Case Study of Isetan Mitsukoshi System Solutions
IIJ Secure Web Gateway Service adopts i-FILTER Ver. 10 for web security
— Secure web access for over 15,000 users of wide-ranging needs —

Information security solutions provider Digital Arts Inc. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Toshio Dogu; hereinafter referred to as "Digital Arts"; Code 2326) is pleased to announce that it has released a case study of i-FILTER Ver. 10 being adopted as the web security for the IIJ Secure Web Gateway Service of Isetan Mitsukoshi System Solutions Limited (headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; COO: Yasuhiro Minowa).

Integrated information security measures for the entire Isetan Mitsukoshi Group

Isetan Mitsukoshi System Solutions supports the IT of the entire Isetan Mitsukoshi Group that is comprised primarily of department stores under the corporate philosophy of "Touching people's hearts with human-driven experiences." The company oversees IT operations in the Isetan Mitsukoshi Group and is responsible for the information strategy of each group company. In addition, they have recently set their sights outward and have been focusing on providing solutions to external companies to support the digital transformation of customers.

During the current fiscal year, they have been working to strengthen the cybersecurity measures and established a cybersecurity promotion council within the Isetan Mitsukoshi Group. By establishing an IT governance officer or manager in all group companies, the company plans to both create overarching cybersecurity policies and share information on threats and information security measures with all employees.

Web security product i-FILTER adopted for safe, easy-access internet use for all employees

In line with a network overhaul in 2015, the company decided to begin using IIJ Secure Web Gateway Service. As their web security, they chose to use Digital Arts' i-FILTER. In the latest i-FILTER Ver. 10, the whitelisting feature blocks those URLs whose connection have not been deemed safe, as well as threatening websites and tampered websites, only allowing access to websites that Digital Arts has determined to be safe.
IIJ Secure Web Gateway Service is a cloud-based service provided by Internet Initiative Japan Inc. that integrates web filters, anti-viruses, proxies, and other web security features required by companies into one. Digital Arts' i-FILTER, a product that prevents the viewing of harmful or irrelevant websites as well as internal leaks, comes standard with IIJ Secure Web Gateway Service.
The company was attracted by the comprehensive capabilities of IIJ Secure Web Gateway Service, which includes both networking and security.

For the Isetan Mitsukoshi Group, which has over 15,000 users, the ability to set detailed web access control rules tailored to each business and situation was the deciding factor in adopting the service. Administrators also found the ability to easily set rules for each individual user to be a great help.

Blocking websites unrelated to work by category

Using the category filters that block websites by category, the company was also able to block categories of websites unrelated to work for each specific group company. As an overarching rule, they block websites related to such categories as video games, gambling, adult content and software downloads, for all employees, however, there are some cases where categories are allowed for specific businesses or departments. In addition, users are also able to request the ability to view blocked websites. Admins can then check the security of the website and respond to the request on a case-by-case basis to ensure security while also ensuring that it does not interfere with work.

Using the blacklist feature to create a list of websites known to be harmful to daily operations, they have created a network and environment where it is both safe and secure to work.

No need for admins to categorize websites

i-FILTER comes preloaded with categories created by Digital Arts, meaning that there is no need for administrators to create website categories on their own. This highly-praised feature covers all the necessary categories and lessons the work of administrators as well. As well, since the company often receives inquiries from within the group about why they cannot access a certain website, they can now use i-FILTER to see exactly why the website is blocked. This saves them valuable time on figuring out the reasons for each individual website.

In addition to its BtoC services that provide a seamless online shopping experience, the company is working to expand MDX sales. MDX is an industry-wide platform for department stores that optimizes business practices and operations unique to the industry. It also provides tools to manage and protect customer data, which is the most important information in the department store industry and requires more protection than ever.
In order to ensure that both general consumers and client companies can use the company's services and solutions with peace of mind, the company is working to raise the security level of the entire Isetan Mitsukoshi Group by educating employees on internal as well as external threats.

Read the fullIsetan Mitsukoshi SystemSolutions case study:https://www.daj.jp/bs/case/case101/