The protected VPN network for Development bank of the Region

The current infrastructure of Bank concentrates on 18 platforms: one main office and seventeen additional. Local computer networks of additional offices of the company are combined with head in a single network means of provider of communication. However communications between them had a number of shortcomings:

• use of one provider of communication did not provide fault tolerance of communication channels;
• the services provided by provider were expensive for the company;
• the router used earlier had no serious information security tools, its use for further development of Bank was unsafe;
• actually could not operate bank the network since it was constructed on the equipment of provider.

Thus, the corporate network of the customer was characterized by the high level of vulnerability to the insider attacks and threats from the outside. It was the serious cause of making decision on creation of reliable VPN network in the organization, without binding to one provider using the new modern equipment.

Between head and the additional offices Development Bank of the Region entrusted project implementation on creation of the protected data network to specialists of Softline company. Ensuring network security is one of the most relevant and demanded directions in a service portfolio and solutions of Softline company. The accumulated experience of implementation of complex projects, professional training of engineers caused the choice of Bank for benefit of competences of Softline.

The following tasks were set for a project team of Softline:

• creation of the VPN channel between head both additional offices of the customer and branches;
• selection of the demilitarized zone separating public servers from internal network;
• selection at head office of the customer of two communication channels.

Specialists of Softline carried out the analysis of the existing network infrastructure based on which the list of requirements to a system was defined. The project team of Softline as optimal means of the organization of reliable VPN network suggested to use the hardware and software system Cisco in the main thing and at all additional offices of the customer. A choice for benefit of software of Cisco was made not accidentally: first, products of the producer are leaders for solving of tasks of this class and, secondly, competence of Softline, confirmed with the status Cisco Premier Partner and specialization of Advanced Security, allow to perform complex projects in the direction of network security and to guarantee the level of service demanded by the customer.

Project implementation was enabled in two stages. The first part of works was executed at head office of Bank where the test zone which reflected the implementable scheme of upgrade was created.

The second step during which works on connection, setup and commissioning of the new equipment are carried out passed in additional offices and operational cash desks of Bank. Upon completion of the project specialists of Softline offered a number of recommendations about further improvement of network infrastructure and also the concept of development of IT in general.

According to Mikhail Selivanov, the head of department of project management of Softline, "upgrade of network infrastructure is only a first step of Bank on the way of creation and upgrade of the IT infrastructure which will meet the international standards. I am sure, the management of Development bank of the Region will estimate our help in this project, and we will continue our cooperation in creation of the IT effective system".

"We consider the main result of the implemented project that specialists of Softline created the protected corporate VPN network not attached to one provider. Before in the company all local computer networks were connected by means of provider of communication that did not ensure the necessary level of fault tolerance and safety. Besides, the router used earlier did not answer the required level of protection of the growing business. Installation and introduction to commercial operation of the new equipment Cisco allowed us not only to provide the continuity of key business processes, but also to cut down operating costs due to consolidation of firewall opportunities in it, an intrusion prevention and VPN. We are happy with the level of professionalism of specialists of Softline, ability to understand, quickly and to effectively solve real problems of business. All tasks set within the project were solved fully and in time", – Gabanov Vladimir, the head of information technology of Development bank of the Region says.