Case Study:
Food Manufacturer Improves Cybersecurity with Audit and Action Plan from Katalyst
Case Snapshot
- Client: North Carolina-based national food manufacturer (name withheld at client request)
- Partnership since: Early 2022
- Trigger: IT Director needed comprehensive cybersecurity audit after 3 years of self-managed security
- Engagement type: Cybersecurity audit + Threat Analysis (Assess motion on Protect pillar)
Key Outcomes
- 150+ actionable security recommendations delivered
- 200+ page structured vulnerability report with prioritized remediation roadmap
- Critical blind spots identified and resolved mid-engagement — email/web filtering enabled
- Threat Analysis: one month of data-driven security monitoring and recommendations
- Clear cybersecurity roadmap with prioritized action items across 18 categories
Client Testimonial
— IT Director, NC-based Food Manufacturer (name withheld)
“We now have a plan and the right team to help us do it. Cybersecurity is a race, a marathon you have to keep running. Working with Katalyst is like having a team that’s going to help you win this marathon.“
About Our Client
A North Carolina-based food manufacturer with a nationally recognized product line supplying distributors from small stores to major big box retailers. They have built a trusted consumer brand over many years and understand that any security incident could instantly undermine that trust — making cybersecurity a strategic business priority.
Business Challenge
The IT Director had spent approximately three years proactively managing security using a variety of cybersecurity tools and best practices. Wanting to identify any remaining blind spots, he spent nearly a year evaluating audit partners — none of whom presented plans comprehensive enough to give him confidence. He needed someone who could not just identify issues but interpret, prioritize, and provide a clear roadmap.
Key challenges included:
- Known blind spots remaining after 3 years of self-managed security improvements
- Nearly a year evaluating audit partners — none were sufficiently comprehensive
- No clear roadmap for prioritizing remaining security improvements
- Email and web filtering features had never been enabled by the original hosting provider
Katalyst's
Solution
Katalyst Security Consulting Engineer Uriah Berry conducted a phased, comprehensive cybersecurity audit — starting with lower-stakes systems and gradually expanding to more critical infrastructure over three months. Midway through, a critical email/web filtering blind spot was identified and immediately resolved. The engagement concluded with a 200+ page vulnerability report and an add-on Threat Analysis.
CONNECT — INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY
- Network architecture review across all infrastructure layers
- Remote access VPN and site-to-site VPN assessment
- Switching and routing configuration review
PROTECT — SECURITY AS AN OPERATING DISCIPLINE
- Comprehensive security audit across 18 categories (150+ actionable findings)
- Email security, endpoint security, and firewall assessment
- Identity, MFA, and directory services review
- Vulnerability assessment and patching analysis
- Threat Analysis — one month of live data-driven security monitoring
- Immediate remediation of critical email/web filtering blind spot
OPERATE — ONGOING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUTCOMES
- 200+ page structured vulnerability report with prioritized remediation roadmap
- Phased engagement model — started with lower-risk systems, scaled to critical infrastructure
- Ongoing roadmap relationship — additional projects planned
SUPPORTS RECEIVED
Business
Results
The food manufacturing company received over 150 actionable recommendations in a well-structured report, giving the IT Director a clear roadmap and a trusted partner to help execute security improvements over time.
150+ actionable security recommendations with a clear prioritization roadmap
Critical blind spots identified and resolved — email/web filtering immediately enabled
200+ page structured report serving as an ongoing action checklist
Threat Analysis added data-driven insights for ongoing security decision-making
Ongoing relationship established — additional projects in roadmap
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