Thanks to the Forcepoint NGFW, Rösler are prepared to react in a quick and controlled manner to all future demands.

OVERVIEW

Rösler, with its two German factories in Lower and Upper Franconia and 1,500 employees, is a leading player in the mechanical surface finishing sector. Rösler’s product portfolio ranges from vibratory finishing to shot blasting to the associated consumables and is supported around the world by a sales network of 16 branches and over 150 international representatives. As the only supplier in the sector, the company operates its own test centers around the globe, in which machines and process solutions are tested by specialists under real operating conditions.

CHALLENGE

In the past, Rösler had been using several firewall systems in its branches, all of which had to be separately managed and maintained. Determining the IT security status of the entire network was therefore either rarely possible or extremely time-consuming. For example, log files were saved at various sites and had to be remotely reviewed and evaluated. And although they did not need to be carried out on a daily basis, tasks like updates or the securing of individual firewalls were also very time-consuming. To make matters worse, most firewalls in the individual branches could not be regularly monitored due to time constraints. Here too, the time expended bore no relation to the actual changes. This meant that settings and administrative activities were not being monitored on an ongoing basis, daily compliance checks were not being carried out, and configuration errors and potential security risks were not immediately being noticed.

“As a global SME, the greatest challenge we face is the increasing complexity of the individual systems we work with. More and more systems are now communicating with each other and must be securely managed while keeping costs down. However, we can only guarantee the strength of a chain if we identify its weakest link. To do this, we need a better understanding of our systems.” 
— Patrick Dusold, IT Manager, Rösler

It was therefore imperative for the IT department to improve network transparency and to guarantee the simplest possible management process. Other products also needed to be integrated into the existing security infrastructure, in order to continue reacting effectively to changing security scenarios. To achieve this, it was necessary to switch from individual, independently operating systems to an infrastructure that communicates with itself and that can react faster and more effectively to vulnerabilities and attacks.

SOLUTION

The choice of provider was easy for Rösler. The company was already familiar with the capabilities Forcepoint had to offer in the market. Additionally, specialist dealer and trusted Forcepoint partner Software Symbiose in Bayreuth advised the use of a Forcepoint Security solution. Above all, Rösler was convinced that Forcepoint Security was on the right track with its integrated security concept and that it would be a reliable IT security partner in the future.

“We need to know which systems must be maintained or separately monitored in order to be able to implement a sound security strategy. However, to do this we have to consider IT security as a whole—and our Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is helping us to do this.”
— Dusold

The IT team paid particular attention to functions like IPS and Multilink VPN as well as centralized management and administration. It was also important for the company to use a solution that, ideally, met all the requirements without employees being aware of the changes and without the security measures hindering their work in any way. Assisted by Software Symbiose, the installation of the central Forcepoint NGFW at Rösler headquarters in Memmelsdorf, and at all 15 sites with around 25 appliances, went without any issues.

RESULTS

A large network can quickly become very complex. Globally active companies must ensure the uniform quality of their products, regardless of the factory in which they were produced—and the same duty of care applies in IT. The centralized monitoring of IT security guarantees high standards at all our sites, but to do this, one thing is essential: transparency. For this, independent systems must be replaced by a more integrated approach to IT. As an international family business, Rösler relies on the Forcepoint NGFW to integrate its individual IT security systems and to improve the transparency of its company network.

Forcepoint NGFW not only helps Rösler to achieve greater transparency in a global network of subsidiaries and branches, it also enables it to react to new and increasing demands. Thanks to an improved centralized overview, the company is closer to achieving its goal of integrated IT security—through the administrative overview of all connected Forcepoint NGFWs. In addition, Rösler will be able to implement future projects more easily—for example, better use can be made of the bandwidth of its own WAN by using a Multilink VPN.

The Forcepoint NGFW saves a significant amount of time, which Rösler now uses for maintenance works that could not be regularly carried out until now—an additional security benefit for the company. And because the Forcepoint NGFWs are managed centrally, IT tasks like backups, updates, and other administrative tasks can also be completed more effectively and efficiently.

“Security isn’t a task you can just cross off a list—it’s an ongoing job. Thanks to the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall, we are prepared to react in a quick and controlled manner to all future demands.”
— Dusold

Rösler has relied on Forcepoint security solutions since 2010.