Bankpime implements the StoneGate platform to protect its data and remote connections
Stonesoft delivers the highest levels of reliability and availability for banking organisations specialising in individuals, families and SMBs
Bankpime (Banco de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa, S.A.), a banking organisation designed to cater for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), was founded in Barcelona in 1978. Since then, it has also provided specialist banking services for individuals and families, as well as offering insurance packages to cover the most common risks associated with modern lifestyles. This means that the bank’s product range focuses on ensuring maximum return on savings, and supporting customers with loans and credit with help purchasing their homes and all types of goods and services (cars, home improvements, holidays, specialised medical care, etc.).
Bankpime is aware that modern customer requirements have increased in terms of
both the number and quality of financial services in demand. But thanks to the organisation’s
strong commitment to providing the very best services at all times, the bank is constantly creating
and adapting new products to satisfy the needs of all of its customers, whether they are
individuals, families, businesses or SMBs.
“We chose Stonesoft not only for its cutting-edge technology, but also for its in-depth knowledge of the security needs of a company such as ours.
This knowledge has solved and alleviated many of the problems we suffered previously.”& #160;
Jordi Simón, Head of Information Systems at Bankpime
Understanding security requirements
In order to meet these evolving requirements, Bankpime needed a security system that would
guarantee the reliability, accuracy and availability of both its data and financial operations.
More specifically, the bank wished to protect its electronic banking systems from external and
internal attacks, as well as working with an advanced solution that would defend the organisation
against ever-changing and increasingly sophisticated technological fraud. Another priority was to
secure all remote connections with providers, customers, partners and teleworkers.
Bankpime had many technical security holes, mainly because of a lack of standardisation
across the previous configuration. Much of the company’s security technology had become obsolete
and provided hardly any scalability. Jordi Simón, Bankpime’s head of information systems explained:
“The lack of unity in the security services and our inability to
evolve technologically, while at the same time guaranteeing the necessary security levels, demanded
a radical change within Bankpime.”
Providing a tailored solution
Bankpime’s Information Systems Department usually adopts a basic three-step approach to
technological projects. In the first stage, when it identifies the actual ‘need’ to start a
project, the bank gets in touch with its regular providers, plus any new providers that it may have
contacted. During this initial exchange, the bank explains the project requirements to the
providers, who are then expected to present an inexpensive technical solution.
When we reach the decision stage, we choose the most suitable solution out of all the options offered by the different companies. At this stage, we also select the most suitable provider from amongst those who have presented our preferred solution, on the basis of a series of criteria, such as the quoted cost, the provider’s experience with the product and any added value on offer.
Jordi Simón, Head of Information Systems at Bankpime
Bankpime chose Stonesoft’s proposal over all the other technical solutions presented by the
different providers. The bank implemented a StoneGate cluster and a console based on a Hewlett
Packard platform in various stages: architectural assessment, solution design and configuration,
and finally, the implementation and replacement of the previous system.
Banking on a secure future with Stonesoft
Following the design of the solution and its trial deployment, the actual implementation was carried out without affecting the banks operations at any point, thanks to the wide experience in this type of implementation of SecDor, Stonesoft’s technological partner.
SecDor’s work enabled a fast and straightforward deployment of the platform, without
interrupting Bankpime’s services to its clients, which was the main object during this stage.
“We chose Stonesoft not only for its cutting-edge technology, but
also for its in-depth knowledge of the security needs of a company such as ours. This knowledge has
solved and alleviated many of the problems we suffered previously,” highlighted Simón.
In Jordi Simón’s opinion, Stonesoft’s solution now enables higher hardware performance
levels than other manufacturers, both in appliance solutions and Intel-based software. Bankpime has
capitalised on the StoneGate platform’s key features such as high reliability, the possibility of
working with a real full-cluster system with optimum performance, and the ability to merge
different services into a single system (firewall, IPS, site-to-site and client VPN and ISP
balancing), all of which are key to Bankpime’s security needs.
“Both Stonesoft’s solution and the services provided by SecDor have made it possible for the Bankpime project to be deployed within the established timeframe, while meeting all our demands.”
Jordi Simón, Head of Information Systems at Bankpime
About Bankpime
Banco de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa, S.A. was founded in Barcelona on May 22nd 1978. It
currently employs 330 people and is a member of the following markets and systems: Managing
Organisation in the book-entry system at the Bank of Spain; Holding, MEFF-AIAF-SENAF; the National
Compensation and Payment Settlement Service (SCL); the Compensation and Payment Settlement Service
of the Barcelona Stock Exchange; the Compensation and Payment Settlement Service of the Valencia
Stock Exchange; the Public Debt Market of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Euroclear Operations Centre
and it has adopted the ISDA contract for International Markets (Euromarket).
http://www.bankpymeonline.com/