South Carolina Heart Center Beats Spam with Barracuda Networks
Customer Company Size
Mid-size Company
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Barracuda Spam Firewall 300
- Barracuda Spam Firewall
Tech Stack
- Web GUI
- Bayesian Analysis
- RBLs
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Productivity Improvements
- Customer Satisfaction
Technology Category
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
Applicable Industries
- Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Established in 1989, the South Carolina Heart Center (SCHC) has grown to become the largest private cardiovascular practice in the Southeastern U.S. The organization is dedicated to reducing the impact of cardiovascular disease and employs 28 cardiologists, 18 non-physician practitioners, and over 250 support personnel. SCHC operates from six full-time offices and four satellite locations, making it a significant player in the healthcare sector. The staff relies heavily on email for communication with other medical practices, vendors, and patients, making efficient and secure email communication crucial for their operations.
The Challenge
The South Carolina Heart Center (SCHC), the largest private cardiovascular practice in the Southeastern U.S., faced a significant challenge with spam emails. With 28 cardiologists, 18 non-physician practitioners, and over 250 support personnel spread across six full-time offices and four satellite locations, email communication was critical for interactions with other medical practices, vendors, and patients. However, the increasing amount of spam was compromising the staff's ability to communicate effectively and in a timely manner. The IT team, led by Nyhart, spent several months researching various solutions but struggled to find one that met their needs in a cost-efficient manner. Most solutions were priced between $10,000 and $20,000, which was beyond their IT budget.
The Solution
The Barracuda Spam Firewall 300 was chosen as the solution to SCHC's spam problem. Priced at $1,999, it was an affordable option that fit within their IT budget. The Barracuda Spam Firewall 300 supports up to 1,000 active email users and is compatible with all email servers. It features a layered approach with 12 defense layers, including denial of service and security protection, rate control, IP analysis, sender authentication, recipient verification, virus protection, policy rules, Fingerprint Analysis, Intent Analysis, Image Analysis, Bayesian Analysis, and a Spam Rules Scoring engine. This comprehensive approach minimizes the processing of each email, allowing the system to handle millions of messages per day. The Barracuda Spam Firewall 300 also offers a 30-day free evaluation period, allowing SCHC to test its effectiveness before committing. The solution quickly paid for itself, blocking 45,000 spam messages and 95 viruses in just three days of full operation. The Web-based interface for administration was found to be extremely easy to use and customize, making it a well-rounded solution for SCHC's needs.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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