CUSTOMER CASE STUDY THEO POUW GROEP

Theo Pouw Groep
strengthens control ofnetwork security withNetStream
The Theo Pouw Group has been a sustainable one-stop shop for the soil,road, water and concrete construction industry for forty years. Over thedecades, the family business has developed a wide range of products
and services for the building sector. The Theo Pouw Group supplies andtransports primary and secondary building materials, and processes
construction debris and demolition waste, including soil remediation.
Building materials are transported by road, water or rail to optimize logistics,
using their own fleet of vehicles. The Theo Pouw Group has grown rapidly
in recent years and currently has more than 550 employees working fromtwelve branch locations throughout the Netherlands.

CUSTOMER-AT-A-GLANCE
Theo Pouw Group
Industry
civil engineering andconcrete construction
Websitewww.theopouw.nl

Number of employees
550+
Sophos solutions
Sophos XG Firewallwith SD-WAN

CUSTOMER CASE STUDY THEO POUW GROEP‘All our data traffic, inside the company andexternally, goes through the firewalls. We
have to be able to rely on them 100%.’
Stephan Versluis, IT Manager at Theo Pouw Groep

Sustainability and innovation are corevalues of the Theo Pouw Group. As asustainable supplier and logistics partner
for the construction industry, the company
constantly researches and develops newtechniques and products to improve
the recycling of high- quality and wastematerials. Sites producing high-quality,
certified secondary building materials arelocated at various strategic locations in theNetherlands. The company’s growth places
major demands on the IT network. Not only
does it need to be highly reliable and stable,
but ensuring security for data traffic andcommunication also plays a key role.

100% reliable“Our IT network is the foundation of our businessoperations,” says Stephan Versluis, IT Manager
at the Theo Pouw Group. “For example, all ourtrucks are equipped with an on-board computer.
This form of communication and data exchange
is absolutely essential for proper planning ofcapacity, logistics and projects. We do not want
any risk of unauthorized access or irregularities in
our network. Ensuring that employees are always
able to work safely means that our security has
to be working properly. And that’s especially
important for the firewalls. They are the beatingheart of our organization. All our data traffic,
inside the company and externally, goes throughthe firewalls. We have to be able to rely on thema 100%.”

Contributing to the design
process
Network and information security has rapidly
developed into a specialized field. Firewall design,
management and maintenance demands specificknowledge and experience. It is difficult for thecompany’s compact IT team to keep up with all thelatest developments. Versluis adds, “That’s whywe’ve been working with Sophos Platinum Partner
NetStream for years. They are keenly aware of current
developments in the security solutions market. They
combine that knowledge with a solid understanding of
our core activities and IT network. We really appreciatethat they not only provide answers to our questions,but that they contribute to the design process, helping
us brainstorm about the security solutions thatprovide us with optimal protection and support ourbusiness activities effectively. And they also take ourgrowth ambitions into consideration.”

CUSTOMER CASE STUDY THEO POUW GROEP‘The combination of the next-gen solutions
from Sophos and NetStream’s expertise
ensures that we maintain firm control
on the security of our IT environment.’
Stephan Versluis, IT Manager at Theo Pouw Groep

Next-gen firewalls

No security risks

Comprehensive solutions

Trends in IT security develop at an incredibly
rapid pace. That’s why NetStream advises
customers to check the security of their
networks on a regular basis. “A recent
review showed that our Sophos firewalls
were reaching the end of their life cycle,”
Versluis says. “It was an opportune moment
to transition to the latest generation offirewalls.” In consultation with NetStream,Versluis opted for the XG Firewalls fromSophos. “With the previous firewalls, wewere almost at maximum capacity. The
next generation of firewall clusters offers
advanced functionality combined withscalability that is more than sufficient forour needs.”

Meticulous planning and preparation took place
before replacing the firewalls with the new clusters.
Versluis explains, “We worked with NetStream todesign an implementation plan that guarantees
continuity of our services. And of course we
don’t want any security risks during the roll-out.”
Firewall replacement started at the biggest branchlocations in Utrecht and Eemshaven. Roll-out at
all the other branch locations will take place inthe upcoming period. The project plan stated thatNetStream would arrange all the technical aspectsof the firewalls and implementation, while Versluis
would handle functional planning and coordinate
communication with the business. Thanks to thethorough preparations, the new firewalls wereimplemented in a single weekend, without any
problems at all.

The Theo Pouw Group also relies on NetStream
for management and monitoring. NetStream
monitors the environment proactively and 24/7,
benefiting from the comprehensive solutions
that Sophos offers. All the security aspects areintegrated and combined into a management
portal. As Versluis says, “We also have our own
dashboard, but if something goes wrong, weusually hear it from NetStream first. In manycases, the incident has already been resolved atthat point. If there are other signals or questions,
we can coordinate quickly to minimize risks.”

CUSTOMER CASE STUDY THEO POUW GROEP

For more information
visit sophos.com

Looking to the future
Following the implementation, Versluis is alreadylooking to the future. “NetStream keeps oursecurity environment up to date. In addition,
they give tangible advice on how we can use
the next-gen functionality of the firewalls.
Among other things, we are considering
microsegmentation to keep optimizing security.
Setting up segments makes it possible toachieve more densely deployed security without
increasing management. But we also want toaddress aspects like two-factor authentication,
endpoint security and the security of our SDWAN environment in the near future.”

Focus on sustainable growth
The new firewall clusters give Theo Pouw Groupa solid and scalable foundation to support furthergrowth. Versluis adds a final note: “Security isa dynamic field. The combination of the nextgen solutions from Sophos and NetStream’s
expertise ensures that we maintain firm control
on the security of our IT environment, now and inthe future. This enables our organization to focus
fully on innovation and sustainable growth.”

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