Customer Stories
Sigma

Sigma

Securing Data Across Cloud-Powered Environments With Proofpoint
The Challenge
  • Enhance data security in a cloud-native environment
  • Keep pace with growing, diverse array of data by prioritizing ­strategic data security
  • Gain visibility and control over cloud data challenges and mitigate risks
The Solution
  • Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)
The Results
  • Proofpoint DSPM empowers Sigma to identify and mitigate data risks efficiently
  • Easy-to-understand dashboard enables IT to present data risks to management
  • Proofpoint platform supports seamless collaboration between IT and cloud teams
Sigma Proofpoint Customer Story
For Sigma Computing, securing the business is all about securing data. Its cloud-native data analytics platform provides services for analytics on cloud data warehouses. To make data security a top priority, Rahul Gupta, the Head of Security & GRC, was tasked with building a robust security program focused on data protection.

The Challenge

Understanding and Mitigating Data Risk

Understanding the data landscape was the first challenge for Gupta and his team. The organization had petabytes of data spread across different cloud environments. It also worked with a variety of types of data, including customer and internal data. To discover and properly classify its data stores, the team needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data the company owned.

The next challenge was tailoring security solutions for a cloud-native environment. Cloud-native organizations have more data movement—and more internal teams that control when and how data moves. This makes it hard for security teams to gain visibility into it. The company’s existing security controls needed to be tailored for scalability and efficiency, to deliver the visibility Gupta’s executive team needed. For example, the company used a wide range of SaaS applications that made it difficult to determine where they store their data. Gupta looked at several solutions to address their challenges, including securing data in motion and data at rest.

The data sprawl that comes with running Sigma’s services in all leading cloud platforms, supporting numerous data warehouses, IaaS, and PaaS environments, on top of all of their in-house software was another big challenge. Its existing solutions focused mainly on cloud configuration, leaving gaps in understanding data and data security posture.

Gupta needed a solution that could provide full visibility into where data was located, the type of data stored, and the associated risk posture. He started a thorough data risk assessment to identify gaps and implemented data governance policies to reduce risks. This holistic approach addressed software and infrastructure challenges.

“I always want security engineers and analysts to be focused on true events because, at the end of the day, they need a solution to get the right visibility, which they were lacking. That’s why we determined that we needed to deploy Proofpoint across the board.”

RAHUL GUPTA, HEAD OF SECURITY & GRC, SIGMA COMPUTING

The Solution

Exceeding Expectations for Data Insight

After looking at many different products, Gupta chose the Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) solution. Proofpoint DSPM delivers wide visibility and control over sensitive data across the company’s entire digital ecosystem. It lets Sigma maintain continuous awareness of their data assets and protection status.

Proofpoint DSPM uses a three-step process to secure organizational data. It starts with discovery and analysis. The solution automatically identifies and catalogs data locations across cloud services, SaaS platforms and on-premises environments. This includes detecting shadow data stores and forgotten databases that could pose security risks.

Proofpoint DSPM also offers risk protection. It evaluates possible vulnerabilities by analyzing access paths, user privileges and data sensitivity. This step weighs factors like vulnerability severity, data classification and resource configurations to help Sigma prioritize its remediation efforts.

The solution also provides nonstop monitoring. It continually assesses the organization’s data security posture, to help it comply with regulatory requirements. These insights also help Sigma adapt to new threats and changing business needs.

The Results

Getting a Step Ahead of Data Risks

The Proofpoint solution has enabled Sigma to dramatically strengthen its security, while minimizing risks. It helps the organization address configuration and data-related risks, reducing the risk of potential breaches and ensuring data protection.

The solution has also improved visibility into risks. Its comprehensive dashboard showcases data risks, security scorecards and trend analysis, making it easier to communicate them with the company’s managers and executives. These tools enable Gupta and his team to demonstrate the progress made quarter over quarter. And by presenting data-related risks, data locations, compliance frameworks and ongoing progress in addressing security concerns, he can help leaders understand issues and make better decisions.

Proofpoint also streamlined Sigma’s workflow for resolving risks. The platform helps analysts identify risks, work with other teams and resolve issues faster. Integrating IT and cloud teams further under Gupta’s leadership has also streamlined the company’s ability to manage risks.

With its new Proofpoint solution in place, Sigma Computing has created a robust security program to protect customer and internal data. Its platform’s data discovery, risk assessment and governance features give the organization visibility and control over their entire data landscape. The result is improved data security, fewer data risks and a stronger overall security program.

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