March 13, 2023
“I think [Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server is] an easy, very beautiful solution, and since then, it’s like I’m stuck with SolarWinds! Anytime I need a solution, I turn to SolarWinds.” Peter Ezo, Zenith Pensions, CIO
About Zenith Pensions
Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited (ZPC) is a subsidiary of Zenith Bank and one of Nigeria’s foremost custodians of pension assets. Zenith controls assets under custody of about 42.50% (N6.2 trillion) of the total pension assets in the industry. The company employs around 150 people, with an IT team of 15 led by CIO Peter Ezo.
Challenge
Ezo was frustrated with the lack of security and discipline around collecting fund transfer information and requests from the 18 fund managers they work with. For Ezo, security is the most important pillar of his position. “We know what is happening all around the world security wise, and some of my colleagues have fallen victim to a breach,” Ezo says. “We are the biggest custodian of funds in the country, so we need to make sure we can avoid a breach—and we have been able to do so to this point.”
Though fund management is one of the most highly regulated industries in Nigeria, the industry wasn’t set up with a specific information collection process. Data exchange was difficult; information was sent via email, which left Zenith Pensions open to phishing attacks. They needed a secure and dependable file transfer solution.
As a result, Ezo started searching and speaking with colleagues about a solution. He was introduced by a trusted colleague to SolarWinds, specifically to SolarWinds® Serv-U® Managed File Transfer Server. After conducting due diligence and recognizing how important security is to SolarWinds, Ezo opted to try Serv-U.
Solution
Ezo selected Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server because it provided what he needed: dependable and secure information transfer. Ezo says he loves the “… ability to send email notifications, other capabilities, and the ability to restrict users from going to less secure locations such as an ordinary cyber café [public internet access point] to access information, to send instructions, and so on and so forth.” He credits these abilities with Zenith’s success to date in avoiding fraudulent transactions or security breaches.
Serv-U is a reliable software solution for secure file transfer and sharing anytime, anywhere. Since its adoption, Serv-U has been the only way Zenith accepts information from clients. “Everything must go through the SolarWinds Platform,” Ezo states. “This is dictated to our customers, and we will not work outside of it. This is because it is very secure, we’ve had no breach, and it ensures all the information is collected, easily monitored, and secure.”
Since Zenith adopted the solution over eight years ago, Ezo has discovered SolarWinds solutions provide so much more—all in an easy-to-deploy package. “I think it’s an easy, very beautiful solution, and since then, it’s like I’m stuck with SolarWinds!” Ezo says. “Anytime I need a solution, I turn to SolarWinds.” In fact, he’s currently exploring the database and network traffic analyzer tools.
“When other colleagues ask me how we have been successful, I always tell them about our SolarWinds products, and they help processes and maintain security.”
