<\/p>\n
*<\/span>Video<\/em> <\/span>filmed prior to HIS logo change<\/em><\/p>\n\n Global enterprises with lots of dispersed retail locations often struggle with network and security complexity. Such was the case with HIS Group, a diverse global enterprise that specializes in travel products and operates theme parks, hotels, and other businesses. HIS Group runs 233 retail outlets in 141 cities across 66 countries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n \u201cOur network security architecture was different at our headquarters, overseas subsidiaries, and affiliates, says Mr. Takahashi, Infrastructure Team Leader for HIS\u2019s IT Security Group. \u201cWe were concerned that we were not always fully aware of the security status of some of our subsidiaries and affiliates,\u201d adds Mr. Ishitani, Security Team Leader for the IT Security Group.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Ishitani and Takahashi knew they had to find a way fast to get better global visibility and improve their overall security posture. \u201cWe needed to integrate all those disparate networks and centralize their security and management,\u201d says Takahashi.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Security was provided primarily by diverse hardware appliances, which required complex management and periodic refreshes. \u201cIt took a lot of work to reevaluate equipment every three to five years,\u201d says Takahashi. \u201cWe wanted a solution that would relieve us of all those hardware upgrades and manage all our networking and security together under a single architecture\u201d says Takahashi.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n \u201cOur business was also diversifying,\u201d says Ishitani, \u201cand each new business had its own networking and security needs. Setting up new locations and responding to those needs was taking too much time.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n That was when a staff member at one of HIS Group\u2019s overseas locations introduced Takahashi and Ishitani to Cato. \u201cHe recommended Cato very highly, so I contacted the company,\u201d says Takahashi. Cato was a brand-new company at the time, which, under normal circumstances would be considered a risk for a large enterprise such as HIS Group, but Takahashi immediately liked what he heard. \u201cI was struck by Cato\u2019s spirit, how well they worked together and with us, and how quickly they responded to our concerns,\u201d says Takahashi. \u201cImmediately I felt a strong sense of trust in Cato\u2019s technical expertise and support.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n The Cato solution also had a very high level of functionality and met all of HIS Group\u2019s requirements. \u201cIt would vastly simplify our operations because we\u2019d no longer have to monitor and manage all that equipment installed at our locations,\u201d says Ishitani. It didn\u2019t hurt also that the Cato solution had some significant cost advantages compared with the current tangle of networks and security solutions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Cato SASE Cloud optimally connects all enterprise network resources, including branch locations, the hybrid workforce, and physical and cloud datacenters, into a secure global, cloud-native service. Connecting a location to Cato is just a matter of installing a simple Cato Socket appliance that links automatically to one of Cato\u2019s 70+ Points of Presence (PoPs) and its fast global private backbone. Cato Edge SD-WAN extends the Cato SASE Cloud to provide prioritized and resilient connectivity over multiple last mile links in physical locations, while Cato SDP Client and Clientless access enable secure and optimized application access for users everywhere, including at home and on the road.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Cato\u2019s cloud-native security edge, Cato SSE 360, converges a Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) with Advanced Threat Protection. It fully enforces granular corporate access policies on all applications on premises and in the cloud, protecting users against threats and preventing sensitive data loss.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n After a short time working with Cato, Takahashi and Ishitani were sold. \u201cWe both felt we could trust Cato\u2019s high level of technological expertise and support and that Cato would be the best choice for HIS Group in the future,\u201d says Takahashi. Convincing upper management took some effort, but \u201cthey approved the solution after we showed them that it fulfilled all our security requirements, including Zero Trust, and that updates would happen automatically,\u201d says Ishitani.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Installing Cato at HIS Groups various locations was quick and easy. \u201cThere were some challenges, such as dealing with the laws of various countries overseas,\u201d says Takahashi, \u201cbut we were able to clear these without major problems,\u201d says Takahashi. \u201cDomestic expansion was very smooth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Performance has been excellent, and Takahashi is impressed with Cato\u2019s management console. \u201cCato has made it much easier for us to visualize all our network traffic, monitor performance, and make necessary changes,\u201d says Takahashi.<\/p>\n\n Three-to five-year hardware refreshes are a thing of the past. \u201cCato handles periodic feature upgrades, so our network and security solutions don\u2019t become obsolete.\u201d There have been a few instances of PoP failures, but the business impact was negligible, thanks to Cato\u2019s PoP redundancy.<\/p>\n\n And, thanks to Cato\u2019s easy installation and fine-grained management, Takahashi and Ishitani can equip new and acquired locations with the exact network and security functionality they need almost instantly.<\/p>\n\n \u201cCato has definitely turned out to be the best choice for HIS when it comes to speed and ease of implementation,\u201d says Ishitani.<\/p>\n\n As with most organizations, HIS had to send many of its workers home when Covid-19 hit. \u201cWe had already set up remote access for everyone through Cato, so it\u2019s no exaggeration to say there was no impact at all,\u201d says Takahashi. \u201cI truly believe that without Cato our current remote work environment would have been unthinkable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Overall, Cato has been a great choice. \u201cWe\u2019ve developed a strong relationship of trust with Cato, and I\u2019ve been very impressed with their quick response and follow-up when any issues come up,\u201d says Takahahi. \u201cI highly recommend Cato as the best solution for any organization that has a lot of office or retail locations and affiliates with a lot of demanding and complex network and security requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n \u201cAs the number of ways of working increases, the security risks to the network have increased dramatically,\u201d says Ishitani. \u201cCato solves all of them in one tool.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" *Video filmed prior to HIS logo change HIS Group Looks to Simplify Security\u00a0 Global enterprises with lots of dispersed retail locations often struggle with network and security complexity. Such was the case with HIS Group, a diverse global enterprise that specializes in travel products and operates theme parks, hotels, and other businesses. HIS Group runs…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"template":"","coauthors":[1077],"class_list":["post-73912","af-customers","type-af-customers","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHIS Group Looks to Simplify Security\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
Cato Offers Network and Security Consolidation<\/h2>\n\n
Cato Centralizes WAN Security and Management, Boosts Visibility<\/h2>\n\n