MinterEllisonRuddWatts Boosts Security and Performance for Its Hybrid Workforce

“As a legal firm it is tricky to implement DLP [data loss prevention],” says Stevenson. “We work on sensitive information all the time, so standard DLP policies do not work for us. We can’t simply block file transfer sites either, as many of our clients stipulate which systems they want us to use. The most effective option is granular web traffic filtering and monitoring with intelligent alerting.”

Looking to boost the performance of its systems for remote workers while better controlling shadow IT and unauthorized data transfers, MERW sought out a new, cloud-first approach.

MERW has today deployed the Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge (SSE), which includes the Netskope Next Generation Secure Web Gateway (NG SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), ZTNA Next, and Cloud Firewall (CFW).

The solution consolidates these business-critical security services within the Netskope One platform, delivering MERW secure and consolidated access to the web, cloud services, and private apps from any location, thereby providing a secure approach to “anywhere working” for the law firm.

Stevenson comments: “Our plan with Netskope is to treat each of our endpoints as a secure device within itself, with the traffic that flows in and out of that device as secure as possible regardless of where it’s being used.”

The rollout of Netskope SSE took just six weeks from start to finish. “It was incredibly fast,” says Mulder, “and one of the smoothest deployments that we have been through as a company.”

Meanwhile, MERW employees can access cloud applications seamlessly from any location. “One major improvement has been with access to our practice management system,” says Mulder. “With the VPN, our system would get confused when users switched between locations. Netskope enables users to simply open up their laptops and pick up from where they left off.”

Leveraging Netskope One Private Access, the firm applies strict private access rules. “Our people can now only access the systems relevant to their jobs.” With Netskope, MERW was able to tighten up access gradually. “Our business model is to sell the expertise of our lawyers,” explains Stevenson. “If our people are unable to access the systems they need to do their work, it’s a big deal. Netskope enabled us to tighten controls role by role, so we could ensure that our people can work without disruption throughout the process.”

The Netskope solution is also helping MERW reduce costs. “Thanks to Netskope we are removing the expensive MPLS circuits we needed for our legacy VPN and switching to lower-cost internet connections,” says Stevenson.

User feedback has been highly positive. “Our people are amazed that we have implemented a security solution that has made their lives demonstrably easier,” comments Stevenson. “Usually new security measures make it harder for employees to do their jobs—with Netskope it is the exact opposite.”