This financial services organization, operating as a real estate investment trust (REIT), is a long-established institution specializing in housing credit. The company plays a critical role in supporting underserved segments of the U.S. housing market by providing liquidity through securitization platforms, whole-loan distribution, and direct investments.
With a diverse portfolio spanning residential, business and multifamily housing assets, the organization is committed to expanding access to quality housing nationwide. Its values-driven culture emphasizes risk awareness, innovation, and integrity—guiding its mission to be a forward-thinking leader in U.S. housing finance.
With a geographically distributed IT environment across ten sites, the organization faced growing technical and operational challenges. A significant portion of its infrastructure was aging, with hardware nearing end-of life, which posed increasing risks to stability and support. Additionally, reliance on a legacy MPLS network led to high costs and limited network agility.
Security was another pressing concern, as evolving threats demanded stronger cybersecurity frameworks and enhanced compliance capabilities. The company also needed a structured approach to infrastructure upgrades and license management to ensure sustainability. Its multi-data center network added complexity, underscoring the need for resilient design and robust failover mechanisms to ensure continuity of operations.
VirtualArmour partnered with the client in a collaborative operational model, working seamlessly with their internal IT team to enhance infrastructure, security, and cost efficiency.
VirtualArmour provided comprehensive management of the client’s network infrastructure, including firewalls, routers, switches, and SD-WAN technologies such as FortiGate, Cisco ASA, Cisco Meraki, and Aruba SilverPeak. This shared management approach helped ensure consistency, security, and stability across all sites.
To improve network efficiency and reduce costs, VirtualArmour assisted with a successful migration from MPLS to SD-WAN. Additionally, they designed and implemented a 10G interconnect between data centers, complete with dynamic routing and automated internet failover to enhance redundancy and ensure uninterrupted service.
On the security front, VirtualArmour conducted regular assessments to identify vulnerabilities, develop remediation plans, and execute changes in alignment with established processes. The team strengthened security by performing ongoing firewall audits, implementing geo-blocking and intrusion prevention systems (IPS), securing remote access with MFA, and aligning Cisco device configurations with Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks.
To ensure long-term sustainability, VirtualArmour supported regular infrastructure upgrades and provided proactive lifecycle management for hardware and software nearing end-of-support. They also advised on licensing strategies—both for compliance and cost optimization—regardless of the original vendor. In one notable case, their involvement in a license renewal process helped the client make significant savings from the original quoted price.
Through this strategic partnership, the client has realized significant long-term value:
Reduced telecom and licensing expenses through optimization and strategic planning.
Minimized downtime with dynamic routing and proactive infrastructure upgrades.
Improved cyber resilience and compliance posture through multi- layered defense strategies.
Established a seamless extension of the client’s internal IT team, offering expertise and support on demand.
The strategic partnership with VirtualArmour exemplifies the value of collaborative IT management. Through a shared operational model, VirtualArmour has consistently delivered improvements in cost-efficiency, network performance, and security—empowering the client to focus on core business objectives with confidence in a resilient and secure IT foundation.
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