How Sanoma Saves Time & Protects User Accounts from Credential Stuffing Attacks

The challenge: A costly & constant battle against bot-driven credential stuffing attacks

Before Sanoma found DataDome, they were grappling with an increasing volume of credential stuffing attacks targeting their websites and online services. These attacks, aimed at compromising user accounts by using stolen credentials, were becoming a costly and time-consuming issue.

“Each incident required a lot of effort from our team. We had to manually check accounts and follow detailed procedures after every attack,” recalls Maciej Wlodarczyk, Sanoma Media Finland’s CISO.

The attacks themselves were concerning, but so was the cost of the effort that each one represented. The company’s support team found itself in a cycle of reactive measures, spending valuable resources on post-attack clean-up.

“Dealing with credential stuffing was taking up significant effort within the organization. We wanted to reduce this workload and find a solution that could take over,” Maciej explains.

The solution: Adaptive bot mitigation with strong compliance & easy setup

Sanoma was looking for possible solutions, and DataDome stood out for its specialized focus on bot management. “At the time, there were many vendors that did various things, but we wanted a dedicated solution that focused on bot protection specifically,” Maciej shares.

As a major press group, Sanoma is often targeted by bots becoming smarter every day. This is why they needed a solution that wasn’t only effective at a given moment, but could evolve continuously: “For us, it was crucial that bot protection could keep up with attackers, who learn the protection mechanisms and quickly bypass them”, remembers the CISO.

Beyond adaptive effectiveness, ease of integration was a key factor in their decision. Sanoma wanted a tool that wouldn’t disrupt their existing workflows while offering powerful protection.

Maciej was also convinced by DataDome’s compliance with all data protection regulations. “We didn’t want a solution that was too intrusive or that analyzed customers too much. DataDome’s compliance and privacy stance suited us perfectly,” Maciej notes.

The results: Safer user accounts, time savings, & streamlined operations

Sanoma has seen a dramatic reduction of successful credential stuffing attacks on their website since DataDome went live.

“We went from bots requiring regular attention to being a rare occurrence that doesn’t take much time,” says Maciej. Automated bot detection and mitigation has enabled Sanoma’s security team to focus on more strategic tasks, rather than responding to bot attacks.

On the few occasions when Sanoma’s defenses were bypassed, the DataDome team was quick to block the traffic. “We had two or three cases where attackers managed to slip through, but after we escalated the issue, the DataDome team quickly responded, and we haven’t had any major incidents since,” Maciej recalls.

Thanks to DataDome’s AI-powered, real-time detection, Sanoma has not only reduced its exposure to bot-driven attacks but has saved significant time and resources. The company is now better equipped to face the evolving threat landscape and continues to maintain a secure and efficient digital presence.

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