Konnex Dienstleistungen

Austrian IT Firm Better Protects Customer Data, Saves Money with Security Solution

Located in Linz, Austria, Konnex Dienstleistungen is an IT services firm that manages the IT infrastructure of its parent company, the BBRZ Gruppe. Because the BBRZ Gruppe helps people to enhance their abilities to enter or re-enter the labor market, it collects personal information about these customers. Due to the confidential nature of this data, computer security is critical. Although Konnex had been using software to protect BBRZ Gruppe computers from viruses, it needed a solution that would provide better protection against spyware and other threats. Konnex recently deployed Microsoft® Forefront™ Client Security, a software security solution that gives the BBRZ Gruppe improved protection for customer information. The solution also gives Konnex better reporting tools and simplified security management. Konnex now spends less time on IT administration and will save money on IT and consulting costs.

Situation

Konnex Dienstleistungen is the internal IT services branch of the BBRZ Gruppe, a large Austrian company with 1,800 employees in 40 offices. The BBRZ Gruppe helps integrate people into the work force after they have suffered an accident or severe illness, offers vocational training and continuing education, and provides different forms of employment.

Many BBRZ Gruppe employees offer education and training plans for customers, complemented by medical and psychological services. Because these employees use computers to store personal customer information such as health and medical records and educational status, information security is critical for the organization. In addition, many BBRZ Gruppe employees operate from remote offices and often work outside of the managed infrastructure, which means that spyware, viruses, and other IT security threats are constant challenges.

Forefront Client Security . . . discovered several instances of spyware. This type of ability goes far beyond what we had with our previous solution.  Harald Gumpenberger Project Manager Konnex Dienstleistungen

As a result, the management of security settings and overall security is a high priority for Konnex. “In IT administration, we are responsible for organizing and automating security patch deployment, protecting systems from viruses, and monitoring all systems for potential security holes,” says Markus Kleinen, Managing Director, Konnex.

For the past four years, Konnex has relied on a leading third-party security solution to secure all BBRZ Gruppe computers. However, that solution only provided antivirus protection. “We were not well-protected against spyware or malware,” says Kleinen. Performance problems were another issue. “The solution took a lot of time to scan computers, which slowed things down for employees,” he says.

In addition to this lack of protection against spyware and malware, the solution was not well-integrated with the overall BBRZ Gruppe infrastructure, which consists of 200 server computers, 4,000 personal computers, and 300 laptops. In addition to the Windows Server® 2003 Enterprise Edition operating system, Konnex uses the Active Directory® service and Group Policy to assign policies and deploy updates across the BBRZ Gruppe network. “With the previous solution, Group Policy could not be used to define settings, for example,” says Kleinen.

Because it needed more complete protection, Konnex wanted to find a new security solution. It was specifically interested in a Microsoft® solution, because the firm’s infrastructure is entirely Windows®-based. “Most of our employees are very familiar with Microsoft technology, so we knew that not much training would be required.”

Solution

At the end of 2006, Konnex became acquainted with Microsoft Forefront™ Client Security, a software security solution that helps protect computers and server operating systems against spyware, viruses, and all forms of malware.

Forefront Client Security also integrates with existing Windows-based IT environments and provides IT administrators with new reporting tools, such as a daily security summary report accessed through the centralized Forefront Client Security management console.

With the help of a team of technical experts from Microsoft Consulting Services Austria, Konnex began deploying the solution in March 2007. Initial deployment, which took place on 400 computers at the BBRZ Gruppe, was completed in less than one week. “We are almost finished with deployment on all 4,000 computers and 200 server computers,” says Harald Gumpenberger, Project Manager, Konnex. Gumpenberger and the Microsoft team configured Forefront Client Security to be fully managed by Konnex IT administrators using Group Policy. Security updates are automatically applied to computers and servers through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

Benefits

With its new Forefront Client Security solution, Konnex can provide the BBRZ Gruppe with improved protection for sensitive customer data. The solution also provides Konnex with better reporting capabilities and a simplified way to manage security. Konnex IT administrators now spend less time on IT administration, which the company estimates will help reduce overall administration costs.

Improved Protection for Customer Data

The new Forefront Client Security solution has improved Konnex administrators’ ability to secure BBRZ Gruppe systems against security threats. “Surprisingly, the solution

Forefront Client Security automates many of our security management processes. Because of that, we will save up to $100,000 annually in administrative and consulting costs.  Markus Kleinen Managing Director Konnex Dienstleistungen

provided security information we never addressed before,” says Gumpenberger. “Forefront Client Security found system information and identified it as a risk, such as domain accounts with local administration privileges on some computers. It also discovered several instances of spyware. This type of ability goes far beyond what we had with our previous solution.”

Because of this improved security, the BBRZ Gruppe has a better way to protect its sensitive personal customer information, such as worker health and medical data.

Better Reporting Capabilities

Forefront Client Security contains new reporting features, such as comprehensive, easy-to-read security summary reports. Konnex IT administrative staff members are already using these tools to improve system reporting. “We only had very rudimentary reporting capabilities before,” says Kleinen. “Because of that, we often did not know what security threats or potential problems the solution was finding. Forefront Client Security gives us a single point of client security information, with centralized reporting features and reports that contain detailed information. System security is much clearer as a result.”

Simplified Security Management

Forefront Client Security integrates easily with the Konnex Windows-based IT environment, offering a solution that works well with the Microsoft technologies Konnex administrators are already familiar with. “The solution was easy to install, and it fits in with everything in our infrastructure,” says Kleinen. Forefront Client Security uses a single policy to manage all security alerts. This policy can be deployed through Active Directory, using the same technology that Konnex uses for Group Policy management.

“Security is now easier to manage, and the integration with Active Directory and WSUS gives us an automated method of deploying security patches and updates,” adds Kleinen.

Less Time Spent on Administration

Because Konnex now has an integrated security solution that simplifies IT administrative tasks, administrators spend less time managing system security. “Using the security solution we formerly had in place, our security manager spent about one day each week on configuration, system monitoring, and other redundant tasks,” says Kleinen. “With Forefront Client Security, we have been able to completely eliminate that time. Our staff can now devote less of their time to security monitoring and can spend more time on overall system management.”

Reduced Costs

With its IT employees freed up from many of the manual administrative tasks they previously had to perform, Konnex estimates it will be able to reduce costs. “Forefront Client

Forefront Client Security gives us a single point of client security information, with centralized reporting features and reports that contain detailed information. System security is much clearer as a result.  Markus Kleinen Managing Director Konnex Dienstleistungen

Security automates many of our security management processes,” states Kleinen. “Because of that, we will save up to U.S.$100,000 annually in administrative and consulting costs.”

The Microsoft® Forefront™ comprehensive line of business security products provides greater protection and control through integration with your existing IT infrastructure and through simplified deployment, management, and analysis. Forefront is a comprehensive solution that helps provide protection for the client operating system, application servers, and the network edge.

For more information about the Forefront product portfolio, go to:
www.microsoft.com/forefront

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/

For more information about Konnex products and services, call +43 732 669903-0 or visit the Web site at:
http://www.konnex.at/

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published May 2007