Case Study
City of Utrecht Selects M86 Security to Secure Its Network from Web Threats Client: City of Utrecht Website: www.utrecht.nl Requirements: Web filtering and reporting Filtering Solution: M86 Secure Web Gateway
“Since deployment of the M86 Secure Web Gateway, maintenance of our security solution has become much easier and requires less resources” Kaj Siekman Security Coordinator City of Ultrecht
BACKGROUND Dating back to Roman times, Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with almost 300,000 citizens. Its central location makes it a leading center for exhibitions and conferences. Utrecht is also host to Utrecht University, the largest university of the Netherlands, as well as several other institutes for higher education. The City of Utrecht (Gemeente Utrecht) was looking for a solution that would secure its infrastructure and operations. Since its departments (such as the Fire Department, GGD and Burgerzaken) use the Internet as a tool for communication, they are prone to Web-borne attacks. Therefore, the city was looking for a way to ensure the availability, integrity and confidentiality of its communications. The city’s operational strategy is based on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that needs to be flexible for various user groups. It should also prevent liability and reputation damage created by spyware. City administrators were looking for a complete solution that could prevent incoming and outgoing crimeware (the anti-virus technology they used was not enough). The ICT’s effectiveness was hampered by inefficient use of desktop resources and desktop maintenance, data theft and bandwidth. There was also concern regarding “social engineering” attacks towards their employees who might be duped into visiting infected websites. ”Considering the sensitive nature of our information and communications, there is no room for us, as one of the largest cities in The Netherlands, to compromise in the area of information security,” stated Kaj Siekman, Security Coordinator at the City of Utrecht.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE AND REQUIREMENTS The City of Utrecht is legally and ethically bound to protect the privacy of information. Heavy use of Internet as a communication and information tool makes the city vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals. “We realized that our traditional anti-virus solutions had serious limitations when it came to detecting unknown malware and stealthy crimeware attacks originating from the Web,” stated Kaj Siekman. As a result, the city sought a real-time solution that prevents data leakage caused by crimeware, Trojans and other malicious Web content from entering its network. The city’s thousands of users are divided into different user groups, depending on their particular responsibilities and department. Departments include public services such as the Fire Department and Municipal Healthcare Services (GGD). Some departments and personnel were allowed to use the Internet for research and e-government services, while others only needed limited Internet access. The ability to define specific security policies for different user groups was imperative.
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“M86’s active real-time Web security protects our network from stealthy Trojans and Crimeware” Kaj Siekman Security Coordinator University of Utrecht
Previously, an anti-virus solution was used, but it could not scan for malicious code in active content. Gemeente Utrecht looked at the following factors for their new security solution: • • •
Security -- safe browsing, required scanning of HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, P2P, IM etc., as well as protection against crimeware and Web 2.0 attacks. Flexibility -- allocating different security levels for different user groups and scalability to extend the amount of services and networks. Availability of the network -- to ensure safe, fast performance and easy management to reduce administration costs
M86 SECURE WEB GATEWAY SOLUTION With these requirements in mind, the City of Utrecht chose the M86 Secure Web Gateway solution, based on the award-winning Vital Web Security SuiteTM. The solution was implemented by Unit 4 Agresso, an authorized M86 reseller in The Netherlands. M86’s proven and comprehensive solution features patented active real-time code analysis technology to detect and block inbound and outbound known and unknown malicious Web threats. During the evaluation phase, it became clear to that M86 could deliver a true solution for dynamic malicious content like crimeware and Trojans. Deployed at the Internet gateway, three SWG 3000 appliances currently support the city’s 4,000 users in a high availability configuration. These appliances feature M86’s active real-time code analysis, Vulnerability Anti.dote™ and anti-spyware engines. M86’s active real-time code analysis technology is uniquely capable of analyzing incoming and outgoing Web content in real-time regardless of its source. It breaks down the code and understands its true intent without executing the code on the end user’s machine. M86 delivers malicious content detection and prevention, allowing organizations to safeguard one of their most valuable assets — their information.
ABOUT M86 SECURITY M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry’s leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company’s appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 24,000 customers and over 17 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviorbased malware detection technologies as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Orange, California with international headquarters in London and development centers in California, Israel, and New Zealand.
By integrating several security engines in a single appliance, M86’s comprehensive Web security solution facilitates deployment, simplifies management and reduces total cost of ownership. In addition, its flexible policy management will allow the city to enforce its Web browsing policy by defining specific security policies for its groups of users. “Since deployment of the M86 Secure Web Gateway solution, end-user safety as well as reporting capabilities have greatly improved, thereby adding value to the information security,” said Siekman.
KEY BENEFITS FOR THE CITY OF UTRECHT •
Secures its IT network from malicious and stealthy Web threats that often bypass signature-based security methods
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Enhances performance and maximized user productivity
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Protects private and confidential information
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Offers a flexible and scalable solution
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Provides granular security policies for specific user groups
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Uses integrated security engines with single point of management, provisioning and reporting
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Version 06/01/10
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