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GROWMARK's Successful Transition to Zero Trust Access with Zscaler and AWS
Technology Category
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Public Cloud
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Agriculture
- Telecommunications
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Traffic Monitoring
- Transportation Simulation
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- Training
The Challenge
GROWMARK, a large agricultural cooperative, faced significant challenges in providing zero trust access to hundreds of applications hosted on AWS and on-premises. The company had to upgrade its VPN public interfaces and technology to accommodate its remote and hybrid workforce operating in over 500 rural locations with often unreliable internet service. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these challenges, necessitating a swift transition to a secure, reliable, and scalable remote work environment. GROWMARK also sought to tie access to identity and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to gain better visibility into online user activities. The company also aimed to replace its legacy VPN technology with a solution that could better support its remote, rural, connectivity-challenged workforce.
About The Customer
GROWMARK is a large agricultural cooperative serving cooperatives, retailers, businesses, and customers in the U.S. and Canada. The company operates in over 500 locations across 40 US states and Ontario. GROWMARK provides customers with fuels, lubricants, crop nutrients, crop protection products, seed, construction services, equipment, and grain marketing assistance. In addition, GROWMARK provides a host of services, from warehousing and logistics to training and marketing support. The company's remote and hybrid workforce operates in rural locations that often have spotty or unreliable internet service.
The Solution
GROWMARK adopted Zscaler's solutions, including Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA), Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), and Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform. ZIA was initially implemented for mobile users to perform inline inspection of all data, including encrypted traffic at scale. ZPA provided secure remote access to internal applications on AWS and GROWMARK’s data centers. The Zscaler Client Connector (ZCC) carried access requests for apps, while the ZPA Public Service Edge controlled user app access rights. ZPA App Connectors sat in front of apps, establishing outbound-only connections. The Zscaler Public Service Edge secured connections between ZPA App Connectors and Zscaler Client Connectors. The joint Zscaler and AWS solution enabled GROWMARK to transition 98% of its employees to zero trust remote network access, significantly reducing the attack surface by minimizing the number of public-facing applications and interfaces.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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