fresh start. NAWT employs a dedicated team of professionals to create a safe and happy environment for all animals.
NAWT encountered major obstacles as a result of an outdated IT system that could not keep up with their expanding requirements, especially in terms of securely handling data across more than 10 geographical locations, and facilitating remote work. Relying on physical servers based in their Watford HQ was restricting their ability to adapt to modern working methodologies, and presented issues in enforcing compliance policies and security protocols without severely hampering user productivity.
Transitioning to a fully cloud-native environment eliminated physical infrastructure requirements and associated IT maintenance costs. This was enhanced by Microsoft Nonprofit grants which reduced recurring licensing costs.
By replacing the local Active Directory with a combination of Entra ID and MDM, and deploying advanced security services across all locations, they have strengthened their cyber security to prevent unauthorised access and cyber attacks.
A VPN-free remote desktop and a hosted Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (Azure ADI) were implemented for remote operations allowing team members to work remotely without complex and expensive VPN configurations.