Red Line Software - we help you manage the efficiency of your office operations.

Solution Overview

Customer Profile
The English Institute of Sport (EIS) is a nationwide network of world class support for elite athletes, providing sports and medical and training services.

Business Situation
Since the organisations launch in 2002, the number of threats to its network from worms, viruses and malicious activity have also increased dramatically. Its network holds extremely sensitive data on athletes, and it needed guaranteed security.

Solution Description
EIS outsources its IT services to Lynx Technology. Lynx implemented Microsoft® Internet and Security Accelerator (ISA) Server 2004 to extend the security features of ISA Server 2000, its existing security solution.

Benefits

• Leading edge encryption for all EIS mobile users
• Deep network protection
• Easy integration with third-party security products
• Multi-layered firewall 
•  Internal servers protected from attack

Partner(s)
Lynx Technology

Software and Services
Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000
Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004

Vertical Industries
Sporting Goods

Country/Region
United Kingdom

Audiences
Business Decision Makers

Launched in 2002, the English Institute of Sport provides world class support services to elite athletes. Its IT operation is outsourced to Lynx Technology. But as activities expanded, the number of employees needing to access the network while travelling around the world also increased. And threats from malicious code also grew. In response, it needed to reinforce network security. Lynx implemented Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004. It now benefits from application layer filtering, encrypted virtual private network links, internal server protection and easy integration with third-party security products.

Situation

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) is a nationwide network of world-class support services for professional athletes. It operates from nine regional multi-sport hub sites and an evolving network of satellite centres. Since its launch in 2002, it has developed close relationships with national governing sports bodies, performance directors and coaches.

But as its activities grew, it needed to increase security. For example, its systems hold sensitive information on athletes. A network breach could seriously undermine the organisation's integrity. Also, the majority of its users are mobile and so they require constant access to core line-of-business and back office applications. At launch, a comprehensive security policy was enforced by its IT partner Lynx Technology, based on Microsoft® Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000.

Mark Richards, Head of Information Systems, EIS, says: "Up until now, our security has been very effective, but organisational activities are growing and dangers such as worms and viruses are constantly increasing. Network security needed to reflect this by evolving too."

Solution

Because ISA Server 2000 provided good firewall and content filtering protection, Lynx was keen to evaluate Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004, part of Microsoft Windows Server System integrated server software. Richard Proud, Solution Evangelist, Lynx, says: "There are features in the new version that outstrip a lot of other technologies currently on the market."

For example, ISA Server 2004 provides multi-layered firewall security. Stateful filtering of data packets determines which packets can pass through the firewall. Ports are opened and closed automatically, safeguarding against hackers scanning ports. Intelligent filtering of traffic also means that ISA Server 2004 can accept, reject, redirect and modify traffic based on its contents.

It also provides secure server publishing to help protect internal servers from attack, by impersonating servers. Encrypted virtual private network (VPN) connections that terminate in the server also meant EIS could easily enforce its security policy for remote users. ISA Server 2004 is also designed to provide easy integration with other security products such as anti-virus and web filtering software.

Proud says: "It was clear by using ISA Server 2004 we could expand the security features of ISA Server 2000, yet still retain the flexibility we needed to apply corporate policies to all network connections and users."

Benefits

Secure Access for EIS Remote Users

EIS has approximately 200 staff, the majority of whom travel regularly both in the United Kingdom and across the world meeting professional bodies, athletes and sport and health experts. They need constant access to the network to update an athlete database, send e-mails, and source information from back-office systems.

Richards says: "Microsoft Windows® XP Professional is our desktop operating system of choice and it provides native support for VPN connectivity. We now have a leading-edge IPsec tunnel encrypted connection between the mobile device and ISA Server 2004, which terminates on ISA Server. This provides the best possible level of security."

Deep NetworkProtection

The effectiveness of ISA Server 2000 is beyond doubt. Since its implementation, the EIS network has never been breached. ISA Server 2004 has galvanised security even further. Richards says: "Application layer filtering examines not the just the data packet header information but also the contents of the packet to determine more about the packet than its source and destination. This protects us from hidden threats and gives us great peace of mind."

Easy Integration with Third-Party Security Products

A key component of EIS corporate security policy is a Web usage policy. ISA Server 2004 is designed to provide easy integration of third-party security products, which led Lynx to implement Web Filter from SurfControl.

Richards says: "It's important that we control users connecting to the Internet for legal reasons. A number of our staff is highly trained medical professionals who need access to information about sensitive issues within sports medicine. But these sites are not appropriate for wider corporate use and Web Filter is the perfect tool to enforce our policies."

Internal ServersSafeguarded from Attack

ISA Server 2004 also helps protect Web servers, e-mail servers, and e-commerce applications from external attack by impersonating the published server. EIS uses this feature to publish Web content.

Richards says: "Hackers like to attack Web servers because of the high profile coverage it brings. But ISA Server 2004 protects us from this form of attack, by impersonating the internal Web server."

"We store sensitive athlete data so network integrity is absolutely critical. If our networks are compromised it could undermine our entire operation. This is why we adopted ISA Server 2004, to provide a multi-layered approach to security and easy enforcement of our security policies."

Microsoft Windows Server System
Microsoft Windows Server System is a comprehensive, integrated, and interoperable server infrastructure that helps reduce the complexity and costs of building, deploying, connecting, and operating agile business solutions. Windows Server System helps customers create new value for their business through the strategic use of their IT assets. With the Windows Server operating system as its foundation, Windows Server System delivers dependable infrastructure for data management and analysis; enterprise integration; customer, partner, and employee portals; business process automation; communications and collaboration; and core IT operations including security, deployment, and systems management.

For more information about Windows Server System, go to:
www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem

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 Lynx Technology products and services, visit the Web site at:
http://www.lynxtec.com/

For more information about English Institute of Sport (EIS) products and services, visit the Web site at:
www.eis2win.co.uk/gen

Author: Microsoft