Benefits of Securing Servers: Enhanced Security, Compliance and Operational Excellence

INSTITUTE WORKING KNOWLEDGE SERIEST CASE STUDY July 2007 The Benefits of Securing Servers in the Network: Enhanced Security, Compliance and Operational Excellence
Ron Hardin Director of Technology DAVIDSON HOTEL COMPANY CATEGORIES: Patch Management/Regulatory Compliance/Virtualization  STAGE: Selection - Deployment  CASE #07-0711: Davidson Hotel Company
© 2007 The Institute For Applied Network Security. All Rights Reserved. For additional information about this case, or to inquire about additional case work by the Institute, please contact Eric Bartczak at ebartczak@ianetsec.com. Page 1 of 6 Institute Working Knowledge Series 07-0711
About Davidson Hotel Quick Read Company Davidson Hotel Company: Blue Lane Technologies: Davidson is a full-service hospitality . A hotel management company that . Award-winning security for enterprise company providing management, manages properties for investors, servers. development, acquisition, accounting some of which are public companies. . Applies the same corrective action on and consulting expertise for the . These investors require compliance network traffic as a software vendor's lodging industry. with regulations like SAS 70 and PCI. security patch to fix application-specific . An initial SAS 70 audit showed need Davidson operates 30 hotels with vulnerabilities at the root cause. for a patch management system. nearly 9,000 rooms under such brands . Eliminates the need to hastily install .as Marriott, Renaissance, Hilton, Hyatt, Davidson isn't willing to take the risk patches on enterprise servers. Westin, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, of installing untested patches but Sheraton, Radisson, Holiday Inn, and lacks the resources to test patches, . Hundreds of servers can be protected immediately, requiring no code or con-Crowne Plaza. Davidson operates in putting the company at risk for ex-posure to vulnerabilities and non- figuration changes, thereby maximizing gateway cities and high-growth mar- compliance. server stability and uptime. kets. Davidson ranks as one of the largest independently-owned manage- . Blue Lane allows Davidson to secure ment companies in the industry, yet servers quickly while minimizing the remains highly committed to providing operational burdens and risks in-individualized service for each of its herent with patching too quickly. owners. Davidson has developed a unique Overview operating system, powered by a pro-prietary technology platform, which Needing to implement a patch management solution to comply with SAS 70, allows property teams, regional teams and corporate staff to monitor in real- Davidson found the solutions on the market lacking. They either required time revenues and expenses. Despite significant resources to test all patches, or were expensive automated its impressive technology, Davidson's solutions. hallmark continues to be its employees. Then, Davidson learned about Blue Lane Technologies, a concept that About Ron Hardin Davidson loved. Blue Lane corrects the traffic directed at a known vulner-Ron Hardin, CHTP, joined Davidson in ability, providing the benefits of patching immediately after a vendor patch is 1999. His responsibilities include released and without the need to hastily test or install server software managing the acquisition, implement- patches. The result: enhanced server security and availability, and reduced ation, and support of systems and net-works company-wide. Prior to joining operational expense. Davidson, Ron was a Senior Systems Analyst for Planet Hollywood. Previous Finding Blue Lane's concept compelling, Davidson piloted Blue Lane with positions held by Ron include Manager great results, and is now in the process of deploying it across its network. Systems Integration and Professional Services Consultant for Micros Systems; Blue Lane provides Davidson with all of the security and compliance benefits Manager of Computer-Based Systems it was seeking at a reasonable price and with minimal resource requirements.for ServiSystems America, Inc., and Hotel Systems Manager for ITT- Sheraton in Dallas, Texas and Bal Background Harbour, Florida. Davidson is a full service hotel management company, managing all aspects Ron holds a degree in Hotel and of hotel operations for owners/investors. Davidson's management activities Restaurant Administration f... [download for more]