‘For us, cloud security goes hand in hand with innovation’

Many companies in regulated industries would like to leverage the potential of the public cloud – for data-driven business models or innovative services, for example. The challenge, however, lies in how to do this: how is it possible to adopt modern cloud technology without neglecting compliance and data protection requirements and the need for technical expertise?

Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB) shows that security does not have to come at the expense of innovation. What it has achieved is more than simply an IT project; it is a flagship project for all those companies in regulated sectors that are looking to use the public cloud without compromising security or control.

LUKB wants to get more from its data, so it can respond to customer requirements in a quicker, more targeted and more innovative manner. Achieving this requires more than just technological openness; it calls for an IT infrastructure that can grow over time, meet the highest security standards and open doors to new digital possibilities. The move to the public cloud promises precisely that, but is far from simple for regulated organisations such as banks. Stringent regulatory requirements, data protection regulations and limited internal IT resources make it difficult to access new technologies quickly and flexibly. But LUKB did not let this stop it from taking this approach and implementing it with strategic clarity.

LUKB worked with Swisscom to build a Microsoft-Azure-based cloud environment specifically designed to meet the requirements of the banking sector. At its heart are security, clear rules and an infrastructure that is easy to operate. The architecture was designed to combine a public cloud workload with security while considering key requirements such as compliance policies, identity and access management, network security, threat detection and mitigation, logging and backup. This has given LUKB a solid technical foundation that not only meets the highest security and governance standards but can also be expanded and upgraded in the future.

What makes the approach special is that the bank is not responsible for dealing with every minor detail. Swisscom provides a modular portfolio of Managed Cloud Services that ensures smooth operations, security policies, monitoring, updates and the continual development of the Azure platform. It works in close collaboration with Microsoft and integrates proven regulatory standards directly into the setup. This means less operation and compliance-related work for LUKB’s IT team, freeing up more time to focus on the core business. 

LUKB and Swisscom have together built a cloud platform that satisfies the most restrictive of regulatory and security requirements while remaining open to further development. Swisscom has the necessary expertise to manage the needs of a regulated environment, considers security and scalability right from the start and assists with the entire process, from setup to operation, creating scope for innovation without compromising on control or stability. This is a great example of successful foresighted digitalisation.