Case Study - Secures and Scales Infrastructure for Medical Device

Securing Innovation in Medical Technology

Axiles Bionics, a Brussels-based spin-off of Brubotics (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), specializes in cutting-edge robotics, artificial intelligence, and biomechanics. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for amputees through revolutionary bionic technologies, with their flagship product "Lunaris" representing the first step toward a next-generation of bionic feet.

As a medical technology innovator developing software-enhanced devices for clinical use, Axiles Bionics faced unique challenges in their cloud infrastructure:

• Security Requirements: Their work in medical technology demanded exceptional security standards to protect sensitive data and intellectual property
• Scaling Complexity: As development accelerated, their cloud environment grew increasingly complex and difficult to manage consistently
• Compliance Concerns: Medical device development requires adherence to strict regulatory frameworks
• Technical Debt: Their rapid innovation pace had created architectural inconsistencies that needed remediation
• Data Analysis Needs: Advanced biomechanical research required sophisticated data analysis capabilities built on a secure foundation

Recognizing these challenges, Axiles Bionics approached Necko Technologies to help improve their cloud security posture and implement best practices at scale while supporting their ongoing innovation.

Our Approach: AWS Well-Architected Excellence

Necko Technologies implemented a methodical, best-practices driven approach to transforming Axiles Bionics' cloud environment:

1. Comprehensive Well-Architected Review

We began with a thorough evaluation of their existing infrastructure using the AWS Well-Architected Framework, examining all five pillars:

• Operational Excellence: Assessed their ability to run and monitor systems
• Security: Evaluated protection of information and systems
• Reliability: Examined system recovery and availability capabilities
• Performance Efficiency: Assessed computing resource utilization
• Cost Optimization: Analyzed effective resource usage to avoid unnecessary costs

This review identified specific areas for improvement, prioritized by risk level and impact on Axiles' operations.

2. Security-First Implementation Strategy

Based on the review findings, we implemented a series of strategic improvements:

• Organizational Structure: Redesigned AWS account structure to align with security best practices
• Protection Policies: Implemented comprehensive IAM policies with least-privilege principles
• Multi-Account Environment: Created separation of concerns through specialized accounts for different workloads
• Unified Identity Management: Integrated their identity provider with AWS for centralized authentication and authorization
• Centralized Logging: Implemented AWS CloudTrail across all accounts with secure, centralized log storage

3. Infrastructure Modernization

With the security foundation established, we modernized their infrastructure approach:

• Infrastructure as Code: Migrated existing resources to IaC using AWS CloudFormation and Cloud Development Kit
• Automated Deployments: Implemented CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure and application changes
• Consistent Environments: Created standardized development, testing, and production environments
• Scalable Architecture: Designed for automatic scaling based on workload demands

Solution Architecture: Secure Foundation for Bionic Innovation

The architecture we designed and implemented for Axiles Bionics provided a secure, scalable foundation for their medical innovation work:

Security Layer

• Account Segregation: Separate accounts for production, development, and security/logging
• Identity Federation: Single sign-on integration with corporate identity provider
• Preventative Controls: Service Control Policies (SCPs) to enforce security guardrails
• Detective Controls: Comprehensive CloudTrail logging with automated alerts for security events

Infrastructure Layer

• Infrastructure as Code: All resources defined in CloudFormation for consistency and reproducibility
• Serverless Architecture: Leveraged AWS Lambda and other serverless services for maximum scalability
• Automated Operations: Event-driven architecture for automatic resource management
• High Availability: Multi-AZ deployments for critical components

Data Analysis Platform

Built on this secure foundation, we helped Axiles develop advanced data analysis capabilities:

• Secure Data Pipeline: Automated ingestion and processing of biomechanical research data
• Analysis Workbench: Scalable compute resources for AI/ML workloads
• Visualization Tools: Interactive dashboards for research insights
• Collaboration Features: Secure sharing mechanisms for research teams

Accelerating Medical Innovation Through Security

The cloud transformation delivered by Necko Technologies has empowered Axiles Bionics to accelerate their innovative work in bionic technologies:

Enhanced Security Posture

The comprehensive security implementation provides Axiles with confidence that their intellectual property and research data are protected to the highest standards.

Operational Efficiency

By automating infrastructure management through IaC and implementing proper account structures, their team can focus more on product innovation rather than cloud management.

Scalable Research Capabilities

The serverless architecture automatically scales to meet research demands, enabling more sophisticated data analysis without infrastructure constraints.

Cost Optimization

Resources are now aligned with actual workloads, eliminating waste and ensuring computation costs are directly tied to value-generating activities.

Compliance Readiness

The improved security posture and comprehensive logging position Axiles well for regulatory compliance requirements in medical device development.

Expanding the Innovation Platform

The secure, scalable foundation established through our partnership has created new opportunities for Axiles Bionics:

Advanced AI Integration

The architecture supports integration of sophisticated AI capabilities for the next generation of adaptive bionic feet, with secure model training and deployment pipelines.

Clinical Trial Support

We're exploring enhancements to support secure data collection and analysis during clinical trials, with appropriate privacy controls and compliance features.

IoT Device Management

As Axiles explores connected bionic devices, the foundation supports secure IoT device management, data collection, and real-time analytics.

AWS Services Used