Avanan > Case Studies > Why This County Government Couldn’t Wait to Add Additional Security to Proofpoint

Why This County Government Couldn’t Wait to Add Additional Security to Proofpoint

Customer Company Size

Mid-size Company

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

Microsoft 365
Proofpoint
Avanan

Tech Stack

Cloud Email Security
APIs

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Cloud Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Database Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Endpoint Security

Applicable Industries

Cities & Municipalities

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Use Cases

Cybersecurity
Intrusion Detection Systems

Services

Cybersecurity Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Midwest County is a small county government located in the United States. The county's cybersecurity solutions are funded by taxpayers, and all dollars are rigorously audited. The county is subject to an increasing amount of threats, including ransomware attacks and credential harvesting attacks. The county's Information Technology director, John Daniels, is responsible for ensuring the security of the county's Microsoft 365 email environment. Daniels is particularly concerned about election security, as he knows that even his small county is a target for cyberattacks. He needs to provide security that keeps the identities of residents safe and allows normal government business to function.

The Challenge

Midwest County, a small county government in the United States, was facing a significant challenge with its email security. The county was particularly prone to ransomware campaigns and credential harvesting attacks, which were often delivered via phishing expeditions. The county's existing email security solution, Proofpoint, was failing to block these attacks, and the county was paying a high price for this ineffective protection. With an upcoming election, the personal data held by the county was more valuable than ever, and the county needed a cost-effective email security solution that could effectively stop phishing and credential harvesting campaigns.

The Solution

In response to the challenges faced by Midwest County, the county decided to implement Avanan, a cloud email security platform. Avanan uses APIs to block phishing, malware, and data leakage in the line of communications traffic, catching threats missed by Microsoft and adding a transparent layer of security for the entire suite that also protects other collaboration tools like Slack. Avanan was able to work alongside Proofpoint, acting as an additional layer of security and stopping the attacks that Proofpoint was missing. The solution also offered detailed, real-time reporting, allowing Daniels to analyze every aspect of a threat and present easy-to-understand reports to county leadership. The price point of Avanan was lower than Proofpoint, and the county was able to add more security features, such as protection for the county's SharePoint and OneDrive accounts.

Operational Impact

Midwest County was able to significantly improve its email security, effectively blocking phishing and credential harvesting campaigns.
The county was able to gain a full view into every attack targeting the county and see in real-time how Avanan was stopping these attacks.
The county was able to add more security features, such as protection for the county's SharePoint and OneDrive accounts, features that Proofpoint doesn't offer.

Quantitative Benefit

The county was able to reduce the cost of its email security solution by switching from Proofpoint to Avanan.
The county was able to significantly reduce the number of successful cyberattacks.