Zscaler > Case Studies > Lawter's Global Network Optimization and Security Enhancement with Zscaler

Lawter's Global Network Optimization and Security Enhancement with Zscaler

Technology Category

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Databases
Networks & Connectivity - WiFi

Applicable Industries

Chemicals
National Security & Defense

Applicable Functions

Procurement

Use Cases

Tamper Detection
Transportation Simulation

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Hardware Design & Engineering Services

About The Customer

Lawter is a global supplier of resins and additives to the graphics arts, adhesives, aroma chemicals, synthetic rubber, and specialty coating industries. The company has a sixty-year history and operates in over 20 countries across three continents, with 11 manufacturing and technology centers. Its strengths are formulating technology, strategically sourcing raw material, and providing a global network of manufacturing capabilities. Lawter operates with a highly distributed company IT infrastructure, with the corporate network made up of 15 locations spanning the globe from Argentina to APAC.

The Challenge

Lawter, a global supplier of resins and additives, operates in over 20 countries with a highly distributed IT infrastructure. The company faced a challenge in improving its internet security with a highly integrated solution that could cover mobile and remote workers. The company also sought to improve the performance of its internet traffic and facilitate a planned Office 365 implementation. The existing network setup required all remote access to be tunneled to headquarters and scanned by a firewall, which increased network latency. To improve the performance of internet traffic, local breakouts were required on three different continents. However, Lawter did not want to implement and manage additional network hardware, making security appliances an unsuitable solution. The company also needed to consider staff mobility, remote access to the corporate network, improved web security, data loss prevention, and productivity in the social media age.

The Solution

After evaluating four different solutions, Lawter chose Zscaler's cloud-based approach. This solution not only met the security requirements of implementing policies uniformly for mobile staff but also optimized the network in light of a planned move towards Office 365. The Zscaler Web Security SaaS platform offered all the required security features and DLP technology. It also allowed productivity improvements by implementing Web 2.0 policies, such as restricting social media access during working hours. Guest Wifi access policies could be implemented in a manner consistent with corporate policies. The Zscaler solution provided a streamlined migration path that could be handled with limited resources, adding security while reducing costs and traffic on the MPLS network. The cloud-based solution required no hardware or software to be maintained, providing security with exceptionally low latency.

Operational Impact

Zscaler’s Web Security suite provided Lawter with extensive scanning functionality against modern malware threats including viruses, botnets, and zero-day exploits, which are detected and blocked in the cloud. URL filtering and Web 2.0 features are applied based on company policies, which prevent low productivity at work and loss of sensitive data. Along with the installed firewall at Lawter, Zscaler added an additional security layer to cover the mobile workforce. The cloud-based service helped the small IT team stay on top of its game and keep track of security challenges. The ease of migration to Zscaler was another advantage of the solution. The solution required little ongoing management effort, allowing the small IT organization to focus on priority tasks.

Quantitative Benefit

Zscaler's solution reduced network latency by eliminating the need for remote access to be tunneled to headquarters for firewall scanning.
The cloud-based solution saved considerable MPLS traffic bandwidth by eliminating the need for internet traffic to be backhauled to Lawter’s principle data centers for appliance-based security scanning.
Zscaler's bandwidth control capability was essential to the pending Office 365 installation.