Carrier Services Case Studies | Aqueduct Technologies

CASE STUDY
Modernizing Cybersecurity Across 2,000+ Retail Locations

50% reduction in per-location cost through infrastructure simplification

Implementing a cloud-delivered Zero Trust architecture to reduce cost, simplify operations, and improve threat prevention and response at scale.

Company Overview

Industry: Restaurant and Retail 

Company Size: Enterprise | Multi-Brand | 2,000+ Locations | Multi-Billion Revenue 

IT Environment: Highly Distributed
(internet-based connectivity) 

Solution: Cloud Security Platform (Zscaler ZIA and ZPA) + XDR + Managed SOC

A leading restaurant and retail organization operates a highly distributed environment spanning more than 2,000 corporate-owned and franchise locations. Each site requires secure and reliable connectivity to support point-of-sale systems, digital ordering, and in-store operations.

As the environment scaled, the organization faced increasing costs associated with maintaining appliance-based security infrastructure, along with operational complexity driven by reliance on multiple vendors. Existing controls, including host-based protection, network monitoring, and firewall-enabled SD-WAN, provided baseline coverage but lacked consistency and scalability across the environment.

With rising ransomware threats, PCI requirements, and pressure to reduce infrastructure costs, the organization needed a more efficient and scalable approach to secure its retail footprint.

To address these challenges, the organization partnered with Aqueduct to design and implement a cloud-first, Zero Trust security architecture that consolidates vendors, reduces infrastructure dependency, and enables consistent protection and rapid deployment across all locations.

Results

Accelerated deployment timelines across a distributed retail environment
50% reduction in per-location cost through infrastructure simplification
“We simplified both our architecture and our vendor ecosystem while improving security. What used to take coordination across multiple tools and teams is now delivered through a single, scalable platform.”
— Director, Cybersecurity

CUSTOMER CHALLENGES

The organization faced several critical gaps in securing and operating its distributed retail environment:

  • Rising per-location costs driven by appliance-based security infrastructure and ongoing hardware lifecycle management
  • Dependence on multiple vendors to deliver security capabilities, resulting in increased operational complexity
  • Inconsistent security controls across more than 2,000 locations, resulting in uneven risk exposure
  • Limited ability to efficiently deploy and scale security solutions across the environment
  • Fragmented detection and response across host-based, network, and perimeter tools
  • Increased risk of ransomware and attacks targeting retail infrastructure and payment systems

CUSTOMER GOALS

Executive leadership aligned on the following objectives:

  • Standardize cybersecurity controls across all locations
  • Reduce reliance on on-premise security infrastructure
  • Strengthen protection of point-of-sale (POS) systems and support PCI compliance
  • Improve threat detection, containment, and response capabilities
  • Enable centralized visibility across users, devices, and network activity
  • Establish a scalable, cloud-based security model

SOLUTION DETAILS

To achieve these objectives, Aqueduct designed a cloud-first security architecture that replaces traditional perimeter controls with a Zero Trust model and integrates detection and response into a unified operating framework.

Solution Approach 
  1. Cloud-Delivered Zero Trust Architecture
  2. Store and Network Architecture Transformation
  3. Integrated Detection and Response
  4. Scalable Deployment Model
Business Outcomes

The organization transformed its security model from a distributed, multi-vendor, appliance-based approach into a consolidated, cloud-delivered Zero Trust architecture aligned to modern retail operations.

  • Consolidation of multiple security vendors into a unified platform, reducing operational complexity
  • Faster deployment of security capabilities across new and existing locations
  • Reduced attack surface through elimination of network exposure and legacy perimeter controls
  • Improved ability to prevent lateral movement through user-to-application segmentation
  • Strengthened protection of POS systems and improved support for PCI requirements
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