Organisation
Industry
Plan
Time to E8 Level 2
mICROSOFT sECURE sCORE
The Challenge
Ultimo Catering & Events has served Perth for nearly three decades — growing from a catering operation into a business with a significant digital presence spanning on-demand ordering, client management, event operations, and financial data processing across a full Microsoft 365 environment.
That growth is what makes Ultimo's security challenge different from most. The business wasn't managing a static environment — it was managing a growing one, where the volume of client and financial data moving through its systems increases as the business expands. A framework that adequately covered the business at one stage of growth doesn't automatically hold at the next.
For IT Manager Luis Alegria, the question was whether security was genuinely keeping pace — and whether new employees, new data, and expanding operations could be absorbed into the existing posture without requiring a separate review each time.
Why DefenderSuite
DefenderSuite gave Ultimo a managed security framework built to grow with the business. New employees onboard into a controlled, access-managed environment. Additional data volume is covered within the existing posture. Expansion doesn't create gaps — because the framework isn't static.
A business like Ultimo — handling high volumes of client communications across weddings, corporate events, and large-scale functions — is a consistent target for phishing and email-based attacks. Email protection policies filter suspicious content before it reaches inboxes, with quarantined emails reviewed daily by the DefenderSuite team. The operational team never has to think about it.
Everything is actively managed and maintained. Controls don't drift as the business changes. The security posture scales because DefenderSuite owns the upkeep.
The Engagement
Onboarding completed in one month — among the fastest in the DefenderSuite client base. Ultimo's clean Microsoft 365 environment and engaged team meant controls moved through each testing phase without issue. No exclusions were needed, no policies required adjustment, and nothing disrupted operations at any point during deployment.
When an onboarding runs this smoothly, it reflects both the environment the client brings and the structure of the deployment process. Three phases, tested and confirmed before each transition — Essential Eight Level 2 certified before handover to ongoing managed operations.
Fully Deployed & Managed
Automated Patching
Managed Detection & Response
Monthly Security Reports
Phishing-Resistant MFA
Essential Eight Level 2
Identity & Access
24/7 Security Monitoring
Security Training
Microsoft 365 Security
Quarterly Reviews
The Outcome
Ultimo operates at Essential Eight Level 2 with every control actively managed. As the business continues to grow — new staff, more data, expanding operations — the security framework absorbs that growth without additional configuration or review. The business scales. Security scales with it.
SECURITY THAT SCALES
As we've expanded our on-demand ordering and digital presence, the volume of client and financial data moving through our systems has grown significantly. We needed our security to keep pace with that growth. DefenderSuite gave us the framework to scale confidently, knowing that side of the business is handled properly as we continue to grow.
Growing Businesses Carry Growing Security Obligations
Every expansion — more staff, more data, more systems — increases what needs to be protected. A security framework that doesn't scale with your business creates gaps you may not see until something goes wrong.
Find out where you stand with a free Essential Eight assessment.
