Case Study: Enhancing Nonprofit Cybersecurity with Control D

Nonprofits often operate with limited resources and lack dedicated IT teams, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. What’s more, many of them have large databases with donor and payment information, which can be lucrative for those with malicious intent. 

The Challenge: Securing Nonprofits from Phishing and Malware Threats

Greg Wenner, Executive Director at Good Heart Technology, faced this very challenge. His clients were frequent targets of phishing attempts, malware, and other online threats. Greg needed a DNS security solution that was reliable, scalable, and wouldn't introduce friction for end users.

The Search for a Solution: Discovering Control D

In his search for a robust cybersecurity tool, Greg came across Control D after strong recommendations from online communities on Reddit. The platform's user-friendly interface and strong community reputation stood out, and Greg saw potential in Control D to meet the nonprofit sector’s specific security needs.

Onboarding and Automation: A Seamless Integration

For Greg, the onboarding process was a key factor in deciding to implement Control D. The documentation was clear and the API integration was straightforward, which made deployment quick and easy. Greg’s team was able to automate a significant portion of the process.

Using their RMM tool, they fully automated the creation of new clients and built custom scripts to pull analytics directly into their IT documentation platform, Hudu. This allowed them to consolidate Control D data with other critical systems like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, endpoint protection, and domain auditing.

Positive Outcomes: Simplified Setup and Streamlined Support

Greg’s experience with Control D has been transformative, both for his team and their clients. From the ease of setting up new clients to the seamless support capabilities, Control D has been a game-changer. With full automation through their RMM tool, Greg’s team can quickly onboard new clients, and troubleshooting is made simple with the platform’s intuitive dashboard.

For clients, requesting support or unblocking sites is just a few clicks away, ensuring that security measures always meet their needs.

Real-World Impact: Protecting Clients from Phishing and Malware

The impact of Control D on cybersecurity has been highly visible for Greg and his clients. On several occasions, it has prevented phishing attacks and malware breaches by blocking malicious links before they could cause harm. Many of the nonprofit organizations Greg serves lack dedicated IT resources, and Control D provides a reliable safety net for both Greg and his clients.

“We’ve seen Control D stop real-world phishing and malware threats across multiple organizations we serve. In more than one instance, it directly prevented what could have been a costly and damaging data breach,” said Greg. 

A Strong Recommendation: A Core Part of the Security Stack

For Greg, Control D has become a core part of his managed security stack for nonprofit clients. The platform's protection, automation, and ease of use make it an invaluable tool. Greg wholeheartedly recommends Control D to other managed service providers and highlights it as a critical component of his cybersecurity strategy for nonprofits.

“Overall, the product is excellent, the documentation is strong, and the experience has been fantastic,” he added. 

Feedback and Future Improvements

While Greg’s experience with Control D has been overwhelmingly positive, he offered some constructive feedback for future improvements. He suggested the addition of a single API endpoint to generate a provisioning code.

With this feature, the automation process would become fully hands-off, further streamlining deployment. While not essential, this small enhancement would elevate the platform from “very streamlined” to “completely automated,” taking Greg’s operations to the next level.

Conclusion: A Vital Tool for Nonprofit Security

Control D has become an indispensable tool for Greg and his nonprofit clients. The platform’s powerful security features, ease of integration, and automation have made it a vital part of his managed services offering. By providing nonprofits with enterprise-grade security tools that would otherwise be out of reach, Control D has significantly enhanced Greg’s ability to protect vulnerable organizations from the growing threats of phishing and malware.

"Control D is a core part of our managed security stack for our nonprofit partners. The protection, automation, and ease of use make it one of the most valuable tools we deploy." — Greg Wenner