Security news6 March 2007
Heinz chooses Sophos for web, desktop and application security Thousands of users benefit from combined software and hardware approach to malware protection
Heinz is protecting its workforce with security solutions from Sophos
Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, today announced that global food giant Heinz has deployed its security solutions across EMEA and APAC, protecting thousands of employees against malware attacks and unauthorized application use.
As an internationally recognised brand, Heinz has long understood the importance of maintaining a high level of IT security to mitigate against cyber crime, both in terms of cost to its business as well as reputation damage. The company was previously using Sophos Anti-Virus to protect all desktop computers against malware. However, Heinz recently introduced a web-based thin-client for company-wide use, and therefore saw the need to bolster its gateway security to combat the growing threat of web-based attacks, including spyware, viruses, Trojans, worms, adware, and phishing.
"We've always taken an onion skin approach to IT security, ensuring that each layer of the organisation is sufficiently guarded against the threat of attack," said Chris Leonard, European IT security and compliance manager at Heinz. "Given our growing use of the web, it made sense to look for a dedicated solution that would reduce our exposure to malicious online content."
The company evaluated several hardware-based web security products, opting for Sophos's WS1000 Web Security Appliance because of its proactive approach - stopping new and unknown threats before they have a chance to execute. Heinz was also impressed that the WS1000 did not have the false positive problems suffered by some other solutions, ensuring that employees are not inconvenienced when accessing non-malicious websites.
"It was vital that we deploy a solution that was able to offer a high level of accuracy when analysing websites, rather than restricting access to legitimate websites and stopping our workforce from doing its job," continued Leonard. "The WS1000 met these requirements, while also offering peace of mind, thanks to its ability to block even unknown threats before they have a chance to hit users' desktops."
Heinz is also benefiting from Sophos Anti-Virus's application control feature, which allows businesses to restrict the usage of unauthorized or unwanted applications such as games, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file sharing or VoIP programs. The new technology minimises the risk of malware entering the organisation via backdoors or vulnerabilities in unsecured applications, while also ensuring that optimal bandwidth is reserved for core business processes.
In addition, Heinz has signed up to Sophos's premium support services to provide ongoing advice and consultation on the best ways to minimise the impact of IT security threats.
"We've been delighted by the high level of dedicated support and expertise delivered by Sophos, particularly given our need for a fast implementation," added Leonard. "Sophos was able to meet all of the tight deadlines we set them, ensuring the roll-out ran smoothly at all stages, and the support team now play an active role in delivering our security strategy to keep it up to speed with the latest online developments."
"Heinz has consistently demonstrated a forward-thinking attitude to IT security, recognising the latest trends and adjusting its strategy in light of emerging threats," said Annie Gay, vice president EMEA at Sophos. "The internet now represents the easiest way for cyber criminals to break into corporate networks, particularly for firms with a substantial number of online operations. Heinz has quickly risen to this new security challenge, and now has in place a multi-layered, fully integrated IT solution that can be easily maintained, without impacting upon the company's core activities."
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About Sophos
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.
See also:
- Endpoint, server and email protection from Sophos
- Read case studies from customers who use Sophos products
- Watch the Sophos company video
- Sophos to reduce IT security overheads by 25% at DaimlerChrysler
- Lifestyle clothing retailer White Stuff sews up spam problem
- Pompidou Center stops spam and viruses with Sophos email security appliance
