Nihondentsu enforces secure mobile workplace to drive business growth

Nihondentsu Co. Ltd
Nihondentsu is an ICT consultancy, based in Japan. By deploying Check Point Next Generation Firewalls the business has simplified its security management and established a platform for continued growth.

Securing a seamless link between branch offices
Nihondentsu has more than 50 years’ experience in advising businesses on their ICT strategies. As it leads clients through digital transformation projects, so too its own business has changes to adhere to: Nihondentsu must become more agile, mobile and flexible.

Critical to this is a seamless link between the 18 Nihondentsu offices. The company wants to enable all staff to have access to the latest corporate and customer data securely.

A VPN solution, installed across all 18 branches in 2000, had become unstable and insufficient. With communications across the business steadily increasing, the VPNs were unable to cope with higher levels of traffic. The system was difficult to maintain and complex to manage.

“The situation was difficult,” says Hiroshi Ainaka, Chief, Network Group, Technical Department, Nihondentsu. “We recognized the urgent need to replace the VPN routers, but we had to look at the issue from many angles. The challenge was not just to improve access response, but to make sure that security was solid, that post- deployment management and operation would be easy, and that the cost/performance ratio was fitting.”

Rapid deployment and simplified management
The Check Point 700 Appliance delivers enterprise security in a series of simple and affordable, all-in-one solutions. Automated reporting, scalable deployment, and hands-off setup and configuration are all Firewall features which enable Nihondentsu to protect their employees, networks and data from cyber theft.

“The most impressive feature of the 700 Series is that it is an all-in-one product that achieves high performance and advanced security in a very balanced manner,” says Ainaka. “For a company of our size it’s unrealistic to have dedicated security personnel in place. What clinched it for us was that the 700 Series is easy to deploy, easy to run, and has a solid post-deployment support system.”

Setup can be done in minutes using pre-defined security policies and a step-by-step configuration expert. Check Point 700 Appliances are conveniently manageable both locally via a Web interface and centrally by means of the Check Point Security Management Portal (SMP). The solution allows users to connect securely from any device directly or through secure authenticated Wi-Fi for simple cloud management.

A secure business, with threat prevention visibility
Ainaka says Check Point ensures enterprise-grade security, and that this strengthens confidence for the business going forward: “Check Point is a leader in the field of cybersecurity. Its products are used in banking and government institutions worldwide. These are solutions designed for protecting the front lines of any business.”

He says the Check Point 700 Series has proved easy to configure, operate and manage: “The 700 Series can be set up in just a few minutes. Not only that, but the configuration screens are translated into Japanese, letting you focus on your work and reducing any distractions.”

In addition, post-deployment maintenance support services are provided by Takara Joho, a local Check Point agent: “Takara Joho handles everything from equipment checks and malfunction diagnostics to firmware updates remotely and in real time. They’re always there if anything goes wrong or if you have any questions. It’s very reassuring.”

Since deploying the 700 Next Generation Firewall series, he continues, access response from VPN locations to the servers at the headquarters has improved dramatically, as has internet connection responsiveness. The 700 series provides multilayered security with complete visibility of Nihondentsu’s network, monitoring security continuously to identify known and unknown threats. One-click activation means the IT team can immediately activate security protection company-wide in response to cyberattacks.

The Check Point 700 appliance also provides Nihondentsu with customized, automated reporting; “We’ve successfully put in place a network environment which is secure, smooth and stress-free. But we’re also aware that major threats lie hidden in places you would never expect. The security diagnostic reports provide an automated, detailed account of what types of attacks have occurred, when they were carried out, and how they were staved off. This gives me a great deal of peace of mind. The reports are a testament to the solid defense mounted against those attacks.”

The close relationship with Check Point, continues Ainaka, is also helping win new business. Nihondentsu has involved the 700 Series where customers needed to use UTM to track marketing campaign effectiveness; the Check Point 700 appliance with the mobile access blade utility combined with SandBlast Mobile has been used for customers reliant on employees using mobile devices.

“Our job is to understand what our customers’ ultimate vision is and provide them with the roadmap and methods they need to reach their goals. Our task is figuring out how to put together a system that will maximize customer satisfaction. Check Point products are a strong selling point and solid ally in that process.”