Case Study by Tony Hawker - Head of Technology, Mainstream Group
The Background
Mainstream Fund Services is a global provider of specialist administrative services for the financial services industry. As one of Australia's largest independent administrators, we look after the operational needs of fund managers – our client base includes many leading financial institutions.
The Goal
We recently developed a new release for an application that needed thorough Penetration Testing ahead of launch within a very short timeframe. We regularly undertake Penetration Testing and this time we turned to The Missing Link.
The Selection Process
The Missing Link had been recommended to us by a colleague. Based on this recommendation, I spoke with the Missing Link and was left with a great impression – they were really helpful, and they took a flexible approach to accommodate our needs. I could see they had our best interests in mind – they wanted to make sure the project was a success.
When it came time to engage, we were impressed with The Missing Link's proposal and professionalism. It was an easy decision.
The Relationship
In the lead up to Penetration Testing, the guys at The Missing Link were proactive, helpful and happy to accommodate our tight timeframe. This was during the COVID lockdown, which could have complicated things, but fortunately, it didn't. We used video meetings to work through our requirements, refine the specifications, and plan the entire process.
From end to end, the process took two months. The Missing Link undertook both onsite testing in Sydney and remote testing. It was a very smooth process – there were no hurdles, and neither were there any surprises.
During testing, The Missing Link were good at explaining things, talking us through the outcomes, and providing the next steps. I was impressed by the way they summarised those issues and guided us through them.
Unusually, the Penetration Testers were also great communicators. They were keen to get involved and explain various aspects of the project. That made the whole project a great experience.
The Difference
When I reflect on this project with The Missing Link, the difference for me was the ease of engagement. They were clearly there to run the project, and they focussed on what we asked for and delivered it well. While they discussed various products that may be useful, there was no overselling. We've worked with plenty of providers who have tried to upsell us along the way or didn’t deliver to our specification
For Mainstream as a company, our engagement with The Missing Link was a success. We were able to get the app delivered on time because the testing was completed well and within our deadline.
