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MTN Ghana Strengthens Azure Security Posture with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Remediation and Zero Trust Governance Framework

Improving cloud security maturity and compliance across MTN Ghana’s Azure environment through structured Defender for Cloud remediation, identity hardening, and policy-driven governance
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Cloud Security Gaps Low Secure Score Identity Risks

Azure security posture at risk with 38% secure score and unmanaged vulnerabilities

MTN Ghana's Azure environment operated with a secure score of just 38%, with over 200 unresolved security recommendations. MFA was not enforced across privileged accounts, and diagnostic logging was absent from several subscriptions, leaving critical workloads exposed.

Health professionals reviewing data on screen
Defender for Cloud Zero Trust Identity Azure Policy

Structured Defender for Cloud remediation with Zero Trust identity and governance enforcement

Reliance Infosystems deployed a phased security remediation using Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Entra ID to enforce MFA and Conditional Access, and Azure Policy to govern compliance and prevent configuration drift at scale across all subscriptions.

82% Secure Score 200+ Fixed MFA Enforced

Azure secure score improved from 38% to 82% with full critical vulnerability remediation

MTN Ghana's secure score more than doubled in a single engagement. All critical and high-severity vulnerabilities were remediated, MFA enforced for all privileged accounts, just-in-time access enabled for internet-facing VMs, and diagnostic logging activated enterprise-wide.

CASE STUDY

Customer

MTN Ghana

Industry

Telecommunications & Media

Category 

Security

Revenue (USD)

$500,000 

Microsoft Azure Security Transformation 

MTN Ghana is a leading telecommunications provider in West Africa and a subsidiary of MTN Group, delivering mobile connectivity, data services, and digital financial solutions to millions of customers across Ghana. 

To strengthen its cloud security posture after migrating enterprise workloads to Microsoft Azure, MTN Ghana partnered with Reliance Infosystems to assess and remediate security gaps across its Azure environment using Microsoft Defender for Cloud and native Azure security services. 

The engagement significantly improved security visibility, compliance alignment, and governance enforcement across MTN Ghana’s cloud infrastructure, reinforcing its position as a trusted digital infrastructure provider in Ghana’s telecommunications ecosystem. 

Azure Security Capabilities Enabling Transformation

COMPUTE MODERNIZATION

Azure Virtual Machines

Core RIMS application workloads were deployed on high-performance Azure Virtual Machines with premium managed disks, ensuring reliability and consistent processing performance for national regulatory operations.

MODERN APPLICATION DELIVERY

Azure Container Registry

Secure container image storage and deployment enabled modular application updates and improved release agility for regulatory services, supporting near real-time deployment cycles.

NETWORK SECURITY

Azure Virtual Network & NSGs

A fully isolated network architecture with strict segmentation and traffic control between application tiers prevents unauthorized lateral movement across the entire regulatory platform.

HYBRID CONNECTIVITY

Azure VPN Gateway

Secure IPsec/IKE encrypted tunnels bridge Azure and on-premises systems with VPN-only administrative access, eliminating any public internet exposure for management operations.

IDENTITY & ACCESS MANAGEMENT

Microsoft Entra ID

Unified hybrid identity management delivers centralized authentication, MFA enforcement, and stronger access governance across both cloud and on-premises environments.

SECURITY & COMPLIANCE

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Continuous security posture management, vulnerability assessment, and regulatory compliance monitoring ensures Zero Trust enforcement across all workloads.

GOVERNANCE & ACCESS CONTROL

Azure RBAC & Private Endpoints

Role-Based Access Control and Private Endpoints enforce least-privilege policies and eliminate public internet exposure for all management plane operations.

Enterprise Outcomes Enabled by 

Microsoft Security Stack

Significant Security Posture Improvement 

MTN Ghana’s Azure secure score increased from 38% to 82%, reflecting a major uplift in cloud security maturity.

