Lightcast was formed out of a merger of two companies and has since made several acquisitions of its own. It knows that, when bringing together disparate systems and employees, a robust security posture is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nEndpoint security is critical to our data business. So we implemented JumpCloud. And as the company\u2019s first IT manager, six-and-a-half years ago, I started working on meeting all the necessary security requirements.<\/p>\nDale Courtney, IT manager<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Using JumpCloud to solve more and more IT problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When Justin Snell was hired as a help desk manager in Lightcast\u2019s IT department, JumpCloud was already in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut it was nowhere near what it currently is,\u201d Snell says. \u201cWe\u2019ve been continuously adding elements to our JumpCloud to foster cohesion and standardization, and it\u2019s been a great tool for us as an alternative to our former directory service. The ease of use and the ability to set things up on the fly using Jumpcloud has made a significant impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a feature-rich solution, JumpCloud helped Courtney eliminate another headache, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt also helped us get rid of our SSO provider,\u201d Courtney adds. \u201cJumpCloud is significantly cheaper than the platform we were using, and that platform didn\u2019t provide endpoint security, either. So there was no reason for us to stick with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snell shares that sentiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nUsing JumpCloud instead of our previous SSO solution is a no-brainer for me. Why not pay less for something that does more?<\/p>\nJustin Snell, help desk manager<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
When Lightcast was born post-merger, it was using two systems and leadership needed to make a choice on the go-forward IT environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was a lot of back and forth over which system wins out, which backbone gets to be the backbone of the new company,\u201d Snell explains. \u201cI was very vocal to try and keep the JumpCloud system in place because I knew of the inherent risks that come with the other option. I\u2019ve been in IT for a long time, and I\u2019ve heard and experienced plenty of horror stories. That\u2019s why Dale and I pushed to stay with JumpCloud for directory and endpoint management. It\u2019s superior from a security perspective and makes day-to-day tasks quicker and easier.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snell and Courtney\u2019s pitch proved to be persuasive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThankfully, we ended up staying with the feature-rich solution that we trusted: JumpCloud,\u201d Courtney says. \u201cThe first step was getting everybody migrated off our old directory service, then we were able to start rolling out robust JumpCloud features.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shoring up security & streamlining critical processes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fast-forward to today, and Lightcast continues to leverage more and more JumpCloud functionality to manage its environment that consists of Windows, Mac, and Linux machines and 683 total accounts. Thanks to JumpCloud\u2019s support for cross-OS device management<\/a>, Lightcast can manage all of these machines through a single pane of glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team uses JumpCloud as a directory for all users<\/a>, for user group management for SSO access to the company\u2019s 50-something apps, and to enact policies on endpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A stronger security posture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Using several JumpCloud features together in tandem \u2014 including RADIUS<\/a>, patch management<\/a>, and multi-factor authentication<\/a> \u2014 Lightcast has been able to sharpen its security posture considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very helpful,\u201d Snell says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On top of this, the company utilizes JumpCloud Go\u2122<\/a>, which enables users to verify their identities using biometrics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWhen we rolled out JumpCloud Go, there was a collective sigh of relief… [s]o that\u2019s been a huge success for us.<\/p>\nJustin Snell, help desk manager<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Lightcast has also been able to keep sensitive company data safe when laptops get stolen or aren\u2019t returned by outgoing employees. In addition to ensuring all disks are encrypted, the team has also used JumpCloud to remotely wipe devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve definitely created a brick, then never seen the machine again. But they can do absolutely nothing with the machine after the wipe. It\u2019s just a paperweight \u2014 good luck,\u201d Snell continues. \u201cIt\u2019s vitally important for us as a business to ensure none of our data stays on machines that shouldn\u2019t have it, and this JumpCloud feature helps us maintain that security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exceptional support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As is the case with any piece of technology, it\u2019s only a matter of time before users encounter issues. Whenever Lightcast\u2019s run into any problems, they\u2019ve been impressed by the high-touch support the JumpCloud team consistently delivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had some issues and every time we\u2019ve reached out to JumpCloud support we\u2019ve been able to come to a really good understanding of how things work or fix the issue,\u201d Courtney says. \u201cI can\u2019t say enough about how great the JumpCloud support team is. To be able to go on the support site, launch a chat, and have one of the engineers immediately pop up and fix my issue right then is absolutely amazing. I\u2019ve never been disappointed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Automating processes via APIs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Lightcast team has also leveraged JumpCloud\u2019s APIs to speed up the onboarding and offboarding processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf I know someone is going to be separating three weeks from now at 5 o\u2019clock, I can use the API to make sure their access is suspended at that exact time,\u201d Courtney explains. \u201cI don\u2019t have to manually go in at that time and do it myself. JumpCloud is our source of truth for all of our users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Directory Insights & System Insights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Using Directory Insights<\/a> and System Insights<\/a>, it\u2019s easier for Courtney and Snell to troubleshoot issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nI can just do a call on JumpCloud System Insights, all of the endpoint devices, and find out immediately which devices have that piece of software installed on them. What version is on them? Have they been patched? And we can immediately create tickets if we have to get them upgraded. System Insights is a fantastic tool for keeping tabs on these issues.<\/p>\nDale Courtney, IT manager<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
ISO 27001 compliance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
With a new CISO on board, Lightcast sought out and achieved ISO 27001 certification<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese tools help a lot,\u201d Snell says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About JumpCloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
JumpCloud\u00ae delivers a unified open directory platform that makes it easy to securely manage identities, devices, and access across your organization. With JumpCloud, IT teams and MSPs enable users to work securely from anywhere and manage their Windows, Apple, Linux, and Android devices from a single platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To see the power of JumpCloud yourself, request a demo<\/a> or start a 30-day trial<\/a> today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"