Case Studies > Hybrid AI Protects the City of Sparks from Ransomware and Phishing Attacks

Hybrid AI Protects the City of Sparks from Ransomware and Phishing Attacks

Company Size

1,000+

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

Arctic Wolf
Barracuda Networks

Tech Stack

SIEM
Firewall
Email Security Gateway
Web Security Gateway

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction
Digital Expertise
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Endpoint Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance

Applicable Industries

Cities & Municipalities

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Facility Management

Use Cases

Cybersecurity
Intrusion Detection Systems
Remote Asset Management

Services

Cybersecurity Services
System Integration
Training

About The Customer

Sparks, Nevada, is the fifth most populous city in the state and one of the fastest-growing. Located in the Truckee Meadows between the Carson and Virginia mountain ranges, Sparks is an hour's drive from Lake Tahoe and just outside of Reno. It is the closest metropolitan area to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, home to Tesla Motors' Gigafactory. The city is known for its special events and has a lean IT team that supports administrative offices and public services, including emergency first responders such as the police and fire department. Despite having essential security defenses in place, the city recently experienced repeated cyberattacks, highlighting the need for greater security expertise.

The Challenge

Sparks, Nevada, faced repeated ransomware and phishing attacks that bypassed their existing defenses. The city's lean IT team, which lacked a dedicated security expert, found it challenging to manage these attacks while maintaining high service levels. The team considered building an internal security operations center (SOC) but found it costly and time-consuming. They needed a solution that could provide 24x7 monitoring and expert security management without the high costs and resource demands of an in-house SOC.

The Solution

The Sparks IT team evaluated the option of building their own SOC versus purchasing a comprehensive solution from Arctic Wolf. They found that an internal SOC would require extensive resources, including hiring a team of security analysts and purchasing expensive software and hardware. Instead, they chose Arctic Wolf's managed security operations solution, which offered 24x7 monitoring by seasoned security experts, a SIEM, and no need for additional software or hardware purchases. Arctic Wolf's solution was deployed quickly and provided immediate value, including identifying security lapses and offering specific endpoint mitigation recommendations. The Arctic Wolf Concierge Security® Team (CST) worked closely with the Sparks IT team, becoming an extension of their internal staff and helping to address all cybersecurity matters.

Operational Impact

The Arctic Wolf solution provided 24x7 monitoring by security experts, ensuring continuous protection against cyber threats.
The Sparks IT team received specific endpoint mitigation recommendations, removing guesswork from addressing security lapses.
The Arctic Wolf Concierge Security® Team (CST) became an extension of the Sparks IT team, helping to close firewall holes and address issues with the internet service provider.
The solution delivered better threat detection with fewer false positives, combining human intelligence and machine scale.
The CST provided ongoing support for all cybersecurity matters, not just ransomware and phishing attacks.

Quantitative Benefit