THE BRIEF
Earnshaws engaged with ACS IT Services regarding their Cyber Security requirements following a Cyber audit. The vision for the project was ensuring best of breed security measures were in place which not only bolstered the Earnshaw’s network but also satisfied the requirements for cyber accreditations.
Due to the technical capabilities and experience in cyber security deployments, ACS IT Services were asked to plan, manage and deliver the project in it’s entirety.
Following an audit of Earnshaws multiple sites across Yorkshire, it was determined an upgraded Next Generation Firewall was required along with a Cloud to Cloud backup solution for Earnshaw’s 365 estate.
The approach ACS IT Services utilised was to firstly upgrade the installed Firewall to a Fortinet UTP. Considerations were taken to ensure the unit was not only fit for purpose today but also could grow with and support Earnshaw’s IT estate moving forward, with the increasing of internet speeds and moving to more hybrid working the unit was specifically installed to ensure throughout was not detrimentally affected whilst full security settings are applied.
The ability to securely connect remotely was an essential prerequisite to the project, however this also needed to be a straightforward process for the end users. To achieve this ACS IT Services deployed FortiClient VPN endpoint subscriptions which has a simple and user-friendly UI with Forticare Premium and Software based One Time Password (OTP) authentication. This solution provides high levels of security due to multiple layers of protection with automatic encrypted tunnels and Zero trust being applied automatically.
The pre-existing firewall at the main office of Earnshaw’s was reutilised at a satellite office so that the initial asset and security investment was not lost, a site-site connection was made to the new unit for unified connectivity between sites.
ACS IT Services also deployed Office 365 Backup and security as part of the project. The backup is an immutable and infinite storage backup, automatically running 3 times per day with no slowdown or lag on Earnshaw’s environment and items can be restored with one click. Teaming this up with Multi Factor authentication (MFA) to access 365 means Earnshaws now have security processes in place for access control but also a robust backup should anything go wrong. The solution is co-managed between ACS IT Services and Earnshaws with knowledge share provided to the Earnshaws IT team during the deployment process.
Having successfully deployed the solution, Earnshaw’s were approved for the cyber accreditation on offer and in doing so have a more robust security offering. ACS IT Services provided knowledge share with Earnshaw’s and signed the project over into the IT services contract provided.
"From the initial scoping of the project through to deployment and service, I can’t recommend ACS IT Services enough. As a company with demanding requirements to adhere to, for both the software we use and the cyber accreditations we require, it’s imperative we have an IT partner we can rely upon to not just give expert knowledge and deploy the solutions recommended but back it up with excellent communication. The team at ACS IT Services are an extension of the Earnshaw’s business and the partnership continues to get stronger with the assistance of Adam, Carl and the team as a whole."
Ben Earnshaw,
IT and Systems Development Manager
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