Global mining behemoth needed an IT partner to streamline their global firewall management

About the Client

The client is a multinational entity that owns and operates mines in North America and Europe needed help to improve their firewall. Based in Canada, it is a publicly traded company with shares listed on the TSE and NYSE. Data centers are located in the public cloud, with over a dozen sites hosting separate internet and OT firewalls. The corporation employs over 1000 people worldwide.

IT challenges faced by the Mining Corporation before partnering with BALANCED+

Ensuring firewall security across a global network is a daunting task, particularly when dealing with multiple policies and firewalls. Without the assistance of an IT partner, an organization might struggle to keep track of this crucial security aspect and guarantee proper configuration and updates.

The mining corporation’s IT department lacked the in-house expertise to manage all their firewalls and needed external support. With dozens of firewalls and hundreds of policies distributed across their global operations, constant monitoring and management of these devices demanded unwavering attention, which the corporation could not provide internally. The absence of a centralized management system for this infrastructure led to duplicated efforts and inconsistent security postures.

Partnering with BALANCED+: The reliable IT security partner

BALANCED+ began by reviewing the company’s existing security policy and performing a gap analysis. The first step involved assessing the company’s firewall rules’ compliance with their policies. The overall security posture was also examined to identify areas for improvement. This analysis allowed BALANCED+ to devise a plan that would enable the client to better manage its firewalls and enhance its overall security.

BALANCED+ utilize this information to rationalize and standardize firewall policies, eliminating redundant or conflicting rule sets. The BALANCED+ managed services team was engaged to provide ongoing management of the firewalls, including ticketing change requests, evaluating requested changes for industry best practices, and managing both global and local policies. A centralized management tool was deployed by BALANCED+ to facilitate standardization and reduce siloed department work duplication.

Moving forward: A more efficient approach to cybersecurity

BALANCED+ technicians participated in monthly meetings to discuss security policies and review change requests. Upcoming infrastructure changes were planned and evaluated, and the security roadmap was assessed and discussed.

Results that speak for themselves

Our team collaborated with the client to design, implement, and manage a secure firewall management solution that maintained their desired security level while streamlining processes and reducing the effort involved in managing and updating hundreds of firewall policies.

Successfully delivered firewall to the Client:

A centrally managed network: Firewall policies were consolidated, duplicates removed, and centralized, enabling easy management of all firewalls and a unified security policy.

Simplified configuration, deployment, and maintenance: A single point of entry was created to manage all firewall rules and configurations, allowing the client’s team to effortlessly update, deploy, and maintain any changes.

Policy Management: Firewall policies are globally managed and monitored, ensuring they remain up-to-date and standardized.
Firewall configuration and management: Firewall configurations and settings are monitored to ensure alignment with industry best practices.