Customer Story
Geisinger Expands CrowdStrike Usage to Protect AWS Cloud Workloads
Since 2017, Geisinger Health System has used CrowdStrike to protect its on-premises electronic health record (EHR) software.
As one of America’s most innovative health systems, Geisinger decided in 2021 to migrate its EHR to Amazon Web Services (AWS). It expects this migration to the cloud will enable life-saving technologies while saving millions of dollars each year.
But this is no small feat. Some 400 applications and numerous workflows need to be migrated to AWS. Critically, those applications need to be protected, as does the sensitive data contained within them.
Geisinger was familiar with the shared responsibility model: while AWS was responsible for security of the cloud, Geisinger was responsible for security in the cloud. That’s when Geisinger turned again to CrowdStrike.
Protection from PCs to Pods
CrowdStrike provides Geisinger with a cybersecurity platform that protects endpoints to cloud workloads, and everything in between. Core to the solution is CrowdStrike Falcon® Cloud Security, which includes cloud workload protection and cloud security posture management. “All the benefits of migrating our EHR to the cloud means nothing if it’s not protected,” said Geisinger CISO Zack Gable. “CrowdStrike helps protect us from PCs to pods.” The Geisinger security team’s emphasis on cloud security reflects the changing IT landscape. While the cloud brings numerous benefits around cost, scale and flexibility, it also introduces new security risks. A breach can disrupt the entire health system’s daily operations. Geisinger chose the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform to protect its on-premises infrastructure, and CrowdStrike Falcon® Complete Cloud Security to do the same for its cloud systems. Falcon Complete Cloud Security is CrowdStrike's fully managed detection and response service for cloud workloads. The managed service is backed by CrowdStrike’s industry-leading Breach Prevention Warranty, which covers costs should a breach occur within the protected environment. (No customer has ever made a claim against the warranty.)
The Obvious Choice for Cloud Workload Protection
Cloud migrations of this scale are fraught with complexity. Geisinger wanted a simple solution for cloud protection and it got that with CrowdStrike. Because the health system was already using the Falcon platform for endpoint protection, adding the sensor for cloud workload protection was as simple as licensing the module. Deployment was streamlined compared to most implementations. Cost and complexity were lower as well. “A lot of companies offer a cloud-based sensor product, but because we were already a CrowdStrike customer, adding cloud workload protection was streamlined,” said Gable. This unified approach to security made sense to Gable. Because of CrowdStrike’s single-agent architecture, Geisinger can deploy cloud workload protection and continue using the same management console to monitor everything, from PCs to servers to Kubernetes pods. No managing multiple systems — just one platform to secure its entire infrastructure.
Keeping the Focus on the Patient
The CrowdStrike and AWS partnership gives joint customers like Geisinger a streamlined approach to cloud workload protection. As an AWS Security Competency Partner and AWS Global Public Sector Partner of the Year, CrowdStrike offers more than 12 integrations with AWS core services, including Guard Duty, Security Hub and Control Tower, to ensure the most hardened cloud environment possible. CrowdStrike is trusted by more than 100 healthcare organizations worldwide for endpoint and cloud protection. “CrowdStrike has enabled us to continue driving our secure cloud journey so we can focus on providing the best patient care possible,” concluded Gable.
