Case Study: Central Michigan Paper strengthens cybersecurity and doubles cyber insurance coverage with Fortinet

How a 138-Year-Old Paper Distributor Adopted Fortinet Solutions

Central Michigan Paper, a 138‑year‑old paper distributor in Ada, Michigan, with a very small IT team, faced a turning point: aging, end‑of‑life firewalls during a data‑center move, new cybersecurity insurance requirements (MFA and EDR), and the sudden need to support widespread remote work during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

They deployed a Fortinet stack — FortiGate NGFWs with FortiGuard UTP, FortiClient VPN and FortiToken MFA, FortiEDR (managed by Liquid Networx), FortiAP/FortiSwitch and FortiMail — plus third‑party management. The integrated solution closed open ports, enabled secure VPNs, simplified geoblocking, improved visibility and automated response, boosted warehouse productivity (saving 2–4 hours/day), and doubled their cyber insurance coverage with no premium increase.

Central Michigan Paper

John Haney

Network Administrator