IT security for the chemical industry

Cyberattacks are a growing threat for the chemical industry, too. BEZEMA AG, an international company that operates in the field of specialty chemicals and is headquartered in Switzerland, therefore wanted to protect its data with a new, state-of-the-art firewall solution. euromicron implemented a system that significantly increases IT security, yet slashes the work involved in administration.

It goes without saying that IT is also vital at companies in the chemical industry. It is not only offices, but above all laboratories, that often harbor extremely sensitive data that requires maximum protection against cyberattacks. That also goes for BEZEMA AG. As the competence center for textile dyes in the CHT/BEZEMA Group, it therefore wanted to modernize its IT security solution to reflect current threats. There were two crucial reasons for that: First, the existing stateful inspection firewall did not permit analysis of the complete data flow (deep-packet analysis) or network segmentation with granular access rights. Second, the fact that the security solution was split up into a firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS) and proxy server resulted in an enormous administration overhead that could usually only be handled with external assistance. That regularly entailed high extra costs. The new solution was to slash the costs and administration work needed, yet also enable detailed access controls and data analyses and so sharply increase IT security.

To accomplish this ambitious undertaking, BEZEMA AG turned to its longstanding system house partner, euromicron Deutschland. The network specialist proposed a solution from its technology partner Palo Alto Networks to the chemicals company. The PA-3020 firewall platform replaces the stateful inspection firewall, IPS and proxy server with a single system and enables the desired network segmentation and highly effective deep-packet analysis.

So that it could satisfy itself of the system’s high performance before buying it, BEZEMA AG was given the opportunity to install the new platform and initially test it in everyday company operations – a special service from euromicron that systematically helps prevent misinvestment. After this trial was successfully ended, the solution was finally put into operation in mid-2014. The advances in security are clearly visible: By assigning granular network access rights, BEZEMA AG can now, for example, protect its lab equipment, including their analyses, as well as business-critical financial data, effectively against unauthorized access. Detailed monitoring of the data flow right down to the application levels means covert threats can also be identified and eliminated securely.

Despite the increase in complexity in terms of security, however, the system is very easy to use thanks to a consistent graphical user interface. The cost and effort involved in administration and the need for external expertise are slashed as a result.

Peter Bossart, Head of IT at BEZEMA AG, is also highly satisfied with the new solution: “Marketing brochures often promise a lot that can’t be achieved afterwards. But euromicron’s solution lives up to all the requirements.” Apart from significant improvements in terms of security and administration costs, what BEZEMA AG values about the new system above all is its reliability and ease of maintenance. “The objectives we aimed to achieve by implementing a new IT security solution were all accomplished thanks to euromicron,” is Bossart’s positive conclusion.