Persistent teams up with Zscaler for digital transformation & ESG

Persistent Systems has recently announced a strategic partnership with Zscaler to expedite its digital transformation efforts and bolster its sustainability initiatives. This collaboration sees Persistent leveraging the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform, further solidifying its commitment to enhancing cybersecurity infrastructure while promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

Debashis Singh, Chief Information Officer at Persistent, expressed the organisation's need for a partner that could support its global workforce whilst also aligning with their corporate values on environmental sustainability. Singh remarked, "Our initial focus was supporting our anywhere computing model for our employees spread across the globe, coupled with zero trust architecture that paid dividends along the way. Ultimately, we aimed to enhance our cybersecurity infrastructure while minimising costs, complexity, and environmental impact. With this in mind, evolving our strategic partnership with Zscaler was the natural next step in our security and cloud transformation journey."

To achieve these objectives, Persistent deployed the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform, an AI-driven cloud security solution. This platform eliminates the need for traditional firewall-based security appliances by providing secure access to applications and data regardless of user location or device. The zero trust architecture significantly reduces the risk of cyberattacks, ensuring that all users are authenticated and authorised before accessing resources. With Zscaler's cloud-native architecture, Persistent can scale its security infrastructure seamlessly, avoiding the complexities and costs associated with legacy security systems.

The deployment's initial phase saw Persistent implement several key Zscaler solutions. Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) provided secure web gateway access for its 22,800 users across 21 countries. Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) replaced traditional VPNs, offering secure direct access to private applications from any device and location. In addition, Zscaler Data Loss Prevention (DLP) fortified data security with advanced features such as inline TLS/SSL traffic inspection and data discovery. The Zscaler Digital Experience solution ensured swift issue detection and remediation, enhancing user experience, while Zscaler Deception identified and mitigated high-priority attacks by diverting adversaries away from critical resources.

The implementation delivered tangible results swiftly. In less than three months, Persistent saw a measurable decrease in business risk and a significant increase in user productivity. Despite a 35% increase in traffic to 1,000 terabytes, Persistent was shielded from 1.6 million security threats, with 369,305 of those threats hidden in encrypted traffic.

Mike Rich, Chief Revenue Officer and President of Global Sales at Zscaler, emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships in balancing innovation, growth, cybersecurity, and sustainability goals. "A strategic partner that helps navigate these challenges can be a key success factor in the digital transformation journey. Zscaler is thrilled to support Persistent in their journey towards minimising environmental impact and maximising innovation. We value our continued partnership, especially as we move toward a future of zero trust built on generative AI."