Case Study: How MTC Federal Credit Union Safeguards Their Passwords and Reputation

Originally published:December 13, 2023|Last updated:March 25, 2024|Dashlane

While the banking sector continuously evolves, one thing remains constant at MTC Federal: The importance of security. Founded in 1976, the credit union has a strong sense of responsibility to provide their broad range of members and stakeholders with leading security. Mark Mazzaferro, VP of Information Technology at MTC Federal Credit Union, articulated this steadfast commitment, saying, “Strong cybersecurity forms the bedrock of ensuring the highest levels of safety for our members.” 

The credit union believes that safeguarding their assets, including the integrity of their data, starts with the crucial initial login. However, security had become a challenge at MTC Federal. Managing hundreds of logins was a daily struggle, leading to password confusion among employees, and BitLocker codes used for remote hard drive access further compounded the issue.

When the IT team discovered an over-reliance on simplistic and similar passwords across the organization, they knew they faced a substantial security risk. Mark succinctly stated what the entire IT team believed. "We’re in an era where password security has never been more vital,” he shared. “We need to increase the complexity of passwords."

Understandably overwhelmed by trying to remember numerous passwords, employees resorted to unsecured methods, including spreadsheets, sticky notes, and browser-based solutions. This exposed the institution to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and despite their best efforts, employees still struggled with access. Sometimes, passwords were completely lost, and the IT team couldn’t help recover them.

“Employees were using unsecured solutions to store confidential information, not realizing it wasn’t safe and wouldn’t transfer over to a new device,” Charles Agnew, a Systems Support Expert at MTC Federal Credit Union, pointed out.  

MTC Federal’s IT team knew it was time to step in and find a solution.

With employees working in hybrid environments at branches in Oklahoma, Alabama, and South Carolina, MTC Federal Credit Union required a solution that supported diverse work settings. "Our users need to be secure wherever they’re working," Charles explained. 

MTC Federal’s ideal password management solution would provide: 

MTC Federal evaluated several solutions before finding their ideal password management platform in Dashlane. The organization admired Dashlane’s ease of use, cross-server integrations, and mobility features, which all stood out against the competition.

Another standout feature for MTC Federal was Dashlane's Password Generator, which offered a distinct advantage. The IT team knew that auto-generating complex, unique passwords and saving them in one secure location would strengthen their organization’s cybersecurity while simplifying the process for employees.

A screenshot of the password generator in the Dashlane web extension.

 Now, MTC Federal benefits from a variety of features:

MTC Federal started with a small rollout of Dashlane to the executive team. The IT team quickly realized the simplicity of setting up the solution. It didn’t take long for the organization to fully recognize the multitude of benefits Dashlane offers, and the IT team became excited to advance the organization’s cybersecurity transformation. “We wanted Dashlane to be a part of our policies and security culture,” Charles shares.

With an eye on evolving security requirements, MTC Federal knew it was time to implement an official cybersecurity handbook. The IT team wrote a password policy to meet the complexities demanded by today's digital landscape. In the process, they made a strategic decision to formally establish Dashlane as the credit union's official password management solution. 

To ensure comprehensive coverage, MTC Federal expanded the number of Dashlane seats to encompass every employee and provide each of them with a professional account. 

Dashlane’s onboarding specialist provided training videos tailored to MTC Federal’s needs, making onboarding the entire organization a breeze. The IT team still recognizes the benefits of those videos and uses them to train every new hire.

MTC Federal’s IT team has enhanced administrative control with Dashlane. The Password Health score has become a critical tool for assessing password security and identifying weak, reused, or compromised credentials for individuals and the organization. When MTC Federal first rolled out Dashlane, the company Password Health score was 56.3. After educating employees about the value of the password manager and creating a friendly competition to incentivize employees to get their scores up, MTC Federal’s company Password Health score jumped to 97.4, with the majority of employees having individual scores of 100. Over 1,200 passwords were saved in Dashlane across the organization.

MTC Federal also appreciates Dark Web Monitoring, which helps proactively address security issues and fosters security awareness across the organization. 

A screenshot of the Dark Web Monitoring feature in the Dashlane web app.

Employees love Secure Notes, and the feature replaces a variety of previously used software to store confidential information. Saving BitLocker codes for the organization’s hard drive, the public guest WiFi password, and more in Secure Notes keeps the data safe but easily accessible for authorized users.

This convenience factor strengthened security and enhanced productivity across the organization. Dashlane also streamlined the organization’s mobile access, simplifying tasks like clocking in and clocking out.

Employees appreciate Dashlane’s positive impact on daily operations and how the solution simplifies their lives. This enthusiasm extends to the CEO and CIO, who embrace Dashlane in their professional and personal lives.

Dashlane has also contributed to MTC Federal's compliance efforts by supporting various audits. This next audit season will be the first time every employee across the organization has used Dashlane, and the IT team anticipates that future audits will be faster and simpler.

A screenshot of the Secure Notes feature in the Dashlane web app.

With Dashlane firmly established as the cornerstone of password management across the organization, the credit union foresees an ongoing expansion of the benefits the solution has already provided. "Dashlane has proven to be an invaluable asset, bolstering our security infrastructure, streamlining access, and simplifying our operations,” Mark shares. “We’re only getting stronger with Dashlane."

Dashlane

Dashlane is a web and mobile app that simplifies password management for people and businesses. We empower organizations to protect company and employee data, while helping everyone easily log in to the accounts they need—anytime, anywhere.

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