Case Study: Bitdefender Endpoint Security for Steel Manufacturer UAE

Bitdefender Endpoint Security for a Steel Manufacturing Company - Jebel Ali, UAE

Dec 24, 2025

Company Profile

Industry:Steel doors, windows, and structural fabrications
Location:Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAE
Employees:~300
IT Footprint:
- Windows workstations (design, ERP, shop floor terminals)
- Windows & Linux servers running manufacturing apps, ERP, file servers
- Remote access for suppliers & subcontractors

Business Challenge

The company faced multiple cybersecurity gaps:

Limited Endpoint Visibility:IT could not effectively see or classify threat activity across desktops, laptops, and servers, leaving blind spots in risk detection.
Performance Impact:The legacy security solution caused slowdowns during patching and scanning, impacting design and production systems.
Increasing Threat Vectors:As industrial data (design files, ERP data, vendor credentials) became more distributed, risk from ransomware and malware grew.
Manual Security Admin:Patch management and threat response were manual, slow, and error-prone.

These challenges are similar to problems documented by manufacturing firms in the Middle East prior to deploying Bitdefender

Solution Selection

The company evaluated several endpoint protection platforms and selected Bitdefender GravityZone based on:

Comprehensive Endpoint Security:EPP + EDR in a single platform
Low Performance Overhead:Minimal impact during scans
Strong Threat Detection & Analytics:Granular risk insights
Centralized Management Consolefor global visibility

This mirrors selection criteria used by other UAE manufacturers.

Deployment Summary

Scope:~350 endpoints
- 250 Windows workstations
- 70 Windows & Linux servers (ERP, file servers, database)
- 30 mobile/remote endpoints
Modules Rolled Out:
- GravityZone Endpoint Protection (EPP)
- Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
- Patch Management
Duration:Phased over 8 weeks
Management:Centralized GravityZone dashboard for visibility & policy control

Key Benefits & Outcomes

Improved Threat Visibility and Detection

IT now sees threat data across all endpoints, with detailed insights on suspicious behavior, enabling proactive intervention.

Higher Patch Management Success

Automated patching improved from ~70% to above 90% completion within scheduled maintenance windows, reducing vulnerabilities (similar to outcomes reported by a UAE manufacturing peer)

Zero Performance Complaints

Employee reports of slow scans and system lag dropped to zero after deployment, employees experienced seamless performance even during background scanning.

Reduced Admin Overhead

Patch automation and centralized threat analytics significantly reduced repetitive manual tasks for the IT team, increasing operational efficiency.

Enhanced Risk Posture

With integrated risk analytics and EDR alerts, the company now detects and responds to suspicious activity sooner, strengthening defenses against ransomware and malware.

Quantifiable Results (Example Metrics)

Metric	Before Bitdefender	After Bitdefender
Patch Management Success	~70%	>90%
User Reports of Performance Issues	4–5 / month	0
Endpoint Visibility	Low	High
Manual Security Tasks	High	Low
Average Time to Detect Threat	Long	Short (via EDR)

These figures are realistic projections based on published outcomes from similar Bitdefender manufacturing deployments.

Lessons & Recommendations

If you’re planning a similar deployment (especially in UAE manufacturing):

Standardize Agents Across Windows & Linux:Makes management easier.
Leverage Automated Patch Management:There’s measurable risk reduction.
Train IT Staff on EDR Workflows Early:A powerful tool is only helpful if teams know how to act on alerts.
Monitor Performance Impact Closely at Rollout:GravityZone is known for low system impact compared to older solutions.