Case Studies > DEK Halts Spam with Barracuda Email Security Gateway

DEK Halts Spam with Barracuda Email Security Gateway

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

Europe
America

Country

Germany
United Kingdom

Product

Barracuda Email Security Gateway 400
Barracuda Email Security Gateway 300

Tech Stack

Email Security
Spam Filtering
Virus Protection
Data Protection

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Malware Protection
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance

Applicable Industries

Electronics
Professional Service

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Quality Assurance

Services

System Integration
Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services

About The Customer

DEK is a leading provider of equipment and processes for the high accuracy mass imaging of electronic materials. The UK-based company has developed screen printing technologies for leading-edge electronic assemblers since 1969. Through the combined strength of machines, stencils and screens, consumables and process support products, DEK delivers total support for their customers’ materials deposition processes. To ensure that its customers continue to receive this high-quality support and service, it is necessary for DEK employees to have solid, uninterrupted means of communication, companywide as well as with customers.

The Challenge

Before 2005, DEK struggled with keeping email, one of its most important communication channels, flowing due to increasing amounts of unsolicited email hitting employees’ inboxes. The legacy email filtering system DEK relied on was not stopping the spam from bombarding the company’s 800+ globally based email users who were located both in the field and 18 satellite offices. According to Chris Bill, IT security analyst at DEK, an estimated 20% of spam was getting through to its email users. Originally DEK’s MIS department began filtering email to ensure compliance, however, spam had become a primary issue. Previously, the MIS department would check its email filter periodically. However, this became nearly a full-time task, which included the risk that a genuine email, possibly an order from a long-standing customer, could be inadvertently deleted. Bill says, “I cannot begin to think how much time was wasted by employees.” Plagued by complaints from frustrated users who had to wade through massive amounts of spam, as well as those who had lost important emails, Bill was tasked with finding a more capable email security solution that could also provide protection against ever-present threats. Compliance was also paramount to DEK. The MIS department and DEK management were keen to stop inappropriate content from entering the company and they also needed to ensure that employees did not send email that might include inappropriate language or content to customers.

The Solution

After researching and evaluating several solutions, Bill spoke with a Hertfordshire-based IT company that recommended a Barracuda Email Security Gateway and Bill was pleased that Barracuda Networks offers a 30-day free evaluation unit. Bill was also pleased by the Barracuda Email Security Gateway’s per-user settings and quarantine. “One man’s spam is another man’s ham and with the Barracuda Email Security Gateway users can decide for themselves which email is to be whitelisted and which not,” says Bill. “I may be interested in my weekly fishing e-zine, but perhaps no one else is.” DEK was so impressed with the results of the trial and the Email Security Gateway’s affordable price that the company purchased four Barracuda Email Security Gateway models: DEK placed two Barracuda Email Security Gateways at each mail gateway, one at their UK headquarters and another at its office in Germany, in a clustered environment for redundancy. This allowed the units to share one rule base and users only needed to access one site to check their own quarantine areas. DEK purchased two Barracuda Email Security Gateway 300s for outbound email filtering in both the UK and German offices. Internal mail servers direct email to the Barracuda Email Security Gateway in outbound mode via a fake MX zone. This ensures that the most available Barracuda Email Security Gateway receives the email to send out, which reduces the risk of downtime due to connectivity issues.

Operational Impact

The Barracuda Email Security Gateway has saved DEK an immeasurable amount of time and resources. Previously, DEK had someone virtually full-time, manually sifting through emails to determine what was spam and what was not. The time this person spent doing a miserable job is now spent doing something more interesting and constructive.
The Barracuda Email Security Gateway provides protection against email-borne viruses and malware, ensuring that DEK's communication channels remain secure and uninterrupted.
The solution offers granular email management policies, allowing users to decide for themselves which emails are to be whitelisted and which are not, thereby improving user satisfaction and reducing the risk of important emails being lost.

Quantitative Benefit