CheckPoint Software > Case Studies > Securing Broadband Across Multiple Locations: A Case Study on Walters-Dimmick Petroleum

Securing Broadband Across Multiple Locations: A Case Study on Walters-Dimmick Petroleum

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance
Networks & Connectivity - Gateways

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Retail

Applicable Functions

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Tamper Detection

About The Customer

Walters-Dimmick Petroleum, Inc. (WDP) is a marketer of Shell petroleum products, primarily focusing on the distribution of Shell fuels across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. The company maintains a large network of Shell-branded retail facilities, which are operated by company personnel and independent dealers. In addition to selling Shell gasoline, all sites incorporate convenience stores and may also include fast food restaurants such as Subway, Jimmy John’s, and Quiznos. Sites may also have car washes, ATMs, phone card services, and other services. WDP aims to provide a quick and easy way for customers to get the quality products and services they want within one convenient retail location.

The Challenge

Walters-Dimmick Petroleum, Inc. (WDP), a marketer of Shell petroleum products, operates a large network of Shell-branded retail facilities across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. These facilities not only sell Shell gasoline but also incorporate convenience stores, fast food restaurants, car washes, ATMs, phone card services, and other services. The company faced a significant challenge in managing more than 58 locations, each of which required a secure Internet connection for email access and corporate communications. When WDP replaced its dial-up service with broadband, it needed a solution that could provide secure, high-speed DSL across all its locations. The company also sought a solution that could meet and exceed the requirements for PCI compliance, which includes protecting systems containing cardholder data from Internet threats, securing transmission of cardholder data across public networks, enforcing access and authorization policies across networked systems, providing application protection for Web-facing systems, delivering real-time security updates, and simplifying management, reporting, and analysis of security systems.

The Solution

To address its challenge, WDP hired a managed service provider to implement a complete high-speed DSL solution that included Check Point Safe@Office appliances. To manage these appliances across its geographically distributed retail locations, WDP selected Security Management