Changes to the IT landscape and increasing cyber threats have caused challenges for companies around the world, and business software company Birlasoft is no different. With a presence in the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, this leading multinational has a hefty portfolio of clients, many of them Fortune 100, in industries ranging from manufacturing, banking, financial services and insurance, to media and healthcare.
As a corporation with global reach, some of the world’s largest corporations entrust it with large amounts of data and its workers increasingly work remotely. In order to meet these challenges while safeguarding its digital transformation, Birlasoft turned to Forcepoint for a robust security strategy based on Web Security, Data Loss Prevention and CASB.
Security Aligned with Shifting Threat Vectors
The combination of risks and responsibilities in today’s environment requires security solutions that are flexible and adaptable, especially for companies with a global reach like Birlasoft.
“Keeping in view that we service customers from multiple domains like BFSI, manufacturing, life sciences, media and hospitality, etc., it was time for security to be aligned with the shifting world of threat vectors,” said Amit Dhawan, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO), Birlasoft.
Birlasoft’s customers entrust the company with large amounts of important data such as customer records (PII), software codes (intellectual property), PCI information, etc. A data breach could lead to data loss, reputation hit and a loss of customer trust. The company also had to comply with global regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and PCI. Non-compliance could lead to hefty fines.
Birlasoft began working with Forcepoint in 2006 with the company’s web security solution, then known as Websense. When it needed to find a best-in-class data protection solution to meet both regulatory requirements as well as its customer need for data security, Forcepoint DLP became an obvious option to consider due to its high rating from industry analysts and leading position in the market, according to Dhawan.
In addition, the integration with the existing Forcepoint Web Security solution and Forcepoint DLP’s library of built-in policies to ensure regulatory compliance and easy rollout across a wide variety of geographies helped Birlasoft make their selection.
“We have a great relationship with Forcepoint. Though we had Web Security already, we were looking for an expanded scope that included data protection and alignment with various privacy regulations around the world,” said Dhawan. “We needed Data Loss Prevention to cut down on the risk of data breaches.”
“Forcepoint DLP has enabled real-time monitoring and deep analytics, which are helping us identify potential threats and helping our teams to prepare mitigation plans,” said Dhawan. “The workflow creation and alert management features are excellent and help in reducing false positives.”
Cloud Adoption and Remote Work Drive the Need for Increased Data Security
While addressing its data privacy needs, Birlasoft was also continuing its digital transformation journey by moving some internal operations to the cloud. The company decided to make the move gradually with a few users on Office365, and in order to ensure this step was as safe as work done on premises, the company decided to add cloud app security with Forcepoint CASB.
Shortly after this was implemented, the COVD-19 pandemic hit, driving both a drastic increase in remote work and in cyber threats. The company quickly decided to upgrade its Web Security by adding “roaming user” protection to safeguard employee internet use both on and off premises. It also increased its number of DLP licenses to provide protection for data when employees are working remotely. The combination of DLP and Web Security for roaming users delivers premier data loss protection across endpoints, web and email.
Cloud App, Data and Web Security for Users Wherever They Are
In these challenging times, Forcepoint’s flexible solutions have helped Birlasoft achieve its strategic cybersecurity goals. The combination of Forcepoint DLP, Web Security and CASB has ensured that data assets are safe and secure even as employees work from their homes or employ cloud-based apps to do their jobs. Birlasoft has been able to increase the productivity of remote users and has succeeded in making security a business enabler.
In the future, the company is considering expanding its CASB footprint with additional user licenses and adding DLP network data discovery and classification for increased protection.
“Forcepoint offers a dynamic product, best-in-class security for on premises and roaming users, and strong integration on endpoint and on platform itself,” Dhawan said. “It provides the best fit for our environment by allowing us to deliver cloud app security, data security and web security for users wherever they are.”
