Metropolitan Transit Authority New York Securing the Mobile Enterprise with F-SecureThe Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) of New York is the United States largest transportation agency, moving 2.3 billion people and carrying 300 million vehicles each year throughout its network of subways, buses, railroads, tunnels and bridges. Managing this transit infrastructure is a massive automated computer network that contains bus, train and subway schedules, planned updates to the transportation infrastructure, the location and status of all vehicles, security data, and a wide assortment of payroll data, human resources data and other information.The MTA needed a total IT security solution to protect sensitive information throughout its five operating agenciesNYC Transit, Long Island Railroad, Long Island Bus, Metro-North Railroad and Bridges & Tunnelswhile remaining flexible enough to allow access to information by MTAs desk-bound and mobile work force.Of particular importance to MTA, was a security solution that could be managed centrally, was easy to deploy and update in the field, and came from a reputable provider that could help with installation and had the resources to provide rapid support.There are a number of computer security vendors out there, but our evaluation showed that F-Secure had the best combination of outstanding products that fit the need of our mobile enterprise, and a team of service professionals available to help us trouble-shoot potential problems, said Wojciech Dojka, Senior Security Manager, MTA. Choosing them over the competition was a no-brainer.Total Enterprise Security, with FlexibilityThe MTA subways, buses and railroads move over 2.3 billion New Yorkers a year. MTA serves a population of 14.4 million people in the 5,000-square-mile area fanning out from New York City through Long Island, southeastern New York State and Connecticut; the heart of the transportation network is Grand Central Station in Manhattan. About one in every three users of mass transit in the U.S. is located in the New York Metro area, said Dojka. In addition, MTA bridges and tunnels carry nearly 300 million vehicles annuallymore than any bridge and tunnel authority in the nation.To manage this complex transportation system, MTA built a massive automated computer network. The network stores bus, train and subway schedules, planned updates to the transportation infrastructure, the location and status of vehicles, security data, along with payroll, human resources and a wide assortment of other information. This information is available to workers based at the agencys separate offices and remote workers. We made the decision that central management is the best solution for our needs, said Dojka. But because of the nature of our businessthe fact that our services are dispersed throughout the New York Metro areawe need a mobile work force, and this work force needs quick access to information.MTA field workers include engineers, administrators, technicians and their own police force. Most of these people are equipped with laptop computers which contain corporate information or which can be used to access data from the corporate network over the Internet. The approach provides great flexibility, but creates the potential for laptops to be lost or stolen or for computer hackers to access the information when users are online. The threat of terrorism also increased the need for reliable security. Our goal in working with F-Secure is to allow our employees to work in a flexible manner without compromising security and confidentialityfor both remote users and those based at our headquarters, said Dojka.Comprehensive Suite of Security and Encryption ProductsF-Secure specializes in providing security solutions for mobile enterprises. MTA is licensing 300 seats of F-Secures security software products, with plans to license over 1,500 in the near future. The solutions are being used initially by MTA headquarters and Metro North, with the other agencies currently evaluating the products. During a six-month pilot, MTA evaluated F-Secure products along with competitive solutions. It didnt take long for us to determine that F-Secure provided the best solutions for our needs, and the six-month testing gave us a chance to get accustomed to their products, said Dojka. MTA is now using four separate F-Secure solutions: F-Secure VPN+, F-Secure FileCrypto, F-Secure Distributed Firewall, and F-Secure Anti-Virus for Desktops. Begin | Back
Securing the Mobile Enterprise with F-Secure
Of particular importance to MTA, was a security solution that could be managed centrally, was easy to deploy and update in the field, and came from a reputable provider that could help with installation and had the resources to provide rapid support.