Case Study
In brief
Customer
Global healthcare corporation
Industry
Healthcare
Products and Services
Healthcare equipment and devices
Organization Size
25,000+
Location
Global
Challenges
Securing a vast and complex cloud environment including: 40 AWS accounts, 20+ Kubernetes clusters with the ability for real-time alerts and rapid response, and their 35,000+ containers.
Solution
Prisma® Cloud by Palo Alto Networks secures cloud and AWS environments.
Results
- Increased data breach protection
- Reduced alert MTTR
- Improved collaboration with DevOps
INTRODUCTION
A global leader in healthcare technology has embarked on a journey to enhance its cloud security infrastructure. The company faced the challenge of securing a vast and complex cloud environment, spanning approximately 40 AWS accounts, 20 Kubernetes clusters, and over 35,000 containers.
CHALLENGE
The company’s primary concern was to ensure robust security across its multicloud and hybrid environments. The firm required a scalable solution that could provide comprehensive monitoring, detect vulnerabilities, and integrate seamlessly with its existing DevOps processes without compromise.
With Prisma Cloud, we could easily focus our attention on high-impact alerts and use the detailed remediation steps in the product to resolve issues immediately.
REQUIREMENTS
Vulnerability detection and management
With a vast array of applications and services running, the company needed a reliable system to detect and manage vulnerabilities, especially in Docker images. Vulnerability detection and management were crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of their applications.
Seamless integration with existing systems
The company’s existing DevOps processes and infrastructure demanded a security solution that could integrate seamlessly without disrupting ongoing operations. The integration was a vital requirement for the organization to maintain workflow efficiency and security.
Real-time alerts and rapid response
The ability to receive immediate alerts on security issues and the capacity for quick response and remediation were essential. The company needed a system that could not only identify problems but also facilitate swift resolution.
User-friendly interface and management
Given the scale of the company’s operations, a user-friendly interface for managing the security platform was essential, as it would ensure ease of use and efficiency for the engineering and IT teams.
Scalability and flexibility
As a large enterprise, the healthcare company required a security solution that could scale with its growing and evolving cloud infrastructure. Flexibility in adapting to different environments and requirements was also key.
We use Prisma Cloud to monitor our AWS infrastructure, including every Kubernetes service node we run on AWS.
SOLUTION
The company chose Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks for its extensive capabilities in cloud security. The platform was hosted on AWS and supported by a dedicated team, including key personnel like their automation engineer.
Implementation and Impact
Automated monitoring and security
Prisma Cloud enabled the company to monitor the health of its Kubernetes clusters and scan images for vulnerabilities. The platform’s ability to detect and alert on security nonconformances played a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of their cloud infrastructure.
Integration with development processes
Prisma Cloud was integrated into the company’s CI/CD pipelines, enhancing the security of the development process. The CLI tool, a feature of Prisma Cloud, was instrumental in scanning Docker images and identifying vulnerabilities.
Enhanced visibility and control
The company gained improved visibility and control over its cloud environments, regardless of their complexity. Prisma Cloud’s user-friendly interface and easy upgrade process were particularly beneficial.
Efficient alert management
The solution reduced runtime alerts and investigation times, enabling the security team to remediate issues within 20 minutes, down from hours.
Advanced Security Measures
The company uses Prisma Cloud to monitor over 40 AWS accounts for cloud security. Alerts are generated for vulnerabilities, such as unrestricted access to Amazon EC2 instances or publicly enabled AWS EKS cluster endpoints. This proactive approach to security, with alerts based on policy severity, significantly reduces the risk of data breaches.
Container security enhancement
For container security, the company has self-hosted the Prisma Cloud console on the AWS EKS platform. Integrated with their Jenkins pipeline, it scans container images using the CLI utility. This process identifies vulnerabilities against the NVDB database, ensuring secure container images and reducing the risk of breaches.
Measurable outcomes
Prisma Cloud provides full visibility to all cloud assets and simplifies compliance reporting. The alert rules help identify and direct alerts to the appropriate team, saving significant time in segregating alerts and audit reports. The alert remediation steps allow for quick resolution, offering a basic understanding of each alert through detailed descriptions.
User experience and support
The security team found Prisma Cloud to be an effective and user-friendly solution. The technical support from Palo Alto Networks is responsive and helpful, ensuring minimal downtime during issue resolution.
BENEFITS
Prisma Cloud manages the company’s secure infrastructure and secure container images, reducing the risk of data breaches in cloud environments. Prisma Cloud also accelerated the adoption of the cloud and made it easier to demonstrate compliance. Each Prisma Cloud alert has details like alert description and policy severity like high and low. It also has the remediation steps to resolve the issue immediately, which empowers DevOps teams to collaborate, ensuring security is integrated throughout the code all the way to cloud security.
CONCLUSION
For this healthcare company, Prisma Cloud has been a game-changer in their cloud security. The platform not only met the company’s stringent security requirements but also integrated smoothly with its existing infrastructure, providing substantial value and enhancing the company’s overall security posture.