Good Times Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1987, develops, owns, operates and franchises restaurants, offering hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, frozen custard products and more. With 44 outlets (combined franchise- and corporate-owned), Good Times Restaurants is based in Golden, Colorado.

In 1995, Good Times opened up access to the Internet for all of its corporate employees and quickly realized that a solid security solution was required to block pop-ups, spyware and viruses. According to Tim Taylor, Cost Accountant and IT Director for Good Times, “A per-PC solution was just not going to cut it. We're a laid-back company but nothing about Internet threats is ignored. We allow employees access to most areas of the Internet but there are areas that need to remain off-limits due to the problems< they’re known to create.”

In the earlier days, the company used free pop-up blockers and anti-spyware, and for the level of access they were giving employees, it seemed to be working okay. “The freeware seemed to detect and block some bad things but every now and then we’d get a big outbreak, and that was incredibly time-consuming,” said Taylor.

The company turned to local Internet security leader, eSoft, ordering one of its very first products, the iPad firewall, after seeing a demonstration and comparing it to other solutions on the market. Good Times has since replaced the iPad with an InstaGate, eSoft’s top-performing VPN/firewall appliance that delivers more processing power and an unlimited user license.

Good Times Once Again

Designed for the most demanding network environments, the InstaGate is based on a high-powered Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) Firewall and IPSec VPN engine. The is a comprehensive solution that integrates all the security tools and services Good Times needs into one extensible platform. With optional services like Anti-Virus, Vulnerability Scanning, and Web Filtering, the InstaGate effectively drives down the lifetime cost of complete Internet security by eliminating the need to beef up network security with additional software and hardware platforms. Additionally, with its centralized VPN management capabilities, even the most complicated of distributed network environments can be connected easily and safely.

The InstaGate provides Good Times with DPI Firewall, multi-protocol Anti-Virus, and Anti-Spyware. The InstaGate, like all eSoft products, also provides SoftPak Director technology for instantaneous security updates and detailed subscription maintenance. Using SoftPak Director, Good Times can easily add services to the InstaGate as requirements change, including IPSec VPN, Intrusion Prevention, Anti-Phishing, Email Content Filtering, Anti-Spam and Web URL/Content Filtering.

“The InstaGate blocks everything out that it’s supposed to and nothing malicious has ever made it through,” said Taylor. “Also, I’ve never found anything blocked that wasn’t supposed to be blocked. The eSoft InstaGate just removes anything bad and blocks every site that employees shouldn’t visit because of spyware. InstaGate just works.”

eSoft Serves Up Simplicity

The eSoft solution is easy to configure and change, with an intuitive graphical user interface. By integrating all of its network security tools into a single management console, Taylor is able to manage the company’s entire network himself, as well as perform his other duties as Good Times cost accountant.

“I wear many hats at Good Times, and to know that spyware and viruses are automatically being eradicated by the InstaGate is a load off my mind,” said Taylor. “I appreciate the ease of use of the eSoft solution, plus the fact that I don’t have to take time away from other projects to go and fix security issues. I notice the benefits specifically with spyware, but the InstaGate stops every virus and malicious threat to our network. I’ve been working with eSoft products for over ten years now and they’ve always worked perfectly. There is no need to look beyond everything eSoft offers because they’ve got it all covered.”

Solution Made To Order

eSoft security appliances can be tailored to fit exactly what each customer needs when it is needed, and Good Times appreciates that. Using eSoft’s patented SoftPak Director™ technology, Taylor can quickly, easily and cost-effectively add any new security functionality as Good Times’ corporate requirements change.

“Honestly, the biggest thing about the eSoft InstaGate is that we don’t have to worry about it,” said Taylor. “It’s easy to use and we’re always protected. I get to focus on other things rather than running around spending precious time fighting a network threat problem. Those are huge benefits.”