Webroot® Web Security Case Study
Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents
Insurance Trade Association Improves Bandwidth and Productivity with Webroot® Web Security SaaS
As the leading trade association for more than 1,600 independent insurance agencies, the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) provides educational resources and networking opportunities for approximately 10,000 agents across the state. Because industry information and research are vital to MAIA's success, the majority of its 35 employees spend up to 75 percent of their workdays online. Five employees travel to frequent conferences and business meetings, requiring that they work from laptops at various off-site locations.
The Problem
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"With Webroot Web Security SaaS, we've been able to monitor user activity and ensure our network isn't endangered
through recreational Web surfing. The blocked access report was a real eye-opener — we were stunned to see how many
threats were passing through our system. Now we're taking an in-depth look at all of the reporting features like bandwidth
usage, page requests and impacted productivity so we can demonstrate benefits to our management team. The entire
implementation has been very smooth; there hasn't been any downtime and Webroot's support team has been
responsive and helpful. We're extremely happy with the results!"
-Leo Fredette |
Like many companies, MAIA was concerned about dangerous Web-borne malware that employees might unknowingly bring into the network. The IT team had attempted to secure the system by employing a firewall, but they knew the solution was not robust enough to meet the increasingly complex malware environment. Administrators were receiving complaints about slow network speed and suspected the problem was related to employee Web activity. Unfortunately, the firewall logs were too general to provide any real insight into Internet traffic trends. MAIA needed more powerful Web protection that would proactively block viruses and spyware while enabling administrators to monitor online activity.
The Solution
The IT team began researching Web filtering solutions and read several reviews that gave high ratings to Webroot for its technical expertise. After analyzing Webroot Web Security SaaS and learning about its extensive Web filtering, management and reporting capabilities, MAIA decided to implement the solution. The service would scan all HTTP and FTP over HTTP requests in the cloud, blocking threats before they reached the MAIA network. Remote users could authenticate directly to the service without having to establish a VPN connection or access an unsecured public network, ensuring all employees would be protected no matter where they were working. Additionally, specific Web categories could be blocked, access policies could be enforced and detailed reports would provide insight into Internet activity and usage. The service was fully implemented within three days, connecting every user to Webroot Web Security SaaS.
Benefits
With enhanced Web protection, MAIA employees are now able to conduct safe online searches that will not endanger the network through inadvertent exposure to threats. Increased productivity is another benefit. IT administrators can easily control access by allowing and blocking Web categories that are not necessary for work, such as entertainment or social networking. MAIA currently blocks 15 different Web categories, effectively restricting access to millions of unauthorized Web sites. Administrators are able to modify settings at a group or individual user level to provide different access privileges based on department or individual needs.
MAIA has seen a noted reduction in its bandwidth usage since implementing the service. With real-time user logs and detailed reporting features, administrators have the information they need to make strategic improvements. For example, IT administrators analyzed user logs and found that a number of employees were watching videos, which was slowing down the network and opening the door to potential malware attacks. MAIA modified settings to allow coached access for streaming media, which immediately freed up valuable bandwidth and resulted in faster connection speeds and a more secure network.
The results of Webroot Web Security SaaS have been so positive that the IT team is considering the future integration of Webroot E-Mail Security SaaS. This will provide MAIA with a streamlined security approach that offers comprehensive protection, reduced costs and cohesive support.
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