Remote Firewall Security Management for an African
Steel & Wire Manufacturing Company
Customer Background
The customer is a steel and wire manufacturing company based in Africa, operating multiple production and business locations. Their IT infrastructure supports manufacturing operations, enterprise applications, and connectivity between sites.
The organization had deployed Sophos firewalls across four locations to secure their network environment. However, they lacked a dedicated security team to continuously monitor, manage, and optimize their firewall infrastructure.
Problem Statement
The customer was frequently experiencing security concerns and firewall-related operational issues across their locations.
Key challenges included:
- Limited in-house expertise to manage and maintain Sophos firewall configurations
- Lack of structured security assessment and configuration review
- Potential security gaps and misconfigurations
- Operational challenges in maintaining consistent security policies across locations
- Need for reliable remote security management support
The organization required an experienced partner to plan, deploy, and transition the infrastructure smoothly without impacting business operations.
Solution Provided
Hexatic partnered with the customer to deliver remote firewall security assessment, remediation, and ongoing management services from India.
Key activities performed:
Firewall Security Assessment
Conducted a comprehensive review of Sophos firewall configurations across four locations to identify security gaps, configuration inconsistencies, and potential risks.
Security Gap Remediation
Implemented recommended security improvements, including:
○ Policy optimization
○ Removal of unnecessary rules
○ Improved access control configurations
○ Strengthening firewall security settings
Remote Firewall Management
Provided continuous remote firewall administration and monitoring support from India, including:
○ Configuration updates
○ Security policy management
○ Issue troubleshooting
○ Performance and security optimization
Operational Support Model
Established a reliable remote service delivery model to ensure ongoing security management and quick response to operational issues.
Results
The engagement significantly improved the customer's network security posture and operational stability.
Key outcomes included:
- Improved security posture across all four locations
- Resolution of recurring firewall configuration and security issues
- Standardized security policies and configurations
- Reliable remote firewall management and operational support
- Demonstrated Hexatic’s capability to deliver cross-geography security services remotely
Due to the successful engagement and improved security operations, the customer has continued to expand the scope of managed security services with Hexatic, strengthening the long-term partnership.