How Cintas secured its distributed operations with Cisco security solutions

How Cintas secured its distributed operations with Cisco security solutions

Cintas needed to protect customer and company data, maintain visibility across distributed locations, and secure mobile route devices in a complex, multivendor environment.

Discovery

Assessments revealed gaps in edge security, integration, and real-time visibility for thousands of service vehicles and facilities.

Solution

Cintas deployed Cisco’s integrated security portfolio—including Umbrella, Secure Firewall, ISE, SD-WAN, and SecureX—to deliver multilayer protection, automation, and centralized management.

Results

Reduced cyber risk, improved threat response, and safeguarded critical data across all operations, ensuring secure business continuity.

Cintas needed to address several intersecting security challenges:

• Protect customer and company data stored on mobile route devices
• Maintain visibility across a multivendor IT environment and distributed locations
• Safeguard the network edge—from delivery trucks to corporate offices
• Ensure integration and interoperability across its security stack

“We must protect the technology and data that ride along with our service trucks,” says Jacob Lorz, Vice President and CISO at Cintas. This includes thousands of personal route computers (PRCs) used by field personnel. In parallel, Cintas required enterprise-wide traffic visibility and security for vendor-managed systems deployed throughout its network.

Cintas adopted a comprehensive security architecture built on Cisco’s integrated portfolio, including Cisco Umbrella, Secure Firewall, Secure Client, Identity Services Engine (ISE), SD-WAN, and SecureX. These solutions provided multiple layers of security while maintaining visibility, automation, and flexibility across all environments—from vehicle fleets to plant facilities.

Umbrella’s DNS-layer security and CASB capabilities helped Cintas block access to malicious sites, monitor risky SaaS apps, and secure vehicle traffic in real time. The deployment of Cisco Secure Firewall offered deep packet inspection, network segmentation, and intrusion prevention—with minimal impact on performance. Meanwhile, Cisco ISE enabled dynamic access control and posture-based authentication for mobile route devices.

These tools were brought together via Cisco SecureX, enabling faster detection, investigation, and response to threats—all within a unified, centralized interface. Backed by threat intelligence from Cisco Talos, Cintas gained continuous visibility and resilience against evolving risks.

With Cisco’s help, Cintas significantly reduced cyber risk, improved response times, and enhanced protection of critical data across its mobile workforce. Integrated tools and automation lightened the operational load, while constant updates and threat intelligence ensured continued protection against zero-day exploits and external threats.