Netwrix > Case Studies > Automating Auditing of Active Directory and Network Devices at Christchurch Airport

Automating Auditing of Active Directory and Network Devices at Christchurch Airport

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Identity & Authentication Management
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance

Applicable Industries

Equipment & Machinery
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Tamper Detection

Services

Hardware Design & Engineering Services

About The Customer

Christchurch Airport is the Gateway to the South Island of New Zealand. It is the second busiest airport in the country, measured by both the number of passengers and the number of aircraft movements. The airport has 12 partner airlines arriving from 25 destinations. In 2019, a record 6.93 million passengers travelled in or out of Christchurch Airport. The airport's IT environment is complex and subject to stringent security standards, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

The Challenge

Christchurch Airport, a major transportation hub in New Zealand, faced a significant challenge in managing its IT environment. The airport's IT team needed to closely monitor activity and changes in Active Directory, a backbone system that provides authorization and authentication for many critical services. The airport is subject to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which necessitates regular audits of the IT environment. To comply with this requirement, the IT team needed to automate auditing across its network devices, including routers, firewalls, and switches. The challenge was to complete this task accurately and efficiently, promptly detect and investigate issues, and ensure compliance with PCI DSS.

The Solution

The airport adopted Netwrix Auditor, a solution chosen for its ease of use and ability to translate logs from Active Directory and network devices into actionable reports. The solution provided full control over Active Directory changes, enabling the IT team to monitor every change and keep staff accountable for their actions. The software alerts the team to any instance of privilege elevation, allowing them to take prompt action if the action wasn't authorized and posed a security risk. The solution also included automated rollback functionality to immediately revert critical improper changes. Additionally, the solution enabled continuous auditing of network devices, providing full visibility into configuration changes, logon attempts, scanning threats, and hardware malfunctions on all their Cisco devices. This helped ensure and prove compliance with both internal policies and PCI DSS. Lastly, the solution facilitated prompt investigations, enabling the IT team to conduct security investigations more quickly and efficiently than before.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Netwrix Auditor at Christchurch Airport resulted in significant operational improvements. The IT team gained full control over Active Directory changes, ensuring accountability for staff actions. The software's alert system enabled the team to promptly respond to any unauthorized actions, enhancing the airport's security. The solution's automated rollback functionality also protected the airport from critical improper changes. The continuous auditing of network devices provided full visibility into the IT environment, ensuring compliance with internal policies and PCI DSS. The solution also facilitated faster and more efficient security investigations, minimizing the impact of any security incidents on the airport's operations.

Quantitative Benefit

Saved around five hours every week compared to manual auditing.
Full visibility into configuration changes, logon attempts, scanning threats, and hardware malfunctions on all Cisco devices.
Prompt detection and investigation of security issues.