Case Studies

IT against APTs

by msecadm4921

The UK builders merchant Travis Perkins plc, sought to guard against advanced persistent threats (APTs).  After an attempted attack, the company introduced FireEye’s advanced threat protection solutions alongside its IT security tools to address network security gaps that would leave it vulnerable to attack.

 

 

In the wake of recent high-profile attacks on other organisations, and with the ICO threatening increasingly severe penalties for inadequate data protection, the group was keen to improve network visibility and ensure the continuous security of customer information.  As a publicly listed company, Travis Perkins plc must take steps to protect shareholder and financial details. 

 

Before deploying the full software, Travis Perkins embarked on proof-of-concept testing.  The retailer sought to ensuredthat the system would be interoperable with existing infrastructure, and offered an indication of the level of threat being missed by traditional security measures. 

 

“Before deploying FireEye, we had been targeted by a cyber attack that was caught by our internal defences before any harm could be done,” said Simon Gray, information security specialist at Travis Perkins.  “However, had this been more sophisticated malware, as we have seen with many high-profile breaches, it could have been a different story, and this prompted us to seek a solution to cover all bases and deal with this new generation of threat.  FireEye’s proof-of-concept stage was particularly useful for us to see where the gaps in our network security were and what our existing defences were in danger of missing, or routinely returning as false positives.”

 

The FireEye Web Malware Protection System protects against the web-based and zero-day attacks that according to the IT security vendor traditional firewalls, IPS, AV, and Web gateways often fail to catch, while the FireEye Email Malware Protection System secures against spear phishing email attacks that bypass anti-spam and reputation-based technologies.  All of this is controlled and managed through the FireEye Central Management System (CMS). 

 

Gray added: “As an organisation, we are continually striving to ensure the utmost protection for our customers, and in this respect, FireEye really impressed us. As the stakes have never been higher, we urgently needed to secure our data with a robust, reliable and comprehensive solution – and FireEye certainly ticked all of the boxes. The solution was easy to implement, simple to use, and proved that it could catch events that our existing systems didn’t.  We look forward to extending our relationship with FireEye in the near future to ensure our security infrastructure evolves in line with the rapidly changing threat landscape.”

 

Paul Davis, director for Europe at FireEye, said: “As such a high-profile supplier to the UK’s building and construction industry, Travis Perkins is clearly mindful of its duty to protect internal networks, customers, and shareholders against the ever evolving breed of advanced cyber attacks. As data laws tighten, and the consequences of a breach worsen, we hope that more organisations will take positive steps to ensure that their defences meet the challenges presented by today’s cybercriminals.”

 

About Travis Perkins

 

Travis Perkins plc in the builders’ merchanting and home improvement markets was born out of the merger in 1988 between Travis & Arnold and Sandell Perkins, and the group can trace its roots back 200 years.

 

The group includes some of the brands Keyline, City Plumbing Supplies, CCF, Wickes, Benchmarx, Tile Giant, Toolstation, City Heating Spares, BSS, DHS – Direct Heating Spares, F & P Wholesale, BPT – Birchwood Price Tools, PTS, Connections, and SBS – Sustainable Business Solutions and has over 1,800 branches across the UK. For more information visit: www.travisperkinsplc.co.uk 

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