Zscaler > Case Studies > Enhancing Security and Productivity: YMCA of the USA's Adoption of Zscaler

Enhancing Security and Productivity: YMCA of the USA's Adoption of Zscaler

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Malware Protection

Applicable Industries

National Security & Defense
Telecommunications

Use Cases

Tamper Detection
Usage-Based Insurance

About The Customer

The YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) is the nation's leading nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Y-USA is comprised of a national resource office and more than 2,600 YMCAs with approximately 20,000 full-time staff and 500,000 volunteers in 10,000 communities across the country. The organization was facing significant challenges in managing internet security, particularly in controlling Web 2.0 and tracing the source of malware infections. The IT operations at Y-USA, headed by Pat Ward, were spending a significant amount of time each week on remediating malware on employee systems.

The Challenge

The YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), a leading nonprofit organization, was grappling with a significant challenge in managing its internet security. The organization's small IT team was spending an excessive 15 hours per week on remediating malware on employee systems, despite having anti-virus software and controls in place. The challenge was to balance the need for employees to use the Internet and Web 2.0 applications with the need to control corporate liability and security. Furthermore, Y-USA was unable to control Web 2.0 and could not trace the source of malware infections. The existing anti-virus approaches were failing to keep up with new threats, leading to a pressing need for a more effective solution.

The Solution

In response to the challenge, Y-USA evaluated several options including products from Websense, Bluecoat, and Barracuda. However, they ultimately chose the Zscaler service. Zscaler offered effective security protection, deep insights into user usage of the internet, and flexible reporting. Since deploying the Zscaler service, Y-USA did not experience a single threat incident, a significant improvement from nearly 7 incidents a week. The IT team discovered that users were getting infected through malicious ads on Google sites, rather than visiting risky or inappropriate sites. This insight was crucial as a simple URL filtering appliance would not have solved this problem. Additionally, Zscaler's flexible reporting allowed Y-USA to create multiple reports easily, providing valuable insights into productivity.

Operational Impact

The adoption of Zscaler service brought about significant operational improvements for Y-USA. The organization was able to effectively manage Web 2.0 and stop malware infections, thereby enhancing security protection. The deep insights provided by Zscaler into user usage of the internet helped the IT team understand the actual source of infections, leading to more targeted and effective solutions. Furthermore, the flexible reporting feature of Zscaler enabled Y-USA to create multiple reports easily, providing valuable insights into productivity. This not only increased the productivity of the IT department but also allowed them to generate reports for their leadership, offering insights into individual productivity levels.

Quantitative Benefit