Securing an engine of growth for Rio’s industries
Firjan represents the industrial heart of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, bringing together thousands of companies across the region’s manufacturing base. The group runs advocacy, training, and technology programs that help members stay competitive and grow over the long term.
Digital platforms and advisory systems power everything Firjan does — from building up Brazil’s workforce to helping industries innovate. As cyber threats multiply, keeping those systems secure is vital to its mission.
“Security risks have evolved quickly,” said Thomas Figueiredo, Firjan’s cybersecurity and IT infrastructure manager.
The organization is facing more advanced threats than ever before. At the same time, more of its operations now run in the cloud, creating visibility gaps. And with users accessing resources remotely, attackers have more entry points to exploit.
“We needed stronger protection, faster visibility, and more control,” Figueiredo said.
The security team set clear goals:
- Build cyber resilience around Zero Trust
- Remove implicit trust between systems
- Segment critical workloads while monitoring connections
Its aim went beyond defense. Firjan’s leaders were committed to staying operational to support its members.
Zero Trust segmentation in motion
Segmentation quickly became the core of Firjan’s strategy. The team wanted to isolate activity, shrink the attack surface, and recover systems in a controlled way when needed — all without disrupting the services that keep member industries running.
It took a measured approach. Firjan compared vendors, consulted with peers and trusted partners, and conducted proof-of-concept testing to confirm the right fit for technical, operational, and compliance needs.
“Illumio stood out for its responsiveness and expert support,” Figueiredo said. “It met every requirement: visibility, speed, and confidence in recovery.”
Working with Illumio engineers, Firjan deployed Illumio across all Windows and Linux systems. The rollout was well-planned and progressed in phases — each bringing better control.
Illumio now ties directly into Firjan’s SIEM, EDR, and ZTNA tools. These integrations provide a single, consistent view of activity and automate containment. When something looks off, Firjan can see it, isolate it, and act fast.
Impact: speed, clarity, confidence
Illumio gives Firjan a live map of how systems talk to one another. The team can see traffic, understand how systems connect, and identify unwanted traffic. This helps contain lateral movement and protect essential services.
“Illumio improved our security posture,” Figueiredo said. “It gives us the visibility and segmentation to prevent and contain incidents quickly.”
The results are clear. First, the team can identify threats 25% faster. And when it detects something, response time has improved 20%.
These gains build on Firjan’s Zero Trust strategy. They also support the federation’s core mission: keep vital services available to the members that depend on them.
Today, security has become part of Firjan’s daily culture. The company runs awareness programs, training, and simulations so that everyone knows how to react under pressure.
Illumio gives Firjan the visibility and control it needs to put that readiness into practice.
“Illumio helps us stay ready — always,” he said.
Built for what’s next
Firjan treats security as continuous improvement. The group is already planning the next phases of Illumio Segmentation. It plans to cover more environments, automate more tasks, and advance Zero Trust.
As Figueiredo puts it, the work never stops. It only evolves.
“Cyber resilience isn’t a finish line,” he said. “It’s something we build every day — and Illumio helps us do it with confidence.”
Results and benefits
- Stronger Zero Trust posture across a diverse, hybrid environment
- Real-time visibility into traffic patterns and workload dependencies
- Faster detection and containment of suspicious activity
- Measurable improvements in response speed and recovery readiness
- A repeatable model Firjan can extend across more parts of the organization over time
