A leading provider in technology and cybersecurity solutions faced significant challenges in adapting to remote work environments and ensuring secure access to development and cloud resources. The company addressed these challenges by integrating Invisily's Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, replacing outdated OpenVPN systems. This case study outlines the implementation process, key features utilized, and the benefits realized from adopting a ZTNA approach, showcasing substantial improvements in compliance, data protection, and reduced unauthorized access attempts.

Executive Summary

A leading provider in technology and cybersecurity solutions faced significant challenges in adapting to remote work environments and ensuring secure access to development and cloud resources. The company addressed these challenges by integrating Invisily's Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, replacing outdated OpenVPN systems. This case study outlines the implementation process, key features utilized, and the benefits realized from adopting a ZTNA approach, showcasing substantial improvements in compliance, data protection, and reduced unauthorized access attempts.

About The Company

The company is a recognized name in the technology and cybersecurity industry, offering an array of solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of modern businesses. Operating as a medium to large enterprise, it specializes in helping organizations navigate the complexities of the digital landscape with cutting-edge security measures and technological innovation.

Challenges Faced by the Company

The transition to remote work environments brought forth significant cybersecurity challenges for the company, necessitating a comprehensive reevaluation of their security measures. This shift was not just a change in the physical workspace but a transformation in how data and resources were accessed, shared, and secured. The main challenges highlighted included:

Adapting to Remote Work Requirements: The sudden shift to a remote work model required a rapid adaptation of security protocols to ensure employees could work efficiently and securely from various locations. This adaptation involved not only technical adjustments but also a cultural shift in understanding and practicing cybersecurity hygiene remotely.

Securing Development Environment Access for IT and Development Teams: With the development and IT teams working remotely, ensuring secure and reliable access to development environments became paramount. These environments often contain sensitive codebases and data, making them prime targets for cyber threats. Secure access needed to be balanced with the flexibility required by developers for efficient work.
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Ensuring Secure Cloud Access for Critical Services and Applications: As the company leveraged cloud services and applications more heavily in the remote work model, securing access to these resources became crucial. This involved protecting data in transit to and from the cloud, ensuring only authorized users could access critical applications, and safeguarding against potential breaches that could compromise sensitive information.

ZTNA Integration

To address the identified cybersecurity challenges, the company transitioned to Invisily's ZTNA solution, moving away from its previous reliance on OpenVPN. This strategic shift was part of a broader initiative to enhance security across the organization, with the initial rollout focusing on IT and other departments requiring elevated security measures. By implementing Invisily's ZTNA, the company was able to leverage a suite of advanced features designed to fortify its cybersecurity framework significantly. These features included:

Replacement of VPNs:  Adopting a more secure and flexible access mechanism to replace traditional VPNs, thereby enhancing the security and efficiency of remote access.

Darkening Services:  Reducing the visibility of and access to critical services to minimize attack vectors and potential vulnerabilities.

Integration with Active Directory and SSO: Streamlining user authentication and access management across the organization's systems and applications.

Secure SaaS Access: Providing secure access to essential SaaS platforms like Jira, ensuring seamless integration and workflow continuity.

Hardware and Software Asset Management: Enforcing stringent controls over device and software usage within the network to prevent unauthorized access and enhance security.

Dynamic Running Process Checks for Device Posture: Utilizing DLP (Data Loss Prevention) and EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) solutions to conduct real-time assessments of device security posture, ensuring compliance with data security policies and protection against unauthorized data transfer or access.

Results After ZTNA Integration

Following the integration of Invisily's ZTNA solution, the company experienced significant qualitative and quantitative improvements in its cybersecurity posture:

Achieved ISO 270001 Compliance: The adoption of ZTNA helped the company meet stringent international standards for information security management, significantly enhancing its overall security posture.

Provided Zero-Day Protection for Legacy Systems: Invisily's solution offered advanced protection against zero-day threats, particularly benefiting legacy systems that were previously vulnerable due to a lack of patches.

Strengthened Data Protection with Zero-Trust Principles: Implementing zero-trust security principles ensured that access to sensitive data was strictly controlled and monitored, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches.

Enhanced Source Code and IP Protection: The solution provided robust mechanisms to safeguard the company's intellectual property, including source code, from unauthorized access or theft, securing the company's valuable assets.

Notable Reduction in Unauthorized Access Attempts: The implementation of Invisily's ZTNA solution led to a measurable decrease in unauthorized access attempts, as evidenced by third-party reports and internal audits. This reduction reflects the solution's effectiveness in deterring potential cyber threats.