Arab National Bank: Transforming for the future

The anb journey

One of the oldest banks in Saudi Arabia, Arab National Bank (anb) historically catered to pensioners and retirees. Though this business was successful, the financial institution always had its eye on something bigger. As the banking industry and technology shifted, the organization saw an opportunity to evolve its approach, enhance its operations, and expand its growth.

Building for the future

Always forward-looking, anb embraced change and launched an ambitious digital transformation strategy.

“We’re a modern bank. A digital bank. An innovative bank,” said Ala Asali, Chief Security Officer at anb. “We’re proud of our history working with retirees, but we can do more. Now we serve everyone, everywhere, any time.”

To deliver on its promise of faster, simpler banking for everyone, anb needed to overcome both technological and industry-wide challenges. And it needed the right tools and processes to power its journey.

Facing the challenges of modern banking

When anb kick-started its transformation, it began to encounter the same hurdles that other multinational financial institutions run into.

As the bank grew, its IT infrastructure expanded and the way it reached its growing customer base began to shift. This meant more data to protect. So keeping information secure and staying compliant was—and remains—a top priority.

In addition to more customers, the organization was also increasing its number of employees. This, combined with the COVID-related rise in remote work, meant anb needed to ensure secure access to its systems and services. “We need access from anywhere and any device. Secure remote access is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s essential to doing business,” said Mr. Ala.

What happens when you solve one problem at a time,” said Mr. Ala. “You collect countless unconsolidated solutions.”

The result of these siloed tools? A lack of integration that led to SecOps inefficiency, reduced visibility, and limited control of the institution’s many endpoints.

To continue its transformation journey, anb needed to streamline its SecOps and consolidate its security tools.

Dealing with disconnected solutions

These challenges led the rapidly expanding bank to inadvertently adopt a disconnected collection of security solutions. It had too many tools serving too many different purposes. “That’s what happens when you solve one problem at a time,” said Mr. Ala. “You collect countless unconsolidated solutions.”

The result of these siloed tools? A lack of integration that led to SecOps inefficiency, reduced visibility, and limited control of the institution’s many endpoints.

To continue its transformation journey, anb needed to streamline its SecOps and consolidate its security tools.

Forging a path forward

When anb partnered with Trellix, it immediately began bringing order to its security environment—and rethinking its security culture. “We changed the mentality and the way we do things into an agile and adaptive approach.” said Mr. Ala.

Today, security operations are an important driver in anb’s continued evolution. Mr. Ala said, “At Arab National Bank, cybersecurity is a business center. A business partner. A business enabler.”

Equipped with Trellix solutions, anb was empowered to:

Integrate siloed tools

With consolidated solutions, the organization eliminated redundancies, cut down on operational error, and reduced the time and cost required to train employees on new technology.

Improve visibility

Using the Trellix centralized platform, anb simplified security operations and gave analysts a consistent interface, which improved monitoring of user behavior across the entire network.

Secure data everywhere

The bank continued to ensure customers that their sensitive information was being kept safe—and reduced the occurrence of costly breaches—by protecting data across all endpoints using Trellix DLP.

Prospering with the right partner

In Trellix, anb has found a true cybersecurity partner. “Trellix is great with support,” said Mohammed Alfayez, Head of Cybersecurity Center and Infrastructure at anb. “They’re helpful with troubleshooting and solving problems. We’re very satisfied with their responses and collaboration.”

Through its partnership with Trellix, anb has the security solutions it needs to build on its foundation as an innovative, future-facing financial institution and continue its digital transformation.