Microland secures, enhances and manages network operations for a global petrochemical leader

Overview

Our client, the world's largest producer of PET resins, a leading manufacturer of wool yarns, and a prominent producer of intermediate petrochemicals, operates with a global presence and a diverse workforce. With offices and employees across multiple locations, they faced numerous challenges in ensuring secure network access, managing a complex infrastructure, and maintaining compliance with industry regulations. To address these needs, the company partnered with Microland to implement a series of integrated network solutions to transforming network security and management.

Scope and Business Challenge

Facing a complex operational landscape, the client required a robust and efficient IT infrastructure to support its critical operations. Microland managed over 120+ network devices to address the following challenges:

• Unauthorized Access: Employees and guests could connect devices to the corporate network without proper authentication, risking security breaches.
• Device Diversity: The network had to manage a wide range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices, each presenting unique security and management challenges.
• Scalability and Management Complexity: The existing on-premises infrastructure struggled with scaling and centralized network management, leading to operational inefficiencies and increased costs.
• Security and Compliance: Maintaining consistent security policies and meeting regulatory requirements across a hybrid network was cumbersome, especially during disaster recovery (DR) scenarios.

Microland Solution

Microland deployed a suite of solutions to address these challenges, improving security, management, and operational efficiency:

• Aruba ClearPass Deployment:
  • Policy Definition: Enabled granular access policies based on user roles, device types, and contextual factors, ensuring only authorized users and devices accessed network resources.
  • Authentication Mechanisms: Supported multiple authentication methods, including 802.1X, MAC authentication, and captive portals, catering to various devices and user scenarios.
  • Device Onboarding: Streamlined secure onboarding of devices, both corporate and personal, to enforce security policies effectively.
  • Compliance Enforcement: Applied security policies to ensure compliance with industry regulations and auditing of network access activities.
• Aruba Central Migration:
  • Centralized Management: Migrated from on-premises Aruba infrastructure to the cloud-based Aruba Central, allowing centralized management of network elements.
  • Scalability and Efficiency: Enhanced scalability and operational efficiency with Aruba Central’s cloud-native architecture, reducing management complexity and operational costs.
  • Training and Integration: Provided comprehensive training for IT personnel and ensured seamless integration with existing IT systems.
• Azure DR Palo Alto Deployment:
  • Integration and Performance: Deployed Palo Alto firewalls in Azure Hong Kong DR environments, ensuring integration with existing infrastructure and optimizing performance for data replication and threat detection.
  • Policy Management: Implemented centralized policy management solutions to maintain consistent security policies across hybrid environments using Panorama.
  • Compliance and Monitoring: Followed CIS benchmarks and conducted performance monitoring to optimize security and resource utilization.
• Azure Panorama Deployment:
  • ​Centralized Security Management: Integrated Azure Panorama with site firewalls to centralize security management, streamline operations, and enhance visibility and control.
  • Standardized Configurations: Utilized standardized configuration templates and best practices to simplify deployment and ensure policy consistency.
  • Cost Optimization: Reduced operational overhead and simplified management through centralized policy enforcement and automated reporting.

Business Benefits

Since its implementation, Microland has significantly transformed the client’s IT operations, delivering impressive results:

• Enhanced Security: Improved network security through stringent access controls, advanced threat detection, and consistent policy enforcement.
• Operational Continuity: Ensured uninterrupted operations during disaster recovery events with automated failover and recovery processes.
• Centralized Management: Achieved centralized management of network infrastructure, reducing complexity and improving operational efficiency.
• Scalability and Agility: Enhanced scalability and agility with cloud-based solutions, accommodating future growth and evolving business needs.
• Compliance and Control: Improved compliance with industry regulations and standards and gained better control over network activities and security incidents.
• Cost Efficiency: Optimized resource utilization and reduced operational costs through automated management and streamlined processes.