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CheckPoint Software > Case Studies > Enhancing Network Security and Efficiency: A Case Study of West Australian Newspapers Group

Enhancing Network Security and Efficiency: A Case Study of West Australian Newspapers Group

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
Networks & Connectivity - Gateways

Applicable Industries

Buildings
National Security & Defense

Applicable Functions

Maintenance
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Tamper Detection

Services

Cybersecurity Services

The Challenge

West Australian Newspapers Group, the leading media group in Western Australia, faced a significant challenge in maintaining PCI and internal security requirements in a deadline-driven environment. The group, which employs approximately 1,400 staff, needed to efficiently manage a complex network with a small IT staff. The key components for enforcing policies and tackling network security challenges were comprehensive protection, management, and reliability. The group also needed to meet strict PCI compliance within a large scale advertising sales call center, ensure maximum data protection and preservation, reduce management overhead while increasing the ability to centrally diagnose and fix network security issues, and provide centralized event correlation and management.

About The Customer

West Australian Newspapers Group is the leading media group in Western Australia. The flagship of the group is The West Australian, which sells approximately 200,000 copies from Monday to Friday and 335,000 copies on a Saturday. The group employs approximately 1,400 staff and operates in a deadline-driven environment. It has a large scale advertising sales call center and needs to meet strict PCI compliance. The group also has a complex network that needs to be efficiently managed by a small IT staff.

The Solution

The group implemented two Check Point Security Gateways (on Sun open servers) with Advanced Networking, Firewall, IPS, and IPSEC VPN Software Blades activated, along with eight Check Point UTM-1 Edge Appliances and a Smart-1 SmartEvent 25 Appliance. This solution enabled the group to meet stringent requirements for external and internal data policies, reduce management overhead, and increase productivity. The Check Point Software Blade Architecture allowed the company to extend protection by simply purchasing additional features and turning them on, providing flexibility in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. The solution was also intuitive and easy to manage, saving time and manpower and enabling the group to utilize their staff more effectively.

Operational Impact

The Check Point solution provided West Australian Newspapers Group with a highly reliable network security system. It delivered multi-tiered threat protection in an integrated package, at multi-gigabit speeds, and maintained the group's ability to comply with internal and government security requirements. The solution was intuitive and easy to use, and its centralized management enabled the group to set and monitor policies for multiple security needs while conserving resources. The solution was also consistently reliable, providing best-in-class NSS certified protection and ensuring comprehensive Internet and reliable security. The group found that the solution's optional pre-defined policy settings reduced complexity and ensured optimal configuration and protection against malicious traffic.

Quantitative Benefit

The Check Point solution saved more than an hour a day off the group's maintenance schedule.
The solution provided multi-tiered threat protection at multi-gigabit speeds.
The solution reduced management overhead, freeing up resources and increasing productivity.