Zscaler > Case Studies > Crutchfield Corporation: Enhancing Web Security with Zscaler

Crutchfield Corporation: Enhancing Web Security with Zscaler

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Cloud Security
Networks & Connectivity - Gateways

Applicable Industries

Electronics
National Security & Defense

Applicable Functions

Human Resources
Maintenance

Use Cases

Tamper Detection
Time Sensitive Networking

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Training

About The Customer

Founded in 1974, Crutchfield Corporation is a leading catalogue and Internet retailer of consumer electronics. The organization has a diverse employee base, which includes call center staff, distribution agents, and traditional knowledge workers. The company is committed to protecting its corporate assets from web-based threats, which is critical to its business continuity. The company's IT infrastructure is managed by Paul Fitzsimmons, Senior Manager of IT Systems, who was looking for a comprehensive security solution to replace the company's ineffective legacy URL filtering solution.

The Challenge

Crutchfield Corporation, a leading catalogue and Internet retailer of consumer electronics, faced a significant challenge in protecting its corporate assets from web-based threats. The company's legacy URL filtering solution was ineffective, often allowing threats to go undetected as it was not deployed in-line with traffic. It was unable to protect against zero-day exploits despite frequent maintenance updates. Furthermore, the solution was not trivial to protect multiple Internet gateways and the growing base of mobile users. The company needed a comprehensive security solution that could effectively protect its diverse employee base, including call center staff, distribution agents, and traditional knowledge workers.

The Solution

Crutchfield Corporation turned to a web security Software as a Service (SaaS) solution to meet its requirements. The SaaS solution was easy to deploy and maintain, requiring no capital expenditure and minimal operational costs. However, the company faced challenges with the first three cloud security vendors it evaluated, as their solutions introduced unacceptable latencies and required administration of 'thick' clients, disrupting business and increasing costs. Following Gartner’s advice, Crutchfield evaluated the Zscaler service. Zscaler offered ultra-low latency, dynamic protection against advanced threats, lower cost due to easy deployment and maintenance, and real-time forensics of network activity.

Operational Impact

The implementation of the Zscaler service has significantly improved Crutchfield's web security. The ultra-low latency of the service has ensured that there is no impact on productivity, with some employees even unaware of the extra layer of security. The dynamic protection against advanced threats such as botnets and malicious active web content has provided tangible benefits, with immediate detection and prevention of viruses. The lower cost of the Zscaler solution, due to easy deployment and maintenance, has also been a significant advantage. Furthermore, the real-time forensics of network activity has provided unprecedented insight into potential risks to the organization, allowing for proactive mitigation of issues.

Quantitative Benefit

Zscaler detected and prevented five viruses immediately upon deployment, saving 20 hours of IT staff time from not having to clean up infected computers.
The Zscaler solution saved the company three hours per week in maintenance work, allowing the IT team to focus on other tasks.
The solution offered ultra-low latency, ensuring no impact on productivity.