Case Studies > Security and availability in extremely adverse environments: Barracuda NG Firewall in use at the drilling experts EXALO

Security and availability in extremely adverse environments: Barracuda NG Firewall in use at the drilling experts EXALO

Company Size

1,000+

Region

Europe

Country

Poland

Product

Barracuda NG Firewall F100
Barracuda NG Firewall F200
Barracuda NG Firewall F600
Barracuda NG Firewall F800
Barracuda NG Control Center

Tech Stack

VPN
Satellite Uplink
QoS
IDS/IPS

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance

Applicable Industries

Oil & Gas

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Facility Management

Use Cases

Remote Asset Management
Remote Control

Services

Cybersecurity Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Exalo Drilling, based in Pila, Poland, is a leading supplier of onshore drilling services in Central and Eastern Europe. Formed in February 2013 through the merger of five companies from the PGNiG Group, Exalo has grown to employ 3,500 people. The company provides drilling services in remote and often infrastructure-poor regions, making secure and reliable IT infrastructure critical to its operations. The IT team at Exalo consists of 24 specialists divided into three groups: IT Infrastructure, Application Development, and Business and User Support, with four employees dedicated to IT Infrastructure.

The Challenge

The merger of five companies into EXALO presented a significant challenge in integrating their IT infrastructures into a single, efficient, and secure network. The company needed to connect over 120 locations, including remote drilling rigs in areas with poor infrastructure. The IT team, led by CIO Piotr Grochowski, faced the task of creating a uniform firewall infrastructure that could manage data traffic reliably, prioritize applications, and ensure secure connections. Additionally, the solution had to be affordable and manageable by a small team, while aligning with the company's business strategy.

The Solution

EXALO chose the Barracuda NG Firewall to address its IT challenges. The solution included various models (F100, F200, F600, F800) and the Barracuda NG Control Center. The Barracuda NG Firewall provided a high-performance, next-generation firewall with intelligent data traffic regulation, central management, detailed application control, and integrated IDS/IPS. The solution allowed EXALO to seamlessly integrate the IT infrastructures of the five merged companies, secure connections to remote drilling rigs via satellite uplink, and manage the entire firewall network efficiently. The rollout began in February 2014, with 60 of the 120 planned appliances in operation, proving the solution's effectiveness in various areas, including application control and alternative line setup for line failures.

Operational Impact

Seamlessly integrated the IT infrastructures of five merged companies into one.
Achieved centralized oversight of all 120 locations, including remote drilling rigs.
Secured connections to remote drilling rigs via satellite uplink, ensuring connectivity in infrastructure-poor regions.
Managed the entire firewall network quickly and easily, even with a small IT team.
Enabled application control, allowing prioritization and blocking of applications as needed.

Quantitative Benefit