Sonnenschein Law Firm Protects Thousands of Devices With Preemptive Technology From IBM

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP, a large multi-practice law firm with more than 700 attorneys across the globe, is using the preemptive protection platform from its Internet Security Systems (ISS) division to secure nearly three thousand devices on its network. Sonnenschein chose IBM ISS for the proactive nature of its security, which is designed to protect organizations from software vulnerabilities before they are exploited by online attackers, instead of waiting until an attack materializes to develop a fix.

“The face of hackers is clearly changing,” said Adam Hansen, director of security at Sonnenschein. “They are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and profit-driven, making the protection of our data and assets even more critical. We simply cannot afford to take chances with our security, which is why Sonnenschein has confidently chosen IBM ISS to defend our infrastructure.”

“Sonnenschein is an example of an organization that truly understands the relationship between being ahead of the threat and achieving business success,” said Peter Evans, vice president of Business Line Management at IBM Internet Security Systems. “Reactive security is no longer sufficient. Enterprises need to take a proactive approach to security and implement automated platforms developed to preemptively protect against intrusions and malware before anyone even knows they exist.”

Recognizing that preemptive protection is crucial in today’s constantly evolving online environment, Sonnenschein has implemented a comprehensive set of integrated security technologies from IBM ISS, including:

-IBM Internet Scanner® Software, ISS’ flagship vulnerability assessment solution
-IBM Proventia® Network Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), an industry-leading, vulnerability-based solution for stopping threats before they impact business
-IBM Proventia Network Multi-Function Security, a cost-effective unified threat management (UTM) device designed for small- to medium-sized businesses or branch offices of larger organizations
-IBM RealSecure® Server Sensor, preemptive intrusion prevention software for servers
The law firm is able to centrally manage all of these technologies using the IBM Proventia Management SiteProtector™ console, simplifying the company’s ability to monitor security processes and measure security posture across the entire organization, and enabling complementary security technologies to work together as a coordinated system for additional protection.
Sonnenschein immediately recognized the value of IBM ISS preemptive protection when a group of machines that had been inactive for a long period of time were reintroduced to the network. Because these machines were not up-to-date with the latest vendor patches, Proventia Network IPS, powered by unique IBM Virtual Patch® technology, prevented malicious code from running on these computers and compromising Sonnenschein’s network.

Virtual Patch is also a key component of RealSecure Server Sensor. Since most organizations, including Sonnenschein, require a lengthy period of time to test the quality of vendor patches before they are deployed on a server, IBM aims to give administrators peace of mind with a technology that provides protection in the interim.

Sonnenschein also utilizes IBM ISS technology to secure its Voice over IP (VoIP) deployment. Due to the inherent risks of the technology, Sonnenschein intelligently incorporated security at the onset of its VoIP implementation, and VoIP traffic is quarantined as it traverses the network. The segmented structure keeps data and voice on two separate but secure networks, enabling Sonnenschein to maintain adequate quality of service (QoS) levels for voice calls.

“Through working with IBM ISS, we have been able to stay on top of our clients’ needs without having to slow things down for security sake,” added Hansen of Sonnenschein. “IBM protects our client communication as quickly as we can transmit it and easily adapts to secure innovative, new technologies like VoIP that we need to adopt in order to improve business performance and remain a competitive force in the marketplace.”

About Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP

With more than 700 attorneys in 10 U.S. offices and a global reach throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America, Sonnenschein serves many of the world’s largest and best-known businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals. Founded in 1906, the firm is a leader in innovative legal services, serving its clients through integrated, inter-office cooperation and teamwork among practice groups to provide efficient, effective and timely legal services and business counseling.