Risk Reduction Across Critical Workloads 
Over 200 security recommendations resolved, including full remediation of all critical and high-risk issues. 
Zero Trust Identity Enforcement 
MFA enforced across all privileged accounts with just-in-time access enabled for high-risk virtual machines. 
Improved Security Visibility and Monitoring 
Diagnostic logging enabled across all Azure subscriptions, improving detection and audit readiness. 
Governed and Compliant Cloud Environment 
Azure Policy ensured continuous compliance and eliminated configuration drift risks. 

Business Impact

Reliance Infosystems followed a structured, phased security remediation approach: 

Business Impact

The transformation delivered significant measurable improvements to Nigeria's national regulatory infrastructure:

99.99% platform availability target for mission-critical regulatory systems
Near real-time application deployment using Azure Container Registry
Eliminated dependency on fragmented legacy infrastructure environments
Strengthened data protection and compliance alignment with NDPR and NITDA standards
Enabled scalable architecture to support fluctuating national and international demand
100% cloud-native availability for public-facing regulatory portals
100% infrastructure monitoring coverage with continuous compliance visibility
Improved regulatory service continuity for millions of Nigerian citizens
Reduced operational risk for critical national health regulatory systems
"These outcomes collectively establish NAFDAC as a cloud-first government agency, strengthening Nigeria's public health regulatory infrastructure for years to come."

Approach and Delivery Methodology

Reliance Infosystems followed an agile, structured modernization approach aligned
with Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework principles.

  • Discovery and Assessment
    Evaluated RIMS application dependencies, infrastructure topology, and governance requirements to define a secure, compliant migration path.
  • Azure Foundation Setup
    Established subscription structure, RBAC policies, governance controls, and naming conventions aligned with Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework.
  • Network and Hybrid Connectivity Deployment
    Implemented secure Azure Virtual Network architecture and VPN Gateway integration to bridge Azure and NAFDAC on-premises systems.
  • Workload Migration and Container Enablement
    Deployed application workloads on Azure Virtual Machines and Azure Container Registry with secure configurations and hardened access controls.
  • Security and Compliance Integration
    Onboarded Microsoft Defender for Cloud for continuous monitoring, threat protection, MFA validation, and compliance against public sector standards.
  • Validation and Production Cutover
    Conducted rigorous testing, vulnerability assessments, MFA validation, and a controlled go-live ensuring zero downtime for national regulatory services.

How Microsoft Technologies Enabled the Outcome

Azure Virtual Machines and Container Registry enabled separation and modernization of application workloads, improving scalability and deployment speed.

Azure Virtual Network and NSGs ensured strict segmentation and secure traffic flow across the entire regulatory platform.

Azure VPN Gateway provided secure encrypted hybrid connectivity bridging on-premises NAFDAC systems to Azure.

Microsoft Entra ID centralized identity management and strengthened access control policies with MFA enforcement.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud enabled continuous security monitoring and compliance enforcement across the environment.

Partner Value and Expertise

Reliance Infosystems delivered deep expertise across critical Azure and public sector domains:

  • Azure migration and modernization architecture
  • Public sector regulatory system transformation
  • Containerized application deployment models
  • Hybrid cloud connectivity and secure networking
  • Zero Trust security implementation
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud security operations

Reliance Infosystems delivered deep expertise across critical Azure and public sector domains:

The engagement leveraged Microsoft AMM (Azure Migration and Modernization) program and Well-Architected Framework principles to ensure secure, scalable, and cost-optimized delivery.

Microsoft Technologies Used

A comprehensive stack of Azure services and Microsoft security capabilities
delivered this secure, resilient regulatory platform.
  • Azure Virtual Machines
  • Azure Container Registry
  • Azure Virtual Network
  • Azure Network Security Groups
  • Azure VPN Gateway
  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud
  • Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • Azure Private Endpoints
  • Azure Diagnostics and Monitoring Services

Winner Summary

NAFDAC partnered with Reliance Infosystems to modernize its Regulatory Information Management System on Microsoft Azure, creating a secure, scalable, and compliant cloud platform. The solution enabled 100% cloud-native availability for public regulatory services, strengthened security through Zero Trust architecture, improved deployment agility, and enhanced national regulatory resilience supporting public health protection across Nigeria.