Barracuda CloudGen Access + Mattermost deliver Zero Trust security for messaging, devices, and access

Barracuda CloudGen Access, the new standard for Zero Trust remote access, and Mattermost, a messaging platform designed for enterprises with high privacy and security needs, have partnered to deliver the most rigorous remote access security for enterprise messaging. In this post we’ll look at how one next-generation investment service firm relies on the CloudGen Access and Mattermost solution to protect customer assets, personal information and corporate intellectual property.

Zero Trust security for highly regulated industries

The firm chose Mattermost as its secure messaging solution to retain complete control over sensitive content and shadow IT channels that could not be accomplished with SaaS solutions like Slack. They configured mobile applications with ID-loaded push notifications available in Mattermost Enterprise Edition E20 for greater protection of message data in push notifications. This feature prevents external entities like Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) or Google Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) from accessing the message content, which was the starting point for securing mobile devices.

As the steward of billions of dollars in customer assets, this investment services firm is extremely vigilant about security and needed a Zero Trust security solution that ensured not only communications, but also devices, complied with corporate security policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that need as more employees than ever work from home, often on unknown and unmanaged devices. After disappointing experiences with mobile device management (MDM) and VPN solutions, they turned to CloudGen Access to secure their Mattermost deployment.

“Previously I really struggled to keep up with conversations especially when there are a lot of people in the room … [but] we were able to get Mattermost on our phones, so that unlocked me being able to communicate with my team. I can keep getting notifications without bringing my whole work laptop with me everywhere .. with the security functionality to do that.”

– Growth Content Strategist, Investment Services Firm

A modern, scalable alternative to VPNs 

Many companies face challenges with legacy mobile security and VPN solutions–privacy issues, battery drain, and performance degradation. Mobile device management (MDM) was a first generation solution that enabled companies to lock down employee devices. However, employees often push back against this technology as it enables the company to have access to all the applications and information on their devices, even if they are not work-related. While a company may have a policy prohibiting access to personal information, a rogue administrator or employee could circumvent the policy. Like VPNs, MDM solutions can also be complex to deploy and manage.

When the firm used VPN solutions, they experienced these same challenges. Employees experienced a battery drain of 25% in just the first half of a typical workday. For modern, mobile professionals, this is unacceptable. VPNs also caused connection delays that slowed employees down while working remotely. They were expensive, difficult to install, and complicated to maintain given the on-going challenges. That is why this organization looked for alternatives and found a perfect fit with CloudGen Access and Mattermost.

“In a landscape where remote work has become essential to many organizations, CloudGen Access is a game changer as a complete replacement for the clunky MDM + VPN approach. You get comprehensive risk mitigation with superior performance. That’s why we’re deploying Mattermost behind CGA.”

– Head of Security, Investment Services Firm

Device Security. Infrastructure Microsegmentation.

Mattermost secures communication in transit. CloudGen Access assesses the safety and security of the device that the Mattermost app is running on, adding an additional layer of confidence for security teams. It’s a one-step solution for Zero Trust on both mobile and desktop devices, making it easy to verify compliance with corporate security policy. CloudGen Access protects unmanaged (BYOD) devices and evaluates device security posture, validating that patches and software versions are up-to-date. 

With the advent of distributed computing, it can be difficult to keep track of all the applications on your network. If you have used a VPN, you know that serious breach exposure is a possibility. Once logged in with a VPN, employees can SSH into other parts of the corporate network and potentially access unauthorized applications and data. CloudGen Access’ microsegmentation delivers Zero Trust access to only the Mattermost server, restricting access to any other data on the network. CloudGen Access’ granular access control features simplify access management and streamline policy enforcement.

For any organization looking to deploy secure communications without the hassle of MDMs and VPNs, the combination of CloudGen Access and Mattermost is the quickest, easiest way to get there. To learn more about secure messaging, visit mattermost.com, or visit https://www.barracuda.com/.