The Challenge
Our proactive hardware management processes identified that the Rolton MacDuff firewall was coming up to an age where replacement was appropriate. After engaging with the firm, we determined that there were also concerns with regards to changing IT security and legal landscapes. Maintaining the use of industry leading equipment and adhering to current recognised industry standards, along with VPN connectivity for both Windows and Mac operating systems, all remained requirements.
Our Solution
iTops has transitioned from being a Cisco reseller to Fortinet over recent years. While Cisco have been one of “the” names in networking over a long time, Fortinet are a leader and very well respected, also being recognised as leaders in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Network Firewalls.
We recommended replacing the existing Cisco firewall with a Fortinet FortiGate firewall. We also provided advice on additional Fortinet and iTops services that would improve and ensure maximum security, namely added anti-malware and intrusion prevention services at the firewall, along with continuation of domain authentication and adding muti-factor authentication to VPN connectivity. We also recommended adopting a managed service for monitoring and updates of the firewall on an ongoing basis.
Our engineer reviewed and analyzed the existing Cisco firewall configuration and pre-built the new FortiGate firewall configuration for a seamless onsite replacement. Staff were advised on upcoming changes, and some were issued with a FortiToken license and provided with comprehensive instructions on how to use the new VPN system, combining FortiClient VPN software with FortiToken multi-factor authentication.
We scheduled the onsite replacement with minimal downtime of just 30 minutes chosen during business hours that were convenient for the firm. We provided post implementation support to all staff regarding the new VPN client software and connectivity. All network documentation was updated in line with configuration changes.
Their system now has anti-malware and intrusion prevention at the firewall, multi factor VPN connectivity, and is integrated into iTops management systems, monitored, and updated monthly to maintain maximum security.
"We have been trusting iTops to service our IT needs for over 15 years. Our firm moved to iTops from a large IT provider, and we have been impressed with their personable, easy to understand approach. This most recent project was the result of their proactive management of our hardware, along with sensible recommendations for several security related improvements, that enabled us to continue to meet the latest best practice standards. Since joining iTops, our IT network has been very reliable, the team have been quick to respond when needed, and we feel confident in our IT systems and support".
Bede Rolton
Partner at Rolton MacDuff Lawyers
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