Boston's Secure Transition to Cloud: Modernizing City Services
Technology Category
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Application Security
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Cloud Security
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
- National Security & Defense
Use Cases
- Smart City Operations
- Tamper Detection
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- Cybersecurity Services
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is the City of Boston, located in Massachusetts. The city government is working towards modernizing its services by reducing its data center footprint and shifting its infrastructure, applications, and data to the cloud. The city's IT team, led by Chief Information Security Officer Greg McCarthy, is responsible for this transition. The team manages services for 5,500 users and is focused on providing responsive, modern citizen services. They are adopting a 'cloud first' mindset and are looking for secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for cloud access.
The Challenge
The City of Boston, like many cities across the country, was working to reduce its data center footprint and shift its infrastructure, applications, and data to the cloud. The goal was to provide responsive, modern citizen services. However, as the city relied more on web-based applications and infrastructure, new challenges arose. The existing internet security solution was inefficient and unreliable. It was increasingly important to ensure employees could safely access web-based applications and data. The city needed a secure, scalable, cost-effective cloud access for its 5,500 users to improve workflow efficiency and reduce user frustration. The city was also looking to shift to a cloud security platform and adopt a zero trust approach.
The Solution
The City of Boston issued an RFP to support the continued shift from an on-premises infrastructure to cloud. After evaluation, they selected Zscaler Internet Access™ (ZIA™), a cloud security platform that includes a secure internet and web gateway solution. The deployment of ZIA reduced the opportunity for malware and other threats to get onto the internal network or move laterally across it. ZIA also provided visibility into user activity and helped keep Boston’s cyber team aware of all applications running in the environment. The Boston team also rolled out a new identity management solution and deployed a new access portal, working with SailPoint, Bing, and Radiant Logic. They plan to continue evolving cyber defenses to meet employee and mission needs.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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