JCB Enhances Security and Flexibility with Netskope to Safeguard Development Environments

JCB is the company that operates the only international credit card brand originating in Japan, and it is developing a variety of businesses that meet the expectations of customers and partner companies with the aim of becoming a comprehensive payment service company. The company, which is also actively working in the FinTech field, has succeeded in reducing the risk of information leaks while providing a highly flexible development environment for its development team of around 400 people.

Industry

Financial Services

Region

Japan

Employees

4,300

Year founded

1961

Meeting remote work needs while mitigating info leakage risks

JCB Co., Ltd. operates the Japanese international payment brand “JCB”. Beyond traditional payment services, the company is actively leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as contactless payments and the metaverse. Approximately 400 employees collaborate with partner companies to develop systems in-house within an agile environment.

The shift to remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted JCB to introduce Netskope. Ryosuke Kataoka, Director of the Digital Solutions Development Department, explained, “The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the rapid spread of remote work at our company. To maintain development speed and flexibility, we needed a secure access environment regardless of location.”

Previously, JCB used VPN for remote access. However, VPN connections were fixed to specific bases, which hindered flexible work styles. Kazuki Shikata , Chief of the Development IV Group, noted, “We were concerned about being tied to our bases and the increased risk of information leaks with more external access, such as from home.”

A major concern was the potential leakage of confidential information, including development programs and design data. Kataoka emphasized, “While it does not contain personal information, development information is crucial intellectual property. We aimed to prevent the risk of it being inadvertently uploaded to external storage services.”

As a result, JCB began exploring new solutions to provide a secure access environment, regardless of location.

We were able to implement it smoothly without any major issues. Netskope’s support system is also excellent, so we were able to proceed with the implementation with peace of mind.

Kazuki Shikata, Chief, System Headquarters, Digital Solution Development, Department Development IV
JCB Co., Ltd.

Stability and proven track record: key factors in Netskope's introduction

To strengthen security measures, the System Headquarters focused on CASB solutions. “We considered several CASB products, both domestic and foreign,” said Kataoka. “The reason we ultimately selected Netskope was its stability and high track record. With a security product, the most important thing is ‘peace of mind.’ We decided that Netskope, which has many users and a proven track record, could be introduced with confidence.”

Kazuki added, “Rather than a new product, we wanted one with a proven track record and few problems. Netskope provided a large amount of information and a wide range of use cases, so it was easy to get a sense of the implementation and we felt at ease.”

The project, including the introduction of CASB, started in 2020. To introduce Netskope, a PoC was first conducted. “We verified various items such as remote access, application ACLs, and access restrictions to specific sites. Usability was also an important point, but Netskope was simple and easy to understand, and I had the impression that I could quickly master it,” Shikata said.

The implementation period, including the PoC, took several months. “We were able to implement it smoothly without any major issues. Netskope’s support system is also excellent, so we were able to proceed with the implementation with peace of mind,” Shikata recalled.

Developers can now securely access business systems and cloud services regardless of location. As a result, we have an environment where they can concentrate on development.

Ryosuke Kataoka, Director, System Headquarters, Digital Solutions Development Department
JCB Co., Ltd.

CASB reduces information leakage risk: achieving a flexible and secure development environment

By introducing Netskope, JCB has successfully reduced the risk of information leakage while providing developers with flexible working styles. Kataoka discusses the impact of this introduction: “Developers can now securely access business systems and cloud services regardless of location. As a result, we have an environment where they can concentrate on development.”

Shikata highlights the operational benefits, stating, “Previously, we were limited to certain locations due to VPN connections. After introducing Netskope, those restrictions were lifted, significantly improving the convenience of remote work. Additionally, the process of issuing terminals has been simplified, reducing the burden on administrators.”

Security measures against information leakage have also been strengthened. “We believe that the risk of information leakage has been significantly reduced by Netskope’s CASB function, such as limiting uploads to external storage,” says Kataoka.

Another major feature of Netskope is its seamless user experience. “In some cases, people only realize that Netskope is running when they see the pop-up that appears when access is blocked. For end users, the benefit is that they can continue to work as they normally do, without having to perform any special operations,” explains Shikata.

Three years ago, when the project started, the number of members was about 200. Now it has grown to just under 500, but so far there have been no major problems.

Kazuki Shikata, Chief, System Headquarters, Digital Solution Development, Department Development IV
JCB Co., Ltd.

Ensuring stable system operation: deepening our understanding and use of Netskope

More than three years have passed since the introduction of Netskope, and JCB’s development environment continues to operate stably. “Three years ago, when the project started, the number of members was about 200. Now it has grown to just under 500, but so far there have been no major problems,” recalls Shikata. He also expresses high expectations for the future. “Stable operation of the system is very important to us. Netskope, in particular, forms the foundation of our network, so we hope it will continue to operate stably.”

However, Shikata also discusses future challenges, “We are not yet fully utilizing Netskope’s functions. We aim to reduce the operational burden by leveraging new features and reviewing existing ones.”

Kataoka highlights the future outlook, focusing on balancing freedom and security in the development environment. “We want to provide an environment with as much freedom as possible for collecting user information. At the same time, we must prevent information from leaking outside. We will continue to seek the optimal balance between security and convenience.”

Additionally, both Kataoka and Shikata expressed their desire for more information, such as FAQs, knowledge, and case studies about Netskope. JCB will continue to strive for further utilization of Netskope.

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