Highland Spring Selects Acumen Cyber for 24/7 Managed Cyber Security

Acumen Cyber, the managed cyber security provider, has been selected by Highland Spring Group, the business behind the UK’s No.1 bottled water brand, to deliver 24/7 threat monitoring, investigation and response.

Founded in 1979 and based in Blackford, Perthshire, Highland Spring Group is a leading UK producer of natural source waters. The family-owned business bottles more than 600 million litres annually.

Highland Spring has invested significantly in its security technology, infrastructure and internal capabilities. As cyber threats continue to evolve, the business recognised the need to further strengthen its ability to detect, investigate and respond. Providing continuous security monitoring alongside day-to-day operations and strategic projects also presented a challenge for its internal IT team.

The partnership marks the next step in Highland Spring’s ongoing investment in cyber security as a business priority. Acumen will build on existing capabilities, provide round-the-clock specialist expertise and support a more proactive approach to managing risk. Highland Spring’s IT team will gain greater visibility of security risks and more capacity to strengthen infrastructure, reduce vulnerabilities and develop its wider cyber security strategy.

Acumen will provide the service from its Glasgow-based, CREST-accredited Security Operations Centre, with UK-based security engineers working directly with Highland Spring’s IT team. Acumen’s platform brings together security information and event management (SIEM), automation and threat intelligence to support 24/7 monitoring, investigation and response, alongside proactive threat hunting.

Following an extensive tender process, Highland Spring selected Acumen for its technical expertise, engineer-led delivery and the breadth of its security platform. Acumen’s emphasis on proving effectiveness through continuous validation was a further deciding factor, alongside fixed, predictable pricing, which gave Highland Spring greater budget certainty.

The ability to work directly with Acumen’s UK-based engineers responsible for delivering the service was a key attraction, while its CREST-accredited Security Operations Centre provided further confidence. Acumen’s collaborative approach matched Highland Spring’s ambition to find a long-term partner that would work as an extension of its internal IT team.

Tracy Holbein, IT Manager, Highland Spring Group, said: “Keeping our operations running reliably is essential to Highland Spring. This partnership will give us round-the-clock specialist support and more time for our own team to focus on preventing problems and strengthening our security. Acumen stood out because of the rapport between our teams and their enthusiasm for working with us. That gave us confidence that we could build a close and productive partnership.”

Mark Robertson, CEO of Acumen Cyber, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Highland Spring, a business that recognises the importance of investing in cyber security to protect its people, its operations and the trust its customers and partners place in it.

“Our role is to work as an extension of Highland Spring’s team, with named security engineers who understand the business and take responsibility for strengthening its defences. That means continually improving protection as threats evolve and backing confidence with evidence. We continuously validate our detection capabilities against real-world attack techniques, using the findings to improve the security we deliver.”