Global management in just a few steps

BHN has deployed Check Point solutions for nearly 20 years and is currently implementing a full infrastructure upgrade

“We use Check Point to protect each separate network at all the global sites, large or small, and everything within the networks.”
— Detlef Stapel, Business IT Specialist, Team Leader for Windows Systems Environment and Security, BHN

Overview

BHN
BHN Dienstleistung GmbH & Co. KG is an external IT service provider. Its main customer is a medium-sized engineering company. BHN operates the company’s entire IT infrastructure at around 60 global sites.

Business Challenges

A full infrastructure upgrade
BHN has deployed Check Point security solutions for almost 20 years. Detlef Stapel is a Team Leader for Windows Systems Environment and Security at BHN and his ten-person international team, is responsible for providing users with maximum protection from Internet attacks. “We use Check Point to protect each separate network at all our global sites, large or small, and everything within the networks.” says Stapel.

Due to an increasing awareness of cyber threats and a growing number of user connections and requirements, an entire security infrastructure upgrade was needed. “We are currently undergoing a huge expansion and replacement cycle,” says Stapel. This will upgrade the engineering company’s global subsidiaries, integrate sites that do not yet have a Check Point infrastructure and connect them to headquarters.

Solution

Performance without compromising security
To meet future demands, BHN is upgrading the entire security environment, comprising 40 small sites, four larger sites and the headquarters with up to 2,000 users. BHN chose Check Point products primarily on the basis of performance. This ensures that additional security features can be added without impacting the user experience.

The plan includes upgrading and adding multiple different Check Point firewall clusters spread across the organization. Quantum Security Gateways include network security features such as firewall and VPN to securely connect remote sites. Mobile access securely connects remote users. Identity awareness and application control enforces user-based policy controls and provides safe access to the Internet. Anti-Bot detects and blocks Command and Control communications, stopping the threat. Deploying multiple Quantum Security Gateways in a cluster ensures security is always available and protecting site assets. Finally monitoring provides visibility of the entire security infrastructure.

Smaller devices have been gradually replaced since the start of 2021 and larger-scale upgrade modifications began in early May 2021.

Results

Efficient management workflows and increased threat visibility
For BHN, the main reason for deploying Check Point is to improve workflow management and efficiency. “From the outset, we have focused on implementing a solution that can be managed globally via a centralized management system.” explains Stapel. Another key issue was the ability to use a small team to manage the firewall and VPN. “And only Check Point provides this option,” adds Stapel. Check Point is the only provider offering a centralized management system meeting BHN’s requirements. “We can manage a global environment in just a few steps.” highlights Stapel.
Check Point continually improves and boosts the performance of its products and implements new functions on an ongoing basis. The team can see and respond appropriately to attempted attacks. Over time, new prevention measures have been added, such as Anti-Bot, Identity Awareness and Application Control. “This gives us the highest level of protection.” adds Stapel. “Wherever possible, we have the maximum security.”
A Check Point infrastructure has proven particularly useful during the ongoing year-long coronavirus pandemic. “Over the course of a single weekend, we enabled more than 1,000 employees to work from home thanks to software from Check Point. Check Point products and solutions have helped us provide points of presence at different locations across the world, allowing employees to connect rapidly to the office and the office cloud.” explains Stapel.
Stapel also highlights the potential future benefits he sees in the Check Point SmartEvent solution. “A comprehensive, centrally managed security report, combines all our global systems at the touch of a button.” SmartEvent provides actionable security incident and event management and reporting.
“This management solution puts us in a great position to achieve a lot in a very simple way. In terms of efficiency and time saved, we are down to a fifth of the time needed by other providers.” BHN will therefore continue to invest in these security solutions. “In this financial year, we will spend several million euros on Check Point products,” says Stapel. “This amounts to a sizeable percentage of our security budget.”