City of Memphis

Organization Intro

The City of Memphis, a vibrant city of more than 620,000 people and world-renowned for music culture, is leveraging technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance public services and address challenges faced by its diverse community. Led by Interim Chief Information Officer Augustine Boateng, Memphis prioritizes public welfare and aims to create positive outcomes for its residents. For instance, to bridge gaps in economic disparities and digital divides, the city provides free Wi-Fi access and works on expanding broadband availability, ensuring equitable access to digital services.

The Problem

The City of Memphis is navigating the intricate landscape of technology expansion and internet connectivity, encountering a series of challenges along the way. Among these hurdles is the cumbersome nature of manual processes for handling reported emails, which not only drain staff resources but also increase the risk of overlooking critical security incidents. This predicament underscores the pressing need for streamlined and automated mechanisms to swiftly identify and resolve potential threats, fortifying the city's defenses against cyber attacks.

As Memphis embraces an array of internet-connected technologies to enhance public services, the corresponding increase in its attack surface heightens concerns regarding cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The integration of IoT devices and AI-driven solutions expands the potential entry points for malicious actors, accentuating the urgency for robust cybersecurity measures. Safeguarding sensitive data, critical systems, and citizen privacy becomes paramount, necessitating proactive strategies to mitigate risks and fortify the resilience of the city's infrastructure against evolving cyber threats.

Recognizing the pivotal role of human factors in cybersecurity, the City of Memphis prioritizes comprehensive education and regular testing for all its employees. Tailored training programs cater to the diverse roles and technological proficiency levels within the organization, empowering staff with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively identify and respond to cyber threats. Through regular testing, including simulated phishing attacks and resilience assessments, the city evaluates employee awareness and readiness, fostering a culture of vigilance and reinforcing cybersecurity best practices across the board.

"I know AI has been a bit of a buzzword, but it really does save time and create a lot of efficiencies for us."

Augustine Boateng Interim Chief Information Office for the City of Memphis

Solution

Whenever Augustin Boateng looks to bring in a new vendor for the City of Memphis, he embarks on an exhaustive due diligence journey lasting as long as 10 weeks. This meticulous process is crucial to verify that the vendor's practices align perfectly with the city's stringent internal cyber management standards before any integration occurs.

Additionally, the platform aggregates information from other customers to enhance threat resolution across the board, fostering a collaborative approach to cybersecurity.

Memphis also provides staff with training and conducts random tests. Boateng praises the effectiveness of IRONSCALES in reducing the time spent on handling potential threats, highlighting its community-driven approach to threat resolution.

Outcomes

The implementation of the IRONSCALES email security solution yielded several positive outcomes for the City of Memphis:

• Efficiency: The City of Memphis chose the email security solution IRONSCALES, which automated the detection and remediation of phishing threats. With IRONSCALES, Augustine Boateng was able to reduce the time spent on manual email review and follow-up by 95%, cutting down on the number of man-hours needed.
• Enhanced Security: The solution improved the city's resilience against phishing scams and email compromises, safeguarding sensitive data and infrastructure from cyber threats.
• Collaborative Defense: IRONSCALES leverages a community-driven approach to cybersecurity, aggregating information from other customers to enhance threat resolution and protect against evolving threats.
• Cost Savings: By streamlining email security processes and reducing manual efforts, the city achieved cost savings associated with cybersecurity management.

Overall, the IRONSCALES solution contributed to strengthening the city's cybersecurity posture and mitigating risks associated with email-based threats.

"We adopted Ironscales a year ago, and it’s been amazing how they’ve helped reduce the time between identifying a potential threat and resolving it. We used to dedicate hours to manually going through reported emails and following up on them. Ironscales has helped us to cut the number of man hours down by 95%."

Augustine Boateng Interim Chief Information Office for the City of Memphis

 

About IRONSCALES

IRONSCALES is the leader in AI-powered email security protecting over 15,000 global organizations from advanced phishing threats. As the pioneer of adaptive AI, we detect and remediate attacks like business email compromise (BEC), account takeovers (ATO), and zero-days that other solutions miss. By combining the power of AI and continuous human insights, we safeguard inboxes, unburden IT teams, and turn employees into a vital part of cyber defense across enterprises and managed service providers. IRONSCALES is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more, visit www.ironscales.com or follow us on X @IRONSCALES.