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BDO Digital updates and strengthens cybersecurity practices for Dr. Martens

With a Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) approach that places Microsoft security solutions at the forefront, BDO Digital is helping brands secure their digital futures for the long haul.

March 6, 2025

In a digital, global economy, many brands face a daunting challenge: how to protect their sensitive data from increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats. As businesses grow, the risks multiply, demanding more advanced and adaptable security solutions. It's a top concern because breaches affect not only data but also customer trust and brand reputation.

That's where industry leaders like BDO Digital come into play. A Microsoft partner for over 15 years, the global company has expertise in Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Azure AI, and more. Their innovative, holistic approach to cybersecurity integrates advanced technologies and emphasizes long-term partnerships, redefining what it means to protect and support clients in a rapidly evolving world.

BDO Digital's work includes auditing financial statements, conducting internal risk assessments, and providing consulting. But they also help with technology enablement, like migrating customers to the cloud—a vital action for those looking to use AI for their business. Their work delivering proactive and scalable solutions aligned with each customer's unique needs led them to win the 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for Modern Work in the Secure Productivity category.

“We understand what businesses need and translate [that] into technical specs,” said Kaspar Euvrard, Director of BDO Digital's cybersecurity team. Euvrard oversees and manages the organization's security services capability within the United Kingdom. “[We] help clients manage their risk appropriately, and we also have people who can take an overall transformation project from end to end. We're not afraid to say what we think you should do differently.”

It's that distinction that brought them to the attention of a globally known fashion brand.

Giving security threats the boot

Dr. Martens, the iconic British footwear and accessories brand known for their rebellious spirit and timeless design, has international operations that span not only online retail but also in-store shopping, manufacturing, and more. Every business these days needs some sort of cybersecurity protection—and Dr. Martens had already taken precautions—but their previous security partner was only reacting to incidents.

“Our existing security monitoring service was not giving us the coverage that we needed as it focused on our corporate technology only,” said Theo Botha, Chief Information Security Officer at Dr. Martens. “We needed a more holistic solution.” For their business and their customers, the team wanted to be proactive—they were searching for 24/7 monitoring capability with end-to-end visibility across their entire technology stack.

Though BDO Digital hadn't previously worked with Dr. Martens, they did have an existing relationship with Botha from a previous project, which gave them the opportunity to prove themselves to the retailer. Euvrard's team offered sound advice on what threats they needed to focus on and how they should respond to them. They never tried to upsell by pushing a solution Dr. Martens didn't need or convincing them to purchase more storage space than was required. This approach fostered a high degree of trust. “We're not there to drive consumption just for the sake of consumption,” Euvrard explained. “We optimize consumption.”

Implementing the solution required finesse, flexibility, and close partnership. For starters, Dr. Martens' global operations meant that they needed around-the-clock support. “We pulled together a global team that could work in different time zones to be able to get all the work done that they needed to get done,” said Euvrard. “We could also support them within the specific areas that they have operations, so there's somebody awake at every time they need to do it.”

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Dr. Martens also required the project to happen on an accelerated timeline—five weeks as opposed to BDO Digital's usual estimated delivery time of eight weeks. BDO Digital made it happen. Botha added, “The BDO team demonstrated expert Microsoft knowledge throughout our POV stage and really showed a willingness and drive to get things done. This was instrumental in helping us deploy the service in a reduced timeline without compromising on quality and coverage of the service.”

“[We] help clients manage their risk appropriately, and…can take an overall transformation project from end to end. We're not afraid to say what we think you should do differently.”

—Kaspar Euvrard, Director, BDO Digital Cybersecurity

Protection that's tough as leather

To kick things off, BDO Digital set Dr. Martens up with their Perpetual Defense solution, a robust, tailored Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) strategy built with Microsoft security tools. The implementation process was designed to work seamlessly with Dr. Martens' existing infrastructure, setting the stage for quick results and continuous improvement.

“We were running disparate monitoring solutions which worked for us at the time, but we were really looking for an integrated end-to-end MXDR service to help mature and improve our detection and response capability,” said Botha. “The Microsoft security tools and service from BDO gave us this improvement and was financially beneficial as well. Our board was also more comfortable with the service being provided by a reputable firm like BDO."

The two organizations maintained contact through Microsoft Teams, with BDO Digital holding regular touchpoints and improvement sessions. “Since starting our services with BDO, we have been working together to improve the coverage and quality of the service within our environment,” said Botha. BDO Digital’s developers guided Dr. Martens through the implementation of solutions like Sentinel, Defender, Azure Lighthouse, Defender for Identity, and Defender for Cloud. “It felt more like an internal partnership, even though we were an external service provider,” said Euvrard. “It was very collaborative.”

The partnership didn't end with the installation of Perpetual Defense security measures. BDO Digital is linked to Dr. Martens' tools so they're able to take action quickly if necessary. “If we find something like an account that's compromised, that's within their environment, we can log in and help them change the password for it proactively,” said Euvrard.

“The BDO team feels like a natural extension of our team and is readily available to support us with service improvements or advice.”

—Theo Botha, Chief Information Security Officer, Dr. Martens

Lacing up for the long haul

The partnership between BDO Digital and Dr. Martens continues, with Euvrard's team available to answer questions and the two teams already exploring more areas in which they can work together. Dr. Martens is looking to expand into other areas of BDO Digital's suite of advisory and consultative services and potentially implement more AI-powered solutions.

“The BDO team feels like a natural extension of our team and is readily available to support us with service improvements or advice,” said Botha. “[And we’re] excited about the prospect of using more AI capabilities to improve the security services within Dr. Martens.”

Euvrard is optimistic that AI innovations will further help Microsoft security solutions to strengthen defense, respond to emerging threats, and proactively update security measures for organizations. “AI has obviously completely game-changed for us. We can leverage AI to improve the efficiency and the speed at which we deliver services to our clients,” Euvrard said. “We're helping clients get their head around AI, what value they can get out of it, and our experience with Microsoft helps us to do that.”

Euvrard also looks forward to continuing to work with Microsoft, deploying their solutions to protect data and brand reputations and strengthening a partnership that has already achieved impressive results.

“What we really enjoy about the partnership is the way that we can work with Microsoft,” said Euvrard. “We can provide overall end-to-end business solutions using Microsoft capability. Our partnership allows us to work with technology and have a business mindset to get the most out of it.”

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