Flint Technology Services helped a world-leading satellite company in enabling their third party customers to securely access resources within their network.
The Challenge
Our customer operates a global broadband network with strategic data centres serving as the main break-out points to the Internet.
They wanted a solution that would allow their third-party customers to securely access resources within their network from anywhere in the world.
Thus ensuring 99.9% availability and resilient connectivity.
The satellite company needed to replace the older Cisco-based VPN solutions with a more advanced and secure Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) multi-gateway VPN solution.
The Solution
Flint Technology Services (Flint TS) was chosen as the trusted partner, with a proven track record of .
We recommended a Next-Generation Firewall based on Palo Alto Networks’ technology.
The Flint TS team identified that this would enhance security, improve authentication and authorisation processes while ensuring seamless and secure access for the customers’ third parties.
The project focused on three strategically located data centres worldwide, which act as entry points to the network.
Building a Next-Generation Firewall
We recommended Palo Alto Networks’ NGFW technology for this project due to its robust security features and advanced capabilities.
It offers the flexibility to accommodate different types of third parties, each with varying user numbers.
Our NGFW multi-gateway VPN solution uses two key technologies, which are able to be adapted according to the size of the third-party’s user base:
IPSec VPN Technology
For third parties with a large number of users, the solution uses IPSec VPN technology to provide a secure and encrypted tunnel for data transmission between the third parties and the customer’s network, ensuring confidentiality and data integrity.
SSL VPN Technology (GlobalProtect)
For third parties with lower numbers of end users, the solution leverages Palo Alto Networks’ GlobalProtect, which offers SSL VPN technology.
GlobalProtect enables secure access to the customer’s network using the latest security, authentication and authorisation mechanisms.
Advanced Security and User Management
The solution takes advantage of advanced security features offered by Palo Alto Networks.
This includes Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) technology supported by Cisco Duo and Palo Alto User-ID.
MFA ensures an additional layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of authentication before gaining access to the network.
User ID enables the mapping of third parties’ specific usage patterns, so they can have secure access based on individual user profiles.
Thorough-Testing and Pre-Production
Before moving into pre-production, we collaborated closely with the customer’s team to conduct extensive testing in their test lab.
The goal was to ensure that the proposed NGFW multi-gateway VPN solution would integrate seamlessly with the existing backbone and MPLS network, whilst maintaining network stability and performance.
The Result
The NGFW solution we designed based on Palo Alto Networks’ technology delivered significant benefits to the customer including:
Enhanced Security
The NGFW solution offered advanced security measures, such as IPSec and SSL VPN technologies, along with MFA and User-ID.
Thus we were able to safeguard the customer’s network from unauthorised access and potential threats.
Resilient Connectivity
The strategically located data centres served as resilient entry points, ensuring continuous access to the customer’s resources from anywhere in the world.
Improved User Experience
The solution catered to third parties of varying sizes, providing a smooth and user-friendly experience for secure network access.
Seamless Integration
The thorough testing and pre-production phase ensured that the solution seamlessly integrated with the customer’s existing backbone and MPLS network, minimising potential disruptions during deployment.
We continue to successfully deliver the NGFW VPN Solutions to our customer in the form of individually tailored migrations.
As a part of this, we are providing secure and efficient access for their customers’ third parties worldwide on an ongoing basis.
The implementation of Palo Alto Networks’ technology, along with the emphasis on security and performance, has enhanced the company’s network infrastructure and delivers a top-tier experience to their customers.