“SecureRoute is insurance that keeps you alive instead of paying off when you’re dead. You should have it already! If you don’t, you’re not doing your job.”
Tim Rocks, Director of Information Technology, Mancini Duffy
eCare Secure Route provides a cloud-delivered network security service that blocks DNS attacks, as well as other advanced attacks, malware, botnets and phishing threats regardless of port, protocol or application. Its predictive intelligence uses machine learning to automate protection against emergent threats before an organization is attacked. eCare Secure Route protects all of Mancini Duffy’s devices globally without hardware to install or software to maintain.
Business Needs
Crypto Virus Attack
Six months ago, Mancini Duffy suffered a crypto virus attack on its network. “We were aware of what a ransomware attack could do,” related Tim Rocks, Director of Information Technology. “Recovery could easily take over 24 hours, and that’s a long time to be out. Fortunately, this was a small outbreak and we didn’t pay the ransom.”
Rock was able to recover locked systems at a cost of $250 to retrieve backup tapes and a few hours of his time. On another occasion he got hit by a similar attack when an intern was working at the firm, essentially ‘searching the Internet for a living.’
Although the damage from these incidents was minor, Rocks understood the potential costs of a successful attack. “The business could be knocked out of commission, resulting in missed deadlines and costing tens of thousands in payroll,” he stated. “Client relationships are the biggest concern. We could lose a whole project, or even the client.”
Out of Town Fears
Rocks had heard about eCare Secure Route from another IT vendor and didn’t know of anyone else who provided the product. He contacted eMazzanti, an existing vendor, to inquire about the solution.
“We were not an eCare client, but we have an open, pay per incident agreement with eMazzanti for support if I’m gone,” stated Rocks. He felt comfortable exploring the options with Carl Mazzanti, CEO, who put together a proposal.
Rocks was going out of town for a few days and didn’t want to worry about another attack. “This kind of stuff scares the heck out of me!” he said. So, he moved to get the solution in place quickly.
Solution
30-Day Trial and Setup
Rocks’ presentation to management was an easy sell considering the previous attack. “Carl was also very competitive on price,” he added. “When he offered us a 30-day free trial, we jumped on it. eMazzanti set it up the next day.”
eCare Secure Route can be deployed quickly and managed easily through a centralized web-based dashboard. The setup required about 15 minutes of Rocks’ time to make changes to servers and forward the IP information to eMazzanti.
“Setup was very fast, very straightforward and we experienced no problems,” he stated. “We turned it on and it works. Secure Route pretty much runs itself with no effect on latency.”
How it Works
Network and endpoint defenses (firewall and antivirus) react to malicious traffic after attacks have already launched. eCare Secure Route observes Internet infrastructure before attacks are launched and prevents malicious Internet connections.
Organizations stop up to 98 percent more attacks than firewalls and antivirus alone by pointing DNS traffic to eCare Secure Route.
eCare Secure Route continuously observes new relationships forming between domain names, IP addresses, and autonomous system numbers (ASNs). This visibility enables it to discover, and often predict where attacks will emerge before they launch.
Cloud Services Monitoring
Detailed reports provide Rocks with a guide to current threats and keep him informed of network activity, top threat events, and risks outside of the network.
The Cloud Services Report generates a more complete picture of Mancini Duffy security by tracking which services are being used by employees. The insights provided enable a data-supported conversation about the use of cloud services within the organization.
Guest Wi-Fi Protection
Rocks routes Mancini Duffy’s guest-only Wi-Fi network traffic through Secure Route to protect the clients, and others who use it. Secure Route extends both inbound and outbound protection to all devices on the guest network and provides visibility into Internet activity in real-time.
“In addition to protecting our reputation and brand, Secure Route Wi-Fi protection will save time because visitors won’t be bringing the Wi-Fi problems that it prevents to me,” related Rocks.
Acceptable Use and Compliance
With more than 60 content categories, Secure Route effectively filters office Internet traffic. “Although it’s blocking more than our previous filtering, nobody has complained, and it’s not blocking valid pages.”
The easy-to-use, cloud-delivered administration console enables Rocks to quickly set up and manage different acceptable use policies per network, group, user, device or IP address, giving him greater control of the organization’s Internet usage.
Knowledgeable Support
Rocks finds it easy to work with eMazzanti’s responsive, network security engineers. “I know when I call that I will be connected with someone who knows the answer,” he stated confidently.
Benefits
Peace of Mind
We asked Rocks what he considers to be the primary benefit of Secure Route. “I sleep better at night,” he responded without hesitation. “Secure Route is keeping the network clean, and when threats appear, it makes them stop trying.”
Mancini Duffy has suffered no successful attacks since turning on Secure Route. Although Rocks doesn’t know how many attacks have been prevented, he says that he can measure effectiveness when reports show that it ‘blocked a bad one.’
Rocks is confident that any crypto virus or similar threat using a DNS attack will fail. “That’s the insurance and the peace of mind that I’m looking for,” he stated.
Excellent Security Value
Even though the CFO prefers capital costs, Rock considers the modest monthly fee for Secure Route a good investment. “The cost benefit is quite good,” he stated. “Secure Route is an excellent value considering the product that you’re getting.”
“It does one thing very well—prevent crypto virus and blocks DNS attacks,” he explained. “Besides that, everything else is gravy. I know that it does other things, like blocking inappropriate content, but it’s worth it just for this one!”
Rocks also expects SecureRoute to save time by preventing computer slowdowns from malware and reducing the time spent cleaning up systems. “It can alert us to issues that develop so I can take preventative measures,” he added.
Bottom Line
Rocks works hard to secure the firm’s data and reputation. Functioning at the DNS layer, eCare Secure Route delivers him scalable, enterprise grade security via the cloud with no additional latency. And when Mancini Duffy grows, there are no updates needed to increase capacity.
In the end, eCare Secure Route enables the IT and design professionals at Mancini Duffy to spend more time doing what they do best. “Using SecureRoute allows us to focus on other concerns,” concluded Rocks. “The things that make us great.”
Profile
For 100 years, Mancini=Duffy has provided architecture, planning, interior design and graphic design services for Fortune 500 companies. Inspiring and nurturing designs that reinforce the values, mission and brand of their clients, delivered with world class customer service, make them a legendary Seventh Avenue, New York City, design firm.
Mancini Duffy depends on eMazzanti Technology’s eCare Secure Route to protect the company, clients and visitors against crypto virus and other emergent Internet threats, enforce compliance and acceptable use policies, and to secure guest Wi-Fi for office visitors. Secure Route blocks DNS attacks with no affect on latency.
eCare Secure Route Delivers Peace of Mind, Blocks DNS Attacks
