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TechSoup Global Enhances Nonprofit Profitability with SecureSphere Web Application Firewall
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Application Security
Applicable Industries
- Cement
- National Security & Defense
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Supply Chain Visibility
- Tamper Detection
The Challenge
TechSoup Global, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, provides other nonprofits with technology resources and support. Their product donation program, TechSoup Stock, allows nonprofits to access donated and discounted technology products, saving organizations over $1.4 billion in expenses as of June 2009. However, the organization faced a significant challenge in securing its web-based transaction processing infrastructure, which was a prime target for hackers due to the processing of donations through credit cards. After an unsuccessful breach attempt, TechSoup realized the need to go beyond traditional perimeter and desktop protection. The organization needed a comprehensive security solution that would effectively monitor and protect its applications from hackers, prevent the loss of sensitive data, and facilitate PCI compliance. The solution also needed to be easy to use and deploy, and require no changes to applications or the network.
About The Customer
TechSoup Global is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. The organization serves as a one-stop resource for technology needs for other nonprofits. They provide free online information, resources, and support. TechSoup Global also offers TechSoup Stock, a product philanthropy service where nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products provided by corporate and nonprofit technology partners. The product donation program has enabled organizations to save over $1.4 billion in expenses as of June 2009. The organization processes donations through credit cards, making its web-based transaction processing infrastructure a prime target for hackers.
The Solution
TechSoup Global selected Imperva’s SecureSphere Web Application Firewall for its ability to provide operational visibility with little overhead and no changes to the applications. SecureSphere delivered total visibility into data access and usage, with an easy-to-use interface that provided granular policy creation and enforcement to prevent unauthorized access or changes to data on TechSoup’s web applications and databases. The solution protects web applications and sensitive data against sophisticated attacks, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and brute force attacks. It also prevents online identity theft and data leaks from applications. Imperva’s Dynamic Profiling technology automatically builds a model of legitimate behavior and recognizes application changes over time, ensuring that SecureSphere’s security policies are up-to-date and accurate, without manual tuning. SecureSphere met TechSoup’s needs for flexible, non-intrusive deployment, and the ability to manage their environment with the smallest of footprints.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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