How a Trusted Partner Can Help You Achieve Your Security Goals

James was flustered. As the CIO of a small but growing community bank, he had quite a few balls in the air at any point in time. He was used to quickly turning to one of the talented members of his small team and handing off most problems, but one was vexing him. The bank’s auditors had issued a finding that he knew was coming but dreaded facing. The bank’s network had become too large to remain a flat network where all systems could communicate. Network security and performance requirements demanded that the bank shift to a segmented network.

James knew that this was the right approach and would serve the best interests of the bank, but he didn’t know where to start. The bank had made a significant investment in network security, purchasing Cisco’s Identity Services Engine (ISE) and a variety of other security components, but most of those products were gathering dust waiting for someone to have the time to figure them out and implement them properly. James had the sense that his bank had all of the right building blocks for a secure, segmented network, but didn’t have a roadmap for how it could approach the project in a staged fashion.

James turned to my team at CDW for assistance. Our advanced security consulting practice focuses on providing organizations with advice that balances business needs and security requirements. We understand the challenge facing IT leaders like James and help them build out security strategies, often using the equipment that they’ve already purchased. That was clearly the case with James and his bank.

The Path to Network Security

After meeting with CDW’s enterprise networking and security architects, James had a roadmap that divided the network segmentation project into three phases with clear milestones at six, 12, and 24 months. This high-level overview led to a network segmentation workshop where CDW experts worked with James and his team to clarify and document the project goals, objectives, strategy, and roadmap. Each phase of the roadmap contained a detailed breakdown of the equipment, software, and services that would lead to a secure, segmented network. James was happy that the bank was well-positioned for its next stage of growth, and auditors were satisfied that the bank was meeting its regulatory compliance requirements.

Network security workshops are just one of the advanced consulting services available through CDW. In our role as a security adviser, we can assist organizations with the most vexing security issues they face. IT leaders who recently received the results of an audit, penetration test, or gap assessment often turn to us to help them develop and implement a remediation roadmap. We’re also able to provide immediate assistance when an organization suffers a security incident, sending CDW security experts on-site to assist with investigative and remediation activities.

These services are part of CDW’s commitment to partner with customers to achieve their security and business objectives. My team and I stand ready to help you address your highest security priorities, just as we did for James.

Learn more about how CDW’s free Threat Check service can help you uncover network security risks.