CheckPoint Software > Case Studies > Securing Global Medical Assistance: A Case Study on International SOS and Check Point

Securing Global Medical Assistance: A Case Study on International SOS and Check Point

CheckPoint Software Logo
Technology Category
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
  • Networks & Connectivity - Routers & Bridges
Applicable Industries
  • Electronics
  • National Security & Defense
Applicable Functions
  • Maintenance
Use Cases
  • Inventory Management
  • Tamper Detection
Services
  • Hardware Design & Engineering Services
  • System Integration
About The Customer
International SOS is the world’s most comprehensive medical and security assistance company, providing services to leading multinational corporations, insurers, financial institutions, and government organizations. The company has more than 6,100 corporate clients and 60 million members worldwide. It employs over 3,700 people, operates a global network of 24/7 alarm centers in 28 cities, 22 wholly owned international clinics, and a fleet of 10 dedicated air ambulances. Its employees, who speak 77 languages, are spread over remote site operations in more than 60 countries. More than a third of its employees are professional medical specialists such as doctors, nurses, medics, pharmacists, and aero-medical specialists.
The Challenge
International SOS, a global medical and security assistance company, faced significant challenges in securing its communications. The company used appliances for this purpose, but found them to be cumbersome in emergencies and remote locations. Most firewall and VPN security solutions required a great deal of patience and knowledge to set up, and were not the primary focus in remote field locations where medical and physical security emergencies were more pressing. Additionally, not every solution could be managed from a single console, which demanded a lot of attention from IT administrators. From a cost perspective, most appliances and other security solutions carried a high cost of ownership, unnecessarily burdening the company. Furthermore, finding local technical administration talents in remote locations, especially for specialized appliances, proved to be a challenge.
The Solution
To address these challenges, International SOS migrated its hardware appliances to a centralized management Intel-based server running Check Point SecurePlatform with FireWall-1 and VPN-1 Pro, coupled with Check Point ClusterXL. SecuRemote was installed on remote PC clients for International SOS’s emergency medical and physical security teams on assignments or in remote branch locations. ACE Authentication from RSA Security, a Check Point OPSEC (Open Platform for Security) partner, was installed on the PCs. This solution allowed International SOS to easily install Check Point’s firewall and VPN combo on any PC in remote locations, without having to lug unwieldy and heavy appliances. The easy setup and administration of Check Point’s SecurePlatform meant that any compatible PC could be configured with Check Point’s firewall and VPN in minutes. This solution also lowered the total cost of ownership, assured compatibility with third-party solutions, provided singular accountability with a single vendor, and offered easily accessible worldwide support.
Operational Impact
  • The implementation of Check Point’s solutions brought about a significant transformation in International SOS's operations. The ease of installation made disaster recovery straightforward, as pointed out by Kuan Sui Toh, group manager, Technology and Infrastructure, Corporate ICT. The lower total cost of ownership was a key reason for the move to Check Point solutions. The open platform through the OPSEC initiative made it easy for International SOS to integrate third-party solutions, such as management and security tools, into the Check Point core firewall and VPN solutions without any compatibility issues. The company also benefited from working with a single accountable vendor, Check Point, rather than having to work with multiple vendors with solutions that might have unknown compatibility and management issues. Lastly, Check Point’s globally recognized leadership in Internet and network security meant that trained professionals were easily located worldwide, making troubleshooting or setup in remote locations less demanding.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Reduced setup and configuration time from hours to minutes
  • Lowered total cost of ownership with a PC costing only around US$1,160 compared to high maintenance costs of appliances
  • Established a network of 35 VPN nodes

Case Study missing?

Start adding your own!

Register with your work email and create a new case study profile for your business.

Add New Record

Related Case Studies.

Contact us

Let's talk!
* Required
* Required
* Required
* Invalid email address
By submitting this form, you agree that IoT ONE may contact you with insights and marketing messaging.
No thanks, I don't want to receive any marketing emails from IoT ONE.
Submit

Thank you for your message!
We will contact you soon.