The Reynolds and Reynolds Company announced today the construction of an expansive state-of-the-art security operations center (SOC) for Proton Dealership IT.
The SOC will be built on-site at Reynolds’ headquarters in Dayton, Ohio. Reynolds acquired Proton in summer 2022, and the strength of both companies combined allow for higher-scale delivery of service expertise.
The SOC will be a vital component to Proton’s ongoing security monitoring and response activities for cyber threats for dealerships across North America. Additionally, the Proton SOC will also upgrade Reynolds’ existing network operations center by adding a dedicated space exclusively for monitoring security.
“Active monitoring of a dealership’s network is a vital step toward preventing cyberattacks,” said Chris Walsh, president of Reynolds. “This new operations center is a significant investment and allows us to further demonstrate we are the best choice for automotive dealership cybersecurity.”
The SOC will collect and analyze data to identify suspicious or malicious activity on behalf of its clients. Constant, 24/7/365 monitoring, by Reynolds staff is necessary because cybercriminals never stop attacking.
When the SOC is fully operational, it will be headed by Reynolds Chief Information Security Officer Nikhil Kalani. Cybersecurity personnel will be on-site and receive ongoing training on the current cyber landscape, the tools criminals use, and the methods they employ to keep their skills sharp. This team will continuously monitor and analyze the security of Proton’s clients, defend them against security breaches, and actively isolate and mitigate security risks.
“There is a big difference between what it means to be compliant, and what it means to be secure,” said Kalani. “With dealerships constantly under attack, the cybersecurity professionals in the SOC, and the tools they will have at their disposal, will be dealers’ first line of defense.”
Construction of the SOC is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
