CheckPoint Software > Case Studies > Starkey Hearing Technologies Enhances Security with IoT Solution

Starkey Hearing Technologies Enhances Security with IoT Solution

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Malware Protection
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security

Applicable Industries

Equipment & Machinery
National Security & Defense

Applicable Functions

Maintenance
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Starkey Hearing Technologies is a world leader in advanced hearing solutions and the largest U.S. manufacturer of hearing aids. The company's products are ordered by hearing care professionals worldwide through its online ordering and payment system. Starkey must meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance requirements in addition to securing its business with other solutions, such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP), antivirus, and other network security tools. The company has 4,000 systems across 34 facilities worldwide.

The Challenge

Starkey Hearing Technologies, a leading developer and manufacturer of hearing aids worldwide, faced a significant challenge in protecting its systems against zero-day threats and ransomware attacks. The company needed to secure the laptops of its mobile users and gain better visibility into incidents without increasing management and maintenance tasks. The challenge was amplified when Starkey was hit by an advanced malware attack, Gatak, a type of Trojan that hides data in image files. This malware led to three or four advanced malware incidents per week, infecting 2,000 machines in just two weeks. The malware gathered valuable data, escalating access privileges to network assets and spreading laterally. When employees took their laptops home, they became much more vulnerable, indicating that Starkey’s antivirus solution was no longer sufficient.

The Solution

Starkey chose Check Point SandBlast Agent to protect the company’s desktops and laptops. SandBlast Agent uses a complete set of advanced endpoint protection technologies to defend endpoints against zero-day malware and targeted attacks. Starkey deployed SandBlast Agent on 4,000 systems across 34 facilities worldwide. The solution detects and blocks attacks from various sources, even when users work remotely. It also stops data exfiltration to prevent sensitive information from leaking, and it quarantines infected systems to prevent malware from spreading. SandBlast Agent Threat Emulation quickly inspects files in a virtual sandbox, flagging suspicious-looking files for deeper analysis. The solution’s automated forensics capability gives Starkey a deeper understanding of security events, faster. When a malware event occurs, a combination of advanced algorithms and deep analysis of raw forensic data in SandBlast Agent builds a comprehensive incident summary with a complete view of the attack flow.

Operational Impact

Deploying SandBlast Agent on desktops and laptops extended protection across the organization. When mobile users take laptops home, SandBlast Agent with its advanced protection goes with them. The result is better, more effective protection no matter where users are working. More secure endpoints help Starkey continue to meet its PCI compliance goals. With SandBlast Agent and its forensics capabilities, Starkey can immediately drill down into the details of a malware attack and remediate a device or situation quickly and easily. The IT team saves up to a day and a half of time per incident and employee productivity is not affected. The team can view the threat landscape from both Starkey’s Check Point gateway and endpoint perspectives. All logs are consolidated into SmartEvent summaries for easy review.

Quantitative Benefit