Garda is a Russian manufacturer of data protection and network security products for businesses. Garda solutions are used by major government organizations and corporations, protecting 50% of the entire Russian internet from DDoS attacks, and Garda systems protect 500 million personal data records in customer infrastructure.
Garda is the leading information security provider at ICS Holding. Garda products are included in the Unified Register of Russian Software and certified by the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control (FSTEC). Garda's clients are major players in the Russian business and IT and telecom markets, who have high demands on information security.
The company develops comprehensive solutions for network security and data protection at all stages of the lifecycle, provides protection for digital services and federal-scale events, and offers a full data protection cycle: from auditing to implementation and monitoring.
The need to transition to domestic corporate communications solutions became a strategic objective for Garda in the context of digital transformation. The company sought a secure platform capable of replacing existing foreign counterparts, while also integrating with internal systems and meeting regulatory requirements. Particular attention was paid to maintaining the efficiency of workflows for more than 600 employees during the transition to the new solution, as well as ensuring the system's fault tolerance and scalability.
Key Prerequisites for Project Implementation
01. The cessation of foreign business communications platforms in the Russian market and the need to transition to a domestic solution
02. The requirement to create a secure environment for interaction between more than 600 company employees while maintaining full functionality
03. Compliance with strict information security standards and mandatory use of software from the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media's registry.
Key Challenges
- Internal analysis of IT infrastructure and security requirements, coordination of solution technical specifications with the Garda team and the MyOffice vendor
- Independent pilot deployment of Squadus PRO in a test environment, verifying integration capabilities and fault tolerance
- Full-scale implementation by Garda's internal IT team, connecting over 600 users, and concurrently training employees on the system
- Internal configuration of additional collaboration features: document editing, intelligent search, and workspace optimization
Key factors in choosing a solution included full platform functionality for teamwork (chats and video conferencing, collaborative document editing, and file storage), the ability to integrate with the company's internal IT services, support for cluster architecture to ensure fault tolerance, inclusion in the Unified Register of Russian Software, the vendor's commitment to providing comprehensive implementation support and user training, and the availability of technical support from the vendor.
Selected Solution
Garda implemented the Squadus PRO corporate messenger, which provides secure communications, document collaboration, and file storage. The platform supports Federation mode for secure interaction with external organizations—partners and clients—without creating guest accounts, and with data encryption via TLS tunnels. The solution complies with information security requirements and digital sovereignty principles.
Squadus PRO was integrated with the company's internal services.
The implementation was accompanied by a comprehensive training program for more than 600 employees, including technical specialists and end users. The training covered both the messenger's basic functions and advanced collaboration scenarios. Some customizations were completed with the participation of ICL Services.
Results
In 2025, Garda completed the independent implementation of the Squadus PRO corporate messenger for over 600 employees, providing secure communications, document collaboration, and reliable file storage. The solution was successfully integrated with the company's internal services.
Squadus PRO was included in the Unified Register of Domestic Software and replaced previously used solutions without loss of functionality. The implementation improved the security of corporate communications while maintaining user convenience.
The client's quote
"As a developer of information security solutions, we have high standards for corporate communications. Squadus PRO has not only become a reliable replacement for foreign platforms—its cluster architecture and built-in tools for document collaboration fully comply with our data protection standards. Our IT team implemented the solution independently, receiving technical support and consultations from the vendor when necessary. It's especially valuable that the transition for over 600 employees was smooth, without disruptions to daily operations—data migration was organized as seamlessly as possible. Already in the first months of use, we noticed an increase in the effectiveness of teamwork."
Viktor Ievlev, Head of Information Security, Garda Group
Products and technologies
- Squadus PRO
Results
- The implementation of Squadus PRO provided Garda employees with a unified, secure platform for communications and document collaboration, reducing the time spent coordinating tasks and increasing the efficiency of interdepartmental collaboration.
- The deployment of the solution guarantees the security of internal communications and work materials for over 600 users, meeting the company's high standards as a cybersecurity developer.
- Squadus PRO's modular structure allows for flexible adaptation to new business challenges, including the creation of specialized workspaces and the integration of additional services without extensive infrastructure changes.