106915 RFL Case Study.Indd

case study at a glance

Service Total Backup and DR

Overview

• The RFL is the national governing body for Rugby League in England

• As its IT systems developed, it needed to add solutions for email archiving and security

• It chose solutions from Mimecast, and has added further capabilities over a multiple-year relationship with Total and Mimecast

• Mimecast’s email security has enabled the RFL to ensure business continuity and avoid the risks of email The Rugby Football League has used Mimecast email security and phishing and viruses – as well as keeping protection high as staff all archiving for many years, and has a long-term relationship with Total work from home as its IT partner. Mimecast keeps the RFL’s staff secure, and makes • “We find it really easy in Mimecast management quick and efficient for the two-person IT team. that you can get the message ID or the address a compromised email has come from, and within 10 Client phishing. The RFL also uses Mimecast seconds you’ve stopped it getting DMARC Analyzer, which detects and blocks throughout your organisation.” The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the email attacks using spoofed domains. national governing body for Rugby League • “The relationship with Total is really in England, administering competitions Matthew Dews, Head of Technology at the good overall, and they’re always such as the Challenge Cup and Women’s Rugby Football League, says: “The initial willing to help us.” Super League, national Men’s, Women’s driver for email archiving was compliance, and Wheelchair national teams through the but we found ourselves getting increasingly England Performance Unit, and the wider targeted by phishing attacks and viruses. Rugby League World Cup 2021. Matthew community game. Its IT team also provides While office and email software has some says, “As well as these users, we also help and support to Rugby League’s charity in-built security features, we realised a provide IT support for four other connected RL Cares, European and international dedicated solution would be more effective organisations, with just an IT team of two federations, and the Rugby League World – so we chose Mimecast for our email people including myself.” Cup 2021. security.” User education is important for the RFL, The RFL uses Mimecast’s email security and it keeps its users on their toes with Business driver to protect its own staff, numbering around videos, templates for test phishing emails The RFL needs effective email archiving, 120, and around 20 people working for the and other materials provided by that enables it to comply with relevant personal data legislation. To ensure business continuity, it also needs robust, secure and easy to manage email security.

Solution

The RFL has been using Mimecast for email archiving for over a decade, and now uses Mimecast M2A, which provides integrated security, email continuity and archiving. This extends conventional security to provide comprehensive protection against email threats, including rogue attachments and

Email [email protected]

totalcomputers.co.uk Tel 0345 647 0000 Ref CS/RFL/1

Together, Total and “Mimecast make it really easy for us to secure and manage all our email communications. ”

Mimecast as part of its AT1 Security cables had been cut. Total delivered all the Awareness Training service. Matthew Ethernet cables we needed the next day, so explains: “I’ve set it up so that once a we could re-cable the entire stadium.” month it emails the users with a link to a “They are transparent and open, and will short, humorous video with a question at hold their hands up if something’s gone the end. wrong, which I like in a relationship,” says Matthew. “Total work well with Mimecast, Benefits and help us to get information and advice As well as keeping the RFL’s users secure, from them.” one of the main benefits of Mimecast is The RFL had already rolled out Microsoft the time it saves for Matthew and his IT Teams to its staff in 2019, and this meant colleague. He appreciates how efficient it is it was well-organised to support remote to use Mimecast’s reporting features, which working when the COVID pandemic arrived. show which of his users have clicked on a Matthew says: “Everyone is working mostly bad URL in an email, and therefore need from home, and we’re still able to keep the help. sport functioning for people to watch.”

“For URL filtering to block dodgy links in For the future, the RFL is looking to add emails, Mimecast provides a quick and Mimecast’s internet filtering capabilities, efficient solution,” says Matthew. “We giving it the advantage of using well- find it really easy in Mimecast that you integrated security solutions from one can get the message ID or the address a supplier. compromised email has come from, and within 10 seconds you’ve stopped it getting Matthew says: “We take cybersecurity throughout your organisation.” really seriously, and do our best to strike a balance between being very secure, while The RFL has been working with Total for not locking things down too much for our around six years. As well as managing the staff.” Mimecast relationship, Total assists the RFL with other IT infrastructure requirements. “Going forward, I think this is the new normal, and our organisation will continue “The relationship with Total is really good to have more emphasis on home-working overall, and they’re always willing to help long-term,” says Matthew. “As people us. We also find they’re competitive on are using their own internet, it’s harder for price, every time,” says Matthew. “We us to keep them secure, and we will put may have last-minute requests sometimes, more emphasis on endpoint security – with but Total always gets the quote to us and Mimecast a key part of that.” delivers what we need.” “Together, Total and Mimecast make it “To give one example, we turned up at the really easy for us to secure and manage Olympic Stadium in London to set up a all our email communications,” concludes week before one event, and found all the Matthew.