How Illumio Secures Sunway’s Diverse Business Ecosystem

Business goals

Established in 1974, Sunway Group is one of Southeast Asia’s leading conglomerates with 13 business divisions operating across diverse industries, including real estate, education, construction, healthcare, hospitality, and leisure, among others. With more than 18,000 staff, security isn’t just a priority — it’s essential. “Being ready is key,” says Sunway Group CIO Kevin Khoo. “It’s not about if we’ll be attacked, but when.”

Sunway’s goals are clear: to improve network visibility, protect critical data, and ensure compliance. Khoo’s other mission? To build a resilient, secure infrastructure that also reduces human error—including strong security practices and ongoing employee training.

“Illumio has been nothing but excellent — it’s easy to deploy and brings real value. The clarity it provides helps us stay proactive in our security efforts.”— Kevin Khoo, CIO at Sunway Group

Technology challenges

For a large, diverse conglomerate like Sunway, managing security was complex. “We had little visibility on how servers were connecting,” Khoo shared. Protecting its ERP systems — Sunway’s “crown jewels” that store vital financial and business data — was critical. Sunway also wanted to reduce the workload from compliance audits and streamline responses to internal audits. Before Illumio, monitoring network traffic was done in a “reactive” way, with basic tools only used once a year. Microsegmentation with Illumio provided a clear path: it allowed them to close network blind spots, streamline compliance tasks, and establish a proactive Zero Trust foundation.

“Illumio gave us visibility we never had before — it’s a game changer for managing risk and ensuring compliance across our complex organization.”— Kevin Khoo, CIO at Sunway Group

How Illumio helped

Illumio transformed Sunway’s security landscape. The deployment? “Fast and seamless,” according to Khoo, thanks to local partner Excer Global. “Within a couple of weeks, it was up and running.” Illumio’s agentless setup provided instant network visibility. Now, teams can map traffic flows, create real-time audit reports, and set up a connectivity blueprint — a game changer for compliance.

With over 300 licenses spanning environments across shared services, education, and healthcare, Sunway has gained more than technology: it has peace of mind. “I can go to bed now and sleep better,” Khoo says. “That’s priceless.”

“We’ve gone from 40 licenses to over 300 in six months. That growth speaks to the value Illumio brings and our commitment to securing our operations.”
‍— Kevin Khoo, CIO at Sunway Group

‍Key benefits and results

Fortified network security: Protects sensitive data across sectors — minimizing the attack surface and reinforcing network resilience that supports the organization’s 18,000-strong workforce.

Improves visibility into server traffic flows, empowering IT and security teams to focus on strategic initiatives and reduce audit-related workload.

Regulatory compliance: Ensures adherence to ISO/IEC 27001 standards and local regulations, establishing a continuous security improvement framework across all units.

“With Illumio, I can finally sleep better at night, knowing our network is secure and our most critical assets are protected.”— Kevin Khoo, CIO at Sunway Group