Leading provider of Zero Trust cloud cybersecurity solutions and developer of the ZTEdge SASE Platform Ericom Software announced that Jellyfish Pictures, an award-winning animation and VFX production studio, has adopted Ericom’s ZTEdge Web Isolation solution to enable air-gapped web and cloud application access from production workstations, in accordance with Motion Picture Association (MPA) Content Security Best Practice Guidelines for data security.
Ericom’s browser isolation solution also provides essential security controls that enable Jellyfish Pictures to use Microsoft Teams collaboration platform on its production networks, a very significant benefit given the challenges faced by distributed teams when working to tight deadlines.
“All it takes is one web interaction that downloads ransomware or data-stealing malware onto a workstation to significantly compromise the security of a project,” Jellyfish Pictures CTO Jeremy Smith said.
“Our requirement was to provide a high-performance, transparent browsing experience while protecting the ‘crown jewels’ – the data and IP on those workstations. ZTEdge is a very high-performance solution that makes users’ lives better while giving us the controls and security needed for TPN compliance,” he further explained.
Commenting on the Ericom remote browser isolation solution, Convergent Risks’ EVP Mathew Gilliat-Smith said, “The demand for TPN compliance and security assessments in general is growing as studios continue their push to partner with an increasing number of external vendors for visual effects production. The advanced capabilities of the Ericom solution aligns with vendors’ need to address key data aspects of content security compliance. The availability of this technology is a positive development for the film industry. We have seen a number of studios using the Ericom solution, including Jellyfish Pictures, and are pleased with the role the technology plays in satisfying key parts of their TPN security compliance requirements.”
“We are pleased that Jellyfish Pictures, a recognized leader in identifying and adopting high-value technologies for content development, delivery and security, has chosen Ericom’s ZTEdge Web Isolation as an optimal solution for empowering artists to access the web from their workstations while ensuring that customers’ high-value content is safeguarded from exposure. We particularly appreciate that Jellyfish Pictures staff found browsing with ZTEdge to be a ‘native-level, high performance experience,’ given their rigorous standards as visual media professionals,” Ericom VP, Europe, and Middle East, Ravi Pather said.
As a technology-forward studio that works with entertainment industry leaders including Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Netflix and DreamWorks, Jellyfish Pictures undergoes regular Trusted Partner Network (TPN) assessments to ensure that its clients’ valuable IP is protected from exposure. To achieve certification as a TPN vendor, studios must strictly control email and web/cloud access.
Jellyfish Pictures chose to implement remote browser isolation (RBI) a few years ago to reduce user frustration and increase productivity, while ensuring that its customers’ content was protected. Unfortunately, the first-generation solution they initially implemented performed poorly, with slow and jagged frame rates and audio and video misaligned. Although it assisted with industry compliance, this early solution frustrated users and IT and negatively impacted productivity.
Ericom’s ZTEdge Web Isolation was a welcome change.
Ericom’s cloud-delivered solution applies granular policies to block users from uploading content to websites from their devices or organization networks and prevent attaching files to emails. Browser clipboard functions may be completely disabled, disabled for specific websites or website categories, or limited to specific functions for specific websites. This allows data to be copied when necessary while protecting against loss of valuable content through, for example, peer-to-peer sites.
Jellyfish Pictures can apply policy-based controls to ensure compliance with restrictions on file sizes or types, or the amount of copied data. These same capabilities allow control of interactions with web and cloud applications, including storage applications like Box and collaboration and virtual meeting applications like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Jellyfish Pictures works with Convergent Risks, a global provider of risk assessment and compliance services for the media and entertainment sector, to execute their TPN and cloud security compliance assessments. Convergent Risks fields the largest number of security assessor personnel across the globe dedicated to TPN and independent content owner site security assessments.
With ZTEdge Web Isolation, all active website content (which could potentially include hidden ransomware or other data-stealing malware) runs in a virtual browser that is isolated in the cloud or on a remote server. This further protects organizations by stopping malicious code from entering the organization’s network and preventing hackers from staging attacks and/or accessing valuable content. ZTEdge Web Isolation renders the web page content into an interactive data stream representing the website and sends it to the usual browser on the user’s device, for a safe, fully interactive, high-performance browsing experience.
For additional phishing protection, websites launched from URLs in emails can be rendered in read-only mode to prevent users from entering credentials. Attached files (if not blocked) are sanitized before being transmitted to endpoints, ensuring that malware within downloads cannot compromise users’ devices.
