United, We Perform

AppLabs Technologies is a global IT services

company specializing in testing, development and certification solutions.

AppLabs has been servicing more than 400 companies mostly in the US, providing

both quality assurance and third-party validation. When it comes to outsourced

IT services it also offers customers risk mitigation processes, a singular focus

on quality, expert project management and communication and global delivery

capabilities. The company maintains advanced testing facilities in London, Utah

and Hyderabad.

For AppLabs ensuring its customers a secured environment is

of prime importance for them to continue getting work. Explains Pramod Reddy,

manager-IT Infrastructure, Applabs Technologies, “Our clients have sensitive

information and cannot allow any kind of information sharing with the other

customers. We have to have dedicated zones for each client and their

projects.”

He also believes that the nature of today's network

security threats has evolved. While basic L2-4 firewall functionality is still a

mandatory element of network security, new breeds of dynamic attacks are

wreaking more havoc than ever before. Not only can these attacks render a

traditional firewall useless, they also require a constantly updated attack

database that guarantees protection.

Applabs with around 900 plus users was looking for a more

robust, unified threat management (UTM) security appliance with deep packet

inspection Firewall, high-performance architecture and comprehensive

multi-layered security when it closed on SonicWall. The UTM solution is

basically a one-stop solution that integrates anti-virus, anti-spyware,

intrusion prevention, anti-spam, anti-phishing and content filtering into a

single appliance. Normally firewall with all security applications will work as

a UTM box scans traffic at gateway level before threats have a chance to infect

the network.  The solution makes use

of the method known as deep packet inspection (DPI), which can examine

information at application layer and defend attacks targeting application

vulnerabilities. DPI engine scans against multiple protocols like SMTP, POP3 and

IMAP etc.

According to Reddy, the ease of use of the box was the most

attractive feature of SonicWall, along with its other functions. “We did check

other solutions like Checkpoint and Cisco,” he informs. The box can be easily

managed remotely as part of a multi-firewall and VPN environment through a Web

interface or using SonicWALL's Global Management System (GMS). This gives

network administrators an economical yet powerful set of tools for deployment,

configuration, and management of global security policies from a central

location.

Currently AppLabs solution integrates high-speed gateway

anti-virus, anti-spyware, intrusion prevention, secure wireless LAN features,

deep packet inspection firewall and IPSec VPN into a single solution. Applabs

chose the solution with one year of gateway anti-virus, anti-spyware and

Intrusion prevention service along with the premium content filtering service.

As VPN connectivity needed to be established with the

client, this was an area of concern but was addressed in less than two-three

days with the available expertise.

Other than ease of use and the box addressing the layer

issues like the filtering in application layer, AppLabs has also derived other

benefits from the solution.

For one, there is no restriction on the number of users and

secondly there is the optimum usage of all the features that has led to

significant cost benefits. The number of users that had started with 300 had now

grown up to 1600 without added expenses, while the firewall cum UTM comes as a

bundled solution at the cost of a firewall. And not to forget Reddy informs that

support and feature renewal costs only 10% of the initial product cost.

Minu Sirsalewala 



minuvs@cybermedia.co.in