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Simplified
Execution, Peace of Mind
The risk with
conducting business on the Internet is ever-changing and constantly
growing. As a result, a powerful security system is an essential
component to any corporate network. Protecting data integrity from
external threats while controlling network usage internally is a
key concern for Lars Baan, Vice President of Operations for Aalborg
Instruments. "The most important aspect of my job is to ensure
my employees have the resources they need and are using them to
do their job efficiently. If our network is compromised, important
data can be lost or intercepted and potential downtime would significantly
decrease employee productivity, affecting our overall business,"
states Baan.
Growing
Need for Network Security
Founded in
1971, Aalborg Instruments is a leading manufacturer of flow instrumentation.
Recognizing the growing need for network security and not having
solid protection from the outside world, Aalborg began looking for
a comprehensive system to replace the router firewall security they
had in place. "We rely on web and email for everything from communication
to actual sales. Our web sever has become one of our biggest sources
of income and it is essential to the success of our business that
it is protected," said Baan.
Customer
Requirements
Put in charge
of executing a new security system for Aalborg, Baan was looking
for a cost-effective solution that encompassed powerful functionality
and manageability. "I have to make sure the people in the company
are able to function whether that means having the ability to consistently
browse on the Internet or communicate fluidly through email, we
needed a system that would allow me to do that effortlessly" states
Baan.
Employing two
system administrators having limited experience with Linux, comprehensive
support was also a rigid requirement. It was essential to Aalborg
that their network was going to be monitored and support would be
readily available during the initial configuration process and for
years after.
Finally, as
a fast growing company Aalborg wanted to implement a system that
would be flexible and have the ability to adapt to their changing
needs. "The infrastructure needed to be able to expand with our
company in regards to employee size and shifting business requirements,"
states Baan.
Guardian
Digital: The Perfect Solution
Concerned with
cost, flexibility and level of available support, Aalborg turned
to Guardian Digital for an answer.
First considering
products such as those offered by McAfee, Aalborg concluded that
it did not offer the level of flexibility, security, ability to
grow with their organization, and lacked some applications necessary
to fulfill their project requirements. It was determined that products
offered by other vendors were lacking key components and would have
required purchasing, deploying, and managing multiple "single-purpose"
solutions, increasing costs and management overhead.
Where others
failed, Guardian Digital enterprise solutions best fit the vast
requirements set fourth by Aalborg. Interested in many of Guardian
Digital's most prominent enterprise products, combined with the
backing of Guardian Digital Master Support, Aalborg purchased award-winning
EnGarde Secure Linux, Secure Mail Suite, Secure VPN Server Suite
and Internet Acceleration and Management Server to power their Internet
operations.
With solutions
and service contracts in place, Aalborg now had the tools to sufficiently
create, maintain and secure their web presence and adapt as their
requirements changed over time.
EnGarde is
an enterprise-class Linux operating system engineered to enable
administrators to quickly and cost-effectively build a complete
and totally secure online presence while simultaneously preventing
Internet threats. This comprehensive solution includes DNS, Web,
and FTP services to reduce the time and resources required to build
and maintain a secure and effective network.
Secure Mail
Suite provides all the tools necessary to build a complete corporate
email messaging system. WebMail, LDAP integration and web-based
group collaboration make it the ideal organizational communication
system. Encrypted email connectivity and integrated spam and virus
protection keep the network safe from unsolicited emails, malicious
content and multiple other Internet threats.
Internet Acceleration
and Management Server dramatically enhances the speed and power
of any network by providing users with enterprise proxy, web caching,
bandwidth control capabilities, virus scanning and much more.
Guardian Digital
Secure VPN Server supplies organizations of any size with a comprehensive
connectivity solution. Integrated security and productivity features
combine to enhance security while extending the bounds of internal
networks for remote office connectivity.
Each of Guardian
Digital's enterprise applications supplies administrators with extensive
system auditing and reporting. Given these tools, administrators
have all the information they need to analyze network status, system
information, user information and much more. Detailed graphs and
reports assist in accounting for unauthorized use, pinpoint potential
network disturbances, and ensuring resources are being used and
managed appropriately.
Simplified
Execution
Primarily running
windows on workstation clients and Unix servers for business legacy
software, implementation and compatibility with the existing network
was also a concern. "The implementation process could not have been
easier. Guardian Digital installed all the hardware and ensured
proper operation of the hardware and software. The transition was
seamless and the time it took was minimal. The Guardian Digital
solutions ran as necessary out of the box," said Baan.
