FEATURE : NETWORK SECURITY
The organization knew it needed a solution to enhance cybersecurity and integrate and centralize infrastructure management . The project had the additional challenge of being deployed in an area with severe weather conditions due to heat and humidity – adding a new layer of complexity .
Taking into account these unique circumstances , Grupo Merelec leveraged the capabilities and expertise of the Fortinet platform in OT environments . The group which made the solution more seamless and suitable for the organization ’ s needs ,” said Aráuz .
One of Grupo Merelec ’ s medium-term plans is to obtain ISO27001 certification , focused on information security . Fortinet ’ s solutions are aligned with this goal , as the company ’ s solution includes multiple control points that will enable compliance with this standard .
Modernization with security and connectivity
INSTEAD OF BEING A SUPPORT UNIT , THE IT TEAM NOW CONTRIBUTES STRATEGICALLY TO THE BUSINESS .
found a tailored solution for critical infrastructure and OT in the platform and the deployment included FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall ( NGFW ) to ensure maximum protection of company assets .
With Fortinet , the Salvadoran energy conglomerate has a centralized management and security solution that is more adaptable to industrial systems environments . During their initial evaluation , Grupo Merelec also found another benefit : Fortinet required fewer physical devices than other vendors , yet provided greater integration and security .
“ The protocols for our solution were already tested , and many of the security and communication rules used for this type of equipment were predefined . Therefore , there was no need to create new standards ,
In 2022 , Grupo Merelec and Fortinet initiated their second project : the renovation of the group ’ s main data center . Over time , it had become too small for their current business needs , so the company had to upgrade its physical infrastructure in terms of connectivity and redundancy schemes . The group also modernized its network management to align with industry best practices .
Prior to Fortinet , Grupo Merelec ’ s communication network was limited , with links serving only the primary connectivity requirement between the data center and other locations .
The organization lacked network segmentation , meaning there were no dedicated channels to ensure the security and connectivity of critical business systems . Although no security incidents had occurred , there was no visibility or centralized network management , posing a serious future risk .
By deploying FortiGate NGFW and FortiSwitch Ethernet switches , Grupo Merelec immediately obtained faster server connectivity than the previous technology . Utilizing FortiLink , Fortinet ’ s innovative proprietary management protocol that allows FortiGate to seamlessly manage any FortiSwitch , Grupo Merelec achieved a logical extension of the firewall by directly integrating it into the Fortinet Security Fabric platform .
Within the networks , they also implemented security policies that now ensure secure access to the organization ’ s core systems running in the data center . Fortinet ’ s solutions went beyond improving onpremises systems to integrate services running through the Microsoft Azure cloud , many of which are critical .
“ With the Fortinet Security Fabric platform , we have all our systems integrated as well as centralized management ,” said Aráuz .
José Alfonso Aráuz , IT Corporate Manager ,
Grupo Merelec
Thanks to this , Grupo Merelec no longer relies on makeshift solutions from multiple vendors . They now have a unified infrastructure that is less vulnerable to security incidents .
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