15-Minute fixes & total peace of mind: InviteDesk’s security win for event data

Scaling with Security in Mind

InviteDesk is not just another event management tool. It’s a comprehensive platform designed for companies that use events as a core part of their marketing strategy. With a strong foothold in the Benelux region and ambitious European expansion plans, the company is rapidly scaling. As a testament to its rapid growth and innovation, InviteDesk has been nominated for Deloitte’s 2024 Technology Fast 50. Recent acquisitions, including LineUpr and Halito!, have helped InviteDesk advance its strategy of building a best-in-class event software suite, delivering seamless planning, invitations, and guest engagement while ensuring each product excels as a standalone solution.

Handling sensitive client data for major banks, insurers, and automotive brands means that security is non-negotiable. "We’re trusted by some of the biggest names in the industry," says Raf Van Den Plas, CISO & HR Manager. "With that trust comes the responsibility to get security right."

One major step in this journey is the adoption of Aikido, a security platform designed to centralize security efforts and get developers back to building. 

"We’re constantly refining our approach, whether it’s vendor screening, data encryption, or ensuring that our internal team only has access to the data they need," Raf explains. By integrating Aikido, InviteDesk is consolidating multiple tools and security functions, spanning environments like AWS and Azure, without compromising security or user experience.

To explore how InviteDesk is scaling with security at its core, we spoke with Raf Van Den Plas and Stefaan Van Hoof, Product & Technical Integration Owner, about their journey toward building a stronger, more secure foundation for the future.

Why Aikido?

In today's digital world, the security of event data is more critical than ever. Event organizations handle vast amounts of sensitive information, from attendee details to financial transactions, making them prime targets for cyber threats. With the rise of sophisticated cyber-attacks, a robust security framework is not just a necessity, but a strategic priority for any company managing event data, especially when dealing with cloud environments and integrating various security tools.

When InviteDesk decided to take a closer look at its security needs, their ISO auditor recommended Aikido as a potential solution. Around the same time, CEO Jan Heiremans came across Aikido after its recognition in the Deloitte Fast50 awards, which reinforced its credibility. "Seeing Aikido receive that kind of industry recognition gave us the confidence to move forward," he explains.

With the green light from leadership, the team began exploring how Aikido could enhance their security efforts. "A key factor in choosing Aikido was its ability to support multiple cloud providers. AWS for Halito! and Azure for InviteDesk both need to be integrated into a single control environment, and Aikido's support for both was crucial to us,' says Raf. "Our goal is to automate many of our manual processes while seamlessly integrating with our existing systems."

Aikido also complemented InviteDesk's broader security framework. "We already use several tools, like Huntress for antivirus protection and Datto for remote monitoring," says Stefaan Van Hoof, Product & Technical Integration Owner. "Aikido fits seamlessly into our security mix, helping us centralize everything and ensure no critical vulnerabilities slip through the cracks."

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"Aikido provides us with a clear, consolidated view of our security posture in one place," explains Raf Van Den Plas, CISO & HR Manager. "It’s allowing us to focus on what truly matters."

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Building a clear, consolidated security posture

After just one month of using Aikido, InviteDesk has already seen significant improvements in managing security. One of the most notable benefits has been the ability to centralize security tracking on a single platform. "Aikido provides us with a clear, consolidated view of our security posture in one place," explains Raf Van Den Plas, CISO & HR Manager. "It’s allowing us to focus on what truly matters."

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"When we had an urgent integration request, Aikido’s team resolved it in just 15 minutes," says Stefaan Van Hoof, Product & Technical Integration Owner. "That level of commitment is exactly what we wanted from a security partner.

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The team has been particularly impressed by Aikido’s responsiveness. "When we had an urgent integration request, Aikido’s team resolved it in just 15 minutes," says Stefaan Van Hoof, Product & Technical Integration Owner. "That level of commitment is exactly what we wanted from a security partner. It's hard to find that kind of support in the SaaS world."

Stefaan also shared his thoughts on Aikido’s user experience: "What we love about Aikido is its streamlined, user-friendly interface. Other security tools often overwhelm users with alerts or complicated dashboards, but Aikido keeps things simple and intuitive. We've even drawn inspiration from their UX design for our own work.' 

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"What we love about Aikido is its streamlined, user-friendly interface. Other security tools often overwhelm users with alerts or complicated dashboards, but Aikido keeps things simple and intuitive. We've even drawn inspiration from their UX design for our own work.' 

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He continues, 'I recently set up our Azure integration, and I was honestly shocked at how something so complex could be done so effortlessly.' 

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Raf adds, 'One of the biggest challenges in security is avoiding panic, and Aikido excels at focusing on critical issues without bombarding us with irrelevant alerts. It’s all about intelligent, focused communication.”

Favorite feature?

One of InviteDesk's favorite features is Aikido’s dashboard. "Transparency with customers is very important to us," explains Stefaan. "The dashboard allows us to share with customers whether there have been any issues in the past 30 days and, if so, how quickly they were resolved."

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'One of the biggest challenges in security is avoiding panic, and Aikido excels at focusing on critical issues without bombarding us with irrelevant alerts. It’s all about intelligent, focused communication.”

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