The Challenge: 

Establishing Security in a Complex Environment

When Yonatan Grunwald joined the Jerusalem Municipality as an information security expert, his first priority was clear. He needed to build a security program for an environment that had expanded dramatically over decades. “There was no dedicated security team or defined policies,” Grunwald explained. “The network had grown layer by layer. We needed a way to map it and understand where we were exposed.”

The immediate and most significant challenge was visibility. The municipality’s network was not a clean, modern architecture; it was an intricate, decades-old web of legacy systems, modern cloud integrations, and countless internal connections. Grunwald’s team lacked the continuous, unified view necessary to identify the critical risk choke points and lateral movement paths an attacker might exploit. They needed a clearer, real-time map of the environment to pinpoint active risks and create a structured, data-driven plan to protect their vital citizen services and infrastructure. Traditional manual testing and siloed vulnerability scans simply could not keep pace with the network’s complexity and constant changes.

The Solution  

Fast Deployment and a Clear Plan

When the team evaluated solutions, XM Cyber stood out for its ability to deliver value quickly. “The ease of implementation and speed to results were critical,” Grunwald said. “In the first deployment, we identified gaps that allowed us to act right away.”

 
The platform became the foundation for a structured, long-term plan. “We started with urgent fixes,” he explained. “Then we created a program of two- to three-week missions that steadily improved our security posture.” XM Cyber also provides the reporting and dashboards the team needs to communicate progress. “We can show management what we are doing, where we are improving, and how their support is driving results,” Grunwald noted.

Benefits and Outcomes

Measurable Progress and Stronger Alignment

The XM Cyber implementation has delivered clear value from the outset, including:

✅ Immediate wins – Early scans revealed configuration issues, including Active Directory gaps, that the team was able to resolve quickly.

✅ Verifiable improvements – “After each change, XM Cyber shows us the impact. We have seen our security scores rise in measurable ways.” 

✅ Enhanced communication with leadership -“The ability to share progress in simple, visual terms helps us build confidence and secure the resources we need.”

XM Cyber’s Customer Success team also played a significant role. “We are a small team. Their regular check-ins keep us focused and help us move forward.”

Recommendation and Future Outlook

Grunwald is now one of XM Cyber’s most enthusiastic advocates, a testament to how quickly the solution established a foundational security program. “I always say, I envy the XM Cyber sales team,” he quipped. “It is an easy product to recommend because it speaks the truth about the environment. I have already suggested it to colleagues and will continue to do so.” He now sees XM Cyber as essential for quickly establishing a clear, prioritized action plan in any complex or mature organization.

The Jerusalem Municipality plans to keep using XM Cyber not just for risk assessment, but as a core mechanism for continuous validation. They will expand its use to increase visibility across newly integrated systems, validate the effectiveness of every security investment, and consistently strengthen their entire security strategy over time. For the municipality, XM Cyber is the constant, real-time map that ensures their defenses keep pace with their growing and evolving network.