Media Company Secures Four Million Annual Readers with Automated Cybersecurity

Safeguarding 4 Million Annual Readers 

Courthouse News Service (CNS), headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., is a national and international news outlet covering a wide range of news focusing on legal developments and court rulings. Serving as a reliable source of information on civil law and court proceedings, CNS caters to a diverse audience of 4 million annual readers who are interested in the latest legal matters, judicial decisions, and societal dynamics. 

CNS continuously expands its subscription-based reports, services, and organization size, making cybersecurity measures increasingly crucial. Safeguarding the sensitive information of thousands of subscribers and 250 employees to maintain trust and reliability, especially in an era of cyber threats. Investing in proactive cybersecurity protocols ensures CNS’s continued growth and success. 

In Search of a Scalable and Automated Solution 

With a 30% increase in its employee count and continued growth in its subscriber base, CNS recognized the need for a scalable cybersecurity solution to protect its expanding operations. As a highly automated organization, CNS prioritized finding a security approach that could integrate with its existing systems to ensure comprehensive network security and real-time threat detection visibility.  

 In pursuit of a solution, CNS turned to Adlumin, specifically Extended Detection and Response (XDR). “As we’ve grown, the platform is growing with us. There will probably be a time when we need to extend our coverage even more, and we will be happy to do so because as we grow, we want to stay secure,” said Linnie Gooch, CNS’ IT Manager.  

Gooch played a key role in selecting Adlumin as the primary cybersecurity solution. His positive experience with Adlumin further validated the decision, emphasizing the platform’s effectiveness in meeting the security needs of a growing and dynamic organization like CNS.  

Centralized Platform Through One Pane of Glass 

Media companies like CNS face increasing cybersecurity challenges in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. With the need for a centralized dashboard to have full visibility into their network operations, CNS turned to Adlumin to streamline their security processes. 

Before adopting Adlumin, CNS faced challenges with disparate dashboards and limited alerting capabilities, which made it difficult to track and respond to security incidents effectively. Gooch emphasized, “We never knew from what entry point things happened. Now, I can do a query and find out where something happened rather quickly. Before Adlumin, I didn’t have that capability, so I was spending a lot of time looking for things and did not have a centralized location.” 

CNS acknowledges several benefits from cybersecurity consolidation, including cost savings.  “When Adlumin came around, and I saw the value of it, and the cost was competitive, it was a no-brainer to implement.” Gooch continued, “I didn’t even consider other competitors because they were unreasonable with cost, and I wouldn’t get the level of service I get from [Adlumin].” 

Complete Visibility Through Reports and Alerts 

CNS leverages several compliance, IT and board reports generated by Adlumin’s Platform to support the organization’s cybersecurity defenses effectively. One report that Gooch particularly values is the Privileged Account Activity Report provided by Adlumin. This report plays a pivotal role in providing CNS with granular insights into any changes within their environment that may impact security. The report equips CNS with an overview of its security landscape by detailing each privileged account on the network along with network access, first login date, and last login date during the specified period. 

“I like having that visibility with reports because just a simple report that is generated tells me everything that’s changed in my environment, especially something that could or could not have a negative impact,” says Gooch. 

The utilization of the reports Adlumin offers enhances CNS’s cybersecurity posture and plays a vital role in bridging the communication gap between the security team and organizational leadership. By providing an overview of CNS’s cybersecurity posture, the reports empower leadership to make well-informed decisions regarding resource allocation and cybersecurity investments. 

In addition, CNS benefits significantly from the alerting capabilities embedded within Adlumin’s platform. By receiving alerts through both email and text messages, CNS can promptly address any potential security incidents or anomalies. These automated notifications ensure that CNS stays informed in real-time, enabling quick mitigation actions to be taken whenever necessary. 

Adaptive Integration Capabilities and Partnership 

Adlumin’s adaptability and integration capabilities have been a game changer for CNS. By integrating security telemetry from various sources, Adlumin provides CNS with insights into security alerts and streamlines IT workflows. This vendor-agnostic approach ensures that CNS maximizes its current security investments and stays ahead of emerging threats. 

As a media company that is constantly expanding and facing new challenges, CNS values Adlumin’s willingness to collaborate and adapt. For example, Adlumin uses API calls for most vendors, Gooch emphasizes, “As the vendors change and grow, you [Adlumin] adapt to them.” 

The seamless integration of Adlumin Platform with CNS systems, completed in under two hours with minimal impact on CNS’s team, exemplifies Adlumin’s readiness and expertise in serving evolving needs.  

Gooch highlighted the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, particularly considering the rising threat of cyberattacks and ransomware. He says, “There is an increase in ransomware and cyberattacks. And I don’t want to get hit. I need to make sure that CNS has guardrails, and we have that with Adlumin.” 

By partnering with Adlumin, CNS has established essential guardrails to protect its operations and sensitive data. The synergy between CNS and Adlumin continues to strengthen as both entities evolve and grow, ensuring that CNS remains resilient against cyber threats.