Case Study - MiTek Industries
MiTek relies on Kiteworks to safeguard IP and customer data from unauthorized access, including public cloud providers.
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MiTek Industries Replaces FTP for Faster Performance, Improved Security, and Complete Data Privacy
MiTek Industries, Inc. is the world’s leading supplier of engineered connector products, engineering services, and design software for the building components industry. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., MiTek delivers progressive new solutions to the residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional construction markets on six continents. With software at the heart of its business, MiTek provides ongoing product enhancements, end-user training, and on-site support to make sure that customers are reaping the benefits of its solution suite.
Facing FTP Security Issues
MiTek previously used an FTP site for back-and-forth communications with customers, delivering software updates and patches to users, and enabling customers to upload large databases to share with MiTek’s customer support team. “The solution got the job done, but the big issue was security,” says Justin Daniels, web services, software engineering, and IT support manager for MiTek. “We didn’t want one customer to be able to see another customer’s data, so we needed tighter security settings that we could control.”
“What can I say, people just really love Kiteworks. It’s the goto solution for our company and I can’t roll out features fast enough.”
– Justin Daniels, Web Services, Software Engineering, and IT Support Manager, MiTek Industries
MiTek’s requirements had also expanded beyond file transfer. The company needed to enable multiple employees to review and add comments to documents, manage version changes, and discuss content changes. Employees utilized easy-to-use but less secure IT workarounds to their sanctioned FTP solution, including Dropbox, to engage with customers.
To protect customer data, as well as its own IP, MiTek knew it needed to find and implement a solution—and quickly. “With public cloud providers, there are so many unknowns when it comes to security,” Daniels explains. “Where exactly are your files? How do you get files back if you change providers? How do you know where your employees are sending files? We weren’t willing to give up the rights to data that was sensitive, proprietary, and rightfully ours.
Case Study
MiTek Industries Replaces FTP for Faster Performance, Improved Security, and Complete Data Privacy
Searching for an Alternative
When evaluating solutions, MiTek had four main requirements: 1) functionality that worked; 2) tight security controls; 3) around-the-clock reliability; and 4) support for mobile devices. MiTek quickly ruled out several solutions based on file size limitations, as the DVD images for MiTek SAPPHIRE software are typically 4 gigabytes, far exceeding the 2 GB maximum of most offerings.
MiTek’s IT team reached out to its own customers to learn how they securely shared files. A Fortune 500 customer praised its long-term use of Kiteworks: “We love it because it works!” After further review, MiTek concluded Kiteworks’ collaborative folders, combined with its file synchronization, would give employees the ability to easily collaborate at work and on the road—from laptops, iPads, and Android devices—while providing much-needed IT controls to support the organization’s evolving bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and security policies.
Realizing Immediate Benefits
MiTek quickly installed Kiteworks within its storage area network (SAN), giving MiTek full control over management and backup processes and the ability to assign access privileges by department. “We wanted control within our own data center rather than being at the mercy of a cloud provider that could change its security policies and terms of service on a whim,” Daniels relates. “With Kiteworks, we know exactly where our files are, can track and monitor both senders and recipients, and can enforce file sharing policies at the user and corporate level.”
MiTek’s software developers can now upload large database files and push out customized software to customers. In addition, MiTek sales representatives can create workspaces to share confidential client presentations via any mobile device. MiTek also integrated Kiteworks with its CMS system, allowing website authors to securely post software patches and upgrades. And thanks to Kiteworks’ single-sign-on capabilities, files can be uploaded, downloaded, and shared with a single email address and password.
Not only does Kiteworks provide a more secure means of sharing sensitive information, but it is also much faster. Many of MiTek’s customers, such as those in the residential housing industry, are saddled with slow internet connections out in the field. With Kiteworks, customers and employees working on construction sites can instantly share and review critical files. “Our developers typically release eight different builds on any given day, most more than 1 GB in size,” Daniels reports. “For those working remotely, Kiteworks is a faster alternative to our own VPN.”
Should an employee’s device get lost or stolen, Kiteworks allows MiTek administrators to instantly change user access rights, lock down devices, or remotely wipe a device clean. In addition, Kiteworks’ built-in disaster recovery capabilities have replaced MiTek’s previous disk replication processes, providing time savings and added reliability.
“What can I say, people just really love Kiteworks,” Daniels concludes. “It’s the go-to solution for our company and I can’t roll out features fast enough.”
Needs
- Identify a secure file transfer alternative to FTP, with capacity to send large files
- Support remote file access and sharing on mobile devices without VPN
- Full control of all content; not even cloud service providers should have access
Kiteworks Solution
- Kiteworks Secure File Transfer, Secure Automated File Transfer, and Secure File Sharing
Business Impact
- Enhanced data privacy with full control over customer data and intellectual property
- Increased efficiency and productivity with faster file transfers
- Improved disaster recovery infrastructure
“With Kiteworks, we know exactly where our files are, can track and monitor both senders and recipients, and can enforce file sharing policies at a user and corporate level.”
– Justin Daniels, Web Services, Software Engineering, and IT Support Manager, MiTek Industries
