„With MXDR from G DATA, we have genuine 24/7 IT security at the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district administration office“

Manuel Seifer: For us, IT is the driving force behind modern administration. Behind all our services and offerings is a complex IT infrastructure with two of our own data centers in Freiburg, over 2,000 clients, and numerous specialized applications that enable citizens to access digital services. A total of 70 employees take care of all IT matters, in particular the digitization of the administration. However, only five employees focus on IT security and compliance.

Manuel Seifer: It quickly became clear to us that traditional antivirus protection alone is no longer sufficient. Consequently, we decided to take the step toward a Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) solution. We need a solution that detects, blocks, and analyzes attacks around the clock — including outside of regular business hours. Even at that point, we were already in favor of a managed approach. Providing 24/7 monitoring of our IT infrastructure is not something we can achieve with in-house staff alone. This is due both to a lack of personnel and to the absence of the required specialist expertise. We therefore set out to find an offering that combines modern technologies with services and ensures that experienced professionals monitor the systems.

Manuel Seifer: Yes, at the beginning of the selection process we defined clear criteria. These included 24/7 monitoring and immediate response to ensure that all clients and servers are protected in the evenings and on weekends as well. In addition, attacks were to be contained immediately through automated defense mechanisms. Another key requirement was transparency: both the attack attempts and the response needed to be clearly traceable. We also had a clear preference for a European provider that ensures compliance with the GDPR and adheres to the requirements of the BSI IT-Baseline Protection framework.

Manuel Seifer: Since we were already using G DATA CyberDefense’s antivirus solution, the Bochum-based IT security company was our first point of contact during the search. In 2024, we initially conducted a proof of concept with G DATA 365 | MXDR. Despite some minor issues, the test was convincing overall. In feedback sessions, we openly addressed our points of criticism. G DATA responded quickly and provided solutions. This gave us the feeling that we were working with a partner who not only delivers, but also listens and actively finds solutions. Ultimately, this was the decisive factor in choosing G DATA.

Manuel Seifer: From a technical perspective, the roll-out was straightforward. It began in spring 2025 and was completed within approximately four months. Thanks to our in-house software deployment, the transition across more than 2,300 clients and numerous servers ran smoothly. The main challenges were less technical and more organizational in nature — for example, coordinating with schools during the final exam period. However, there were no major obstacles. For employees, the transition was virtually unnoticeable.

Manuel Seifer: G DATA 365 | MXDR runs stably and reliably in our environment. For employees, MXDR primarily means one thing: a high level of security. Alerts are forwarded as tickets via the service desk and are then handled by experts in a targeted manner. The web portal provides an at-a-glance overview of detected attack attempts and the corresponding responses. In addition, we have established our own on-call duty for incidents occurring on weekends or outside regular business hours. However, this has not yet been activated even once.

One example illustrates the solution’s effectiveness: during a WebEx session, MXDR detected suspicious redirects to external websites. Although this turned out to be a false positive, it reinforced our confidence in the system’s responsiveness. It is somewhat paradoxical — ideally, nothing should happen at all. But when an alert does occur, it demonstrates how actively the system is working.

Manuel Seifer: The collaboration is partnership-based and constructive. We feel very well supported by G DATA. Regular coordination meetings ensure that the solution is continuously optimized. I particularly value the personal support provided by dedicated points of contact based in Bochum.

Manuel Seifer: With G DATA 365 | MXDR, the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald District Administration has taken the decisive step toward proactive, around-the-clock cyber defense. We did not want security based on luck, but genuine 24/7 protection. With G DATA, we have achieved exactly that.

The Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, with approximately 270,000 residents, is located in the southwest of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The district administration is responsible for a wide range of tasks in its role as a local district authority and lower state administrative authority. These responsibilities include waste management, social and youth services, road construction and building regulation, health and environmental protection, as well as education administration and immigration services.