Customer Story
Mastronardi Produce Takes a Fresh Look at Cybersecurity with CrowdStrike
As the largest producer of fresh produce in North America, Mastronardi Produce has pioneered sustainable, technology-driven agriculture for over 70 years. While bees and ladybugs flutter around its greenhouses, the company also relies on advanced IoT infrastructure, UV robots and proprietary processes to grow fresh produce for major retailers across the continent. And with this innovation comes the need for robust cybersecurity.
Bill Lucas, Senior Director of Cybersecurity at Mastronardi Produce, oversees the protection of this high-tech enterprise against increasingly sophisticated threats. “If someone wants to target the food supply, companies like ours will be among the first in line,” he explains. “That’s why we need comprehensive, modern cybersecurity.”
To address these challenges, Mastronardi Produce turned to the AI-native CrowdStrike Falcon® cybersecurity platform, gaining unified protection across endpoints, identities and data — all managed through one console and lightweight agent.
Comprehensive Data Protection and Visibility
Mastronardi Produce came to CrowdStrike in 2020, when it licensed CrowdStrike Falcon® Complete Next-Gen MDR for endpoint detection and response. Happy with the level of performance and protection it was getting, the company added identity protection in 2022, gaining unified protection from the Falcon platform.
Consolidating with CrowdStrike then became a strategic priority, with data protection and proactive exposure management next on the list.
One of Mastronardi’s greatest challenges was gaining visibility into the sensitive data moving through its systems. Proprietary processes, research and intellectual property are critical to the company’s success and need robust protection. Compounding the issue, unauthorized use of AI tools posed additional risks of data leakage.
Lucas prioritized deploying CrowdStrike Falcon® Data Protection to address these challenges. Since the Falcon agent was already installed across Mastronardi’s endpoints, this new Falcon platform module was activated seamlessly.
“When you think about traditional data protection tools, deployment can take months and often requires adding new agents that slow down endpoints,” said Lucas. “With Falcon Data Protection, it was instant. Within days, we had visibility into our data flow.”
Falcon Data Protection helped Mastronardi identify multiple unsanctioned AI tools being used across the company, far exceeding the 13 authorized solutions. These tools introduced risks of sensitive data being uploaded to external systems. Lucas leveraged the visibility and simulation mode of Falcon Data Protection to implement phased protections.
“Simulation mode allowed us to monitor without disrupting the business,” he explained. “We could baseline normal activity, identify problematic behaviors and then transition to blocking unauthorized tools without fear of halting critical operations.”
Expanding Protection with Exposure Management
Beyond data protection, Mastronardi Produce recently adopted CrowdStrike Falcon® Exposure Management to address vulnerabilities across its diverse infrastructure. This Falcon platform module replaced Rapid 7’s vulnerability management solution and streamlined Mastronardi’s ability to prioritize and remediate risks using AI-driven risk prioritization via Exprt.AI.
Lucas noted the immediate impact of the solution. “With our previous tool, we had a false sense of security about patch timelines,” he said. “CrowdStrike pinpointed recurring vulnerabilities and gave us actionable data to address them, including the exact servers and patches needed.”
By consolidating vulnerability management into the Falcon platform, Mastronardi reduced its reliance on separate agents, further simplifying its operations.
“Every agent you eliminate reduces friction and improves endpoint performance,” said Lucas.
This integration enabled Mastronardi’s security team to focus on key priorities, such as maintaining compliance and proactively securing IoT systems critical to the company’s automated greenhouses.
Unified Security Across Endpoints, Identities and Data
The value of the unified Falcon platform extends beyond its individual modules. By consolidating endpoint, identity and data protection into a single platform, Mastronardi has streamlined its security operations while reducing complexity and costs.
This unified approach also enhances communication with executives. Lucas now uses the Falcon platform’s consolidated insights to provide clear, actionable metrics on security performance and risk reduction.
“It’s one source of truth instead of juggling data from five different tools,” he explains. “This not only strengthens our security posture but also helps drive buy-in from leadership.”
By leveraging the Falcon platform, Mastronardi Produce has built a modern cybersecurity strategy that delivers unparalleled visibility, proactive protection and operational efficiency. The seamless addition of modules like Falcon Data Protection and Falcon Exposure Management empowers the company to address critical risks while maintaining productivity.
Looking ahead, Lucas plans to further expand Mastronardi’s use of automation and orchestration within the Falcon platform. “Technology is just one piece,” he said. “CrowdStrike gave us the tools and visibility to improve our processes and align people to our security goals. Now we’re ready to take it to the next level.”
For Mastronardi Produce, the partnership with CrowdStrike is about more than security; it’s about ensuring the future of sustainable agriculture. With the Falcon platform, the company is equipped to protect its innovations and operations against any threat, ensuring fresh produce continues to reach tables across North America and beyond.
