MANILA, Philippines, May 13, 2008 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the leading intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting humane and orderly policies for the movement of persons across borders, has completed an upgrade of its entire security system using the Cisco® Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) 5520.
A security update was called for because IOM's daily operations in the Philippines depend on a stable, highly secure network that can enable an uninterrupted flow of information, with hourly reports being sent to the head office in Geneva. IOM's Manila operation is the information technology (IT) hub for the entire organization as well as the human resources center and accounting core of worldwide operations. The organisation also deployed Cisco Aironet® wireless access points to provide its employees with greater mobility within the office.
"With the Manila office being the IT hub of the organization, which has approximately 5,600 employees deployed in over 100 countries, we cannot afford viruses and unnecessary traffic to disrupt our operations," said Arvin Malapo, IT network and security specialist at IOM.
The six newly installed Cisco ASA 5520s will help enable the IOM network to deploy up to 60 virtual firewalls to support compartmentalized control of security policies on a departmental level. This virtualization strengthens security and reduces overall management and support costs while consolidating multiple security devices into a single appliance.
"We've been using Cisco technology for the past seven years in all our offices, and we rely on their expertise in providing dependable communications platforms," Malapo added.
The Cisco ASA 5520 delivers a wide range of security services with Active/Active high availability and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for medium-sized enterprise networks in a modular, high-performance appliance. Using its four Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and support for up to 25 VLANs, businesses can easily deploy these security services into multiple zones within their network.
"We are seeing many organizations in the Philippines rely heavily on their network to help ensure smooth business operations. The network is truly the platform for these companies, and Cisco is committed to providing our customers with comprehensive solutions that not only protect their IT and business assets but also optimize IT operations, thus preparing the system for next-generation applications," said Luichi Robles, country manager of Cisco Philippines.
