Why industry-specific IT standards bring security and growth

Very much so. Atelios was founded in 2011. We are a certified provider for the VW brand environment – i.e. for brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, MAN, Lamborghini, and Škoda. Our core business is connecting car dealerships to the central factory systems of these brands. Initially, we had two main products: our own data center for VPN connections and our “Smart Server” in the car dealership, which provides data such as spare parts availability and vehicle updates. I joined the company in 2017 and built up the security division – as a managed service from the outset.

That varies greatly. There are car dealerships that are highly IT-savvy – and those that would prefer not to use email at all. But acceptance is growing, not least because VW and other manufacturers are imposing higher IT standards. In the past, everyone accessed the internet via central proxy servers – secure, but no longer up to date. Today, car dealerships have their own internet connections – and with that comes increased risk.

This operating concept is essentially an IT guide for car dealerships. It describes server and network structures, security measures such as firewalls and zone concepts, and access controls. This makes our work much easier because we can rely on standardized specifications. Many industries lack something like this – in the automotive world, it is a clear advantage.

Our first security component was a locally installed firewall, directly integrated into our existing Smart Server. Thanks to this foundation, we were able to roll out firewalls quickly and without on-site appointments. From the outset, we relied on our “one-to-many” approach: we administer, monitor, and update all firewalls centrally. 90% of the configuration is identical for all customers, with the remainder consisting of targeted adjustments. If a customer reports a problem, we adjust the central template—and everyone benefits immediately.

Absolutely. Standardization makes managed services scalable. Without clear processes and templates, our rapid rollouts would be impossible. It is important to focus on products that can be managed centrally. We don't want to build a team that is constantly traveling throughout Germany and Switzerland. Our strength lies in centralized operations, monitoring, and support.

The automotive industry is one of the main targets for cyberattacks. As a provider, we must comply with Tisax certification, which goes well beyond ISO. It is a prerequisite for doing business with manufacturers and importers. Car dealerships have their own audits, which also check security standards. Such requirements help us because they raise customer awareness of security issues.

24/7 support is not currently our focus, as we are limited to one time zone. But we are seeing growing interest in managed detection and response, particularly due to cyber insurance requirements. This will certainly become an increasingly important field in the coming years.

Choose a clearly defined target group and build on standards. Whether automotive, doctors, or lawyers—those who understand an industry can develop solutions that are identical in 90% of cases. This saves effort, increases quality, and facilitates sales. Those who have ten customers in a niche market will find it easier to win the eleventh.