Outcome:
Beyond Satisfactory
Utilizing EnGarde
as a firewall and web server, Aalborg relies on the product to protect
their network from malicious outside attacks and for hosting their
web site. "Since implementing EnGarde we have yet to have an intrusion.
The security of our network is no longer a consistent worry for
me," states Baan.
Secure Mail
Suite is extensively used to control spam and further protect against
viruses and other malicious activity. Not having a gateway email
solution prior, Aalborg employees were forced to sift through massive
amounts of email that were not related to business, significantly
hindering both employee and network productivity. "It is important
to our firm to maintain the productivity of our employees while
protecting them from unsafe and inappropriate content. With Secure
Mail Suite I can control, on a corporate level, the types of messages
our employees receive ensuring the integrity of each message and
eliminating unsolicited email. Since implementing Secure Mail Suite,
spam has been reduced by 98%," exclaimed Baan.
Aalborg also
implemented the Internet Acceleration and Management Server (IAMS)
for enterprise proxy services. Once having a problem with inappropriate
employee use of the network, Guardian Digital IAMS helps administrators
maintain control over employees who are accessing the Internet to
ensure resources are consistently being used for legitimate business
purposes. "The proxy component has been an invaluable tool. It allows
me to provide services to those who need to access the Internet
for business and restrict those who don't, increasing both employee
and network productivity," states Baan.
To further
increase user productivity, Aalborg also implemented Guardian Digital
Secure VPN Server. "It is of a great convenience for mobile users
to be able to securely access our internal network from other workplaces.
It is the best way to keep us all connected and consistently productive,
regardless of where we are", said Baan.
Unparalleled
Support Services & Continued Managed Services
Having little
familiarity with Linux, it was important to system administrators
at Aalborg that comprehensive support and managed services were
available.
Guardian Digital
support staff answered the call going above and beyond what the
company had ever expected them to do. "We are more then satisfied
with the level of support we have received from Guardian Digital.
They have been very prompt to answer any questions that I had and
any problems that arose were taken care of immediately," stated
Baan.
With Guardian
Digital's comprehensive managed services, Guardian Digital engineers
oversee initial installation, and continuously monitor firewalls
and network activity, informing organizations of any discrepancies
and resolving issues, allowing system administrators to concentrate
on other business tasks. "There have been many instances when I
am not even aware that a network disturbance has taken place and
Guardian Digital support alerts me of the issue and instantaneously
resolves it before it can negatively affect our business," said
Baan.
Guardian Digital's
enterprise support and managed services include everything from
installation assistance, technical support, automatic updates, built-in
system alerts, vulnerability testing, remote evaluation and system
customization. "Guardian Digital support is great on so many levels.
The one thing I find particularly noteworthy is my ability to recommend
a feature enhancement and the seriousness in which they accept it
and actually consider it for implementation," continues Baan.
Peace of
Mind
The implementation
of Guardian Digital products have given system administrators at
Aalborg peace of mind when it comes to the security of their network.
The innate security offered by Guardian Digital coupled with the
proactive system monitoring allows administrators to concentrate
on core competencies rather than security issues. "Guardian Digital
has freed my mind of eternally wondering if the network is being
attacked or if my users are being intruded upon by spammers and
viruses. My employees are more productive and in turn, I am more
productive. I no longer have to spend time fixing and cleaning infected
computers," states Baan.
Conclusion
With the growing
trend toward network security becoming stronger it is apparent to
companies, such as Aalborg, that securing network data Is the best
way to mitigate network attacks and prevent viruses and other malicious
content from spreading to others. It is because of the lack of security
in the corporate environment that viruses and other attacks have
become rampant. "Network security is what brought Guardian Digital
into our company. Security solutions are there and I am able to
forget about it. Forgetting about it is the greatest benefit of
all because it frees up my time for other things," said Baan. "As
technology evolves and our company's needs change, rest assured,
we will be turning to Guardian Digital for new solutions," finishes
Baan.
After all is
said and done, Aalborg Instruments is more then pleased with their
decision to implement Guardian Digital solutions. "When first looking
into new methods to secure our network, I was unsure how difficult
it was going to be. Guardian Digital made the process easier than
I could have ever imagined. Now, more then three years later, we
still look to Guardian Digital for all our security needs," states
Baan.
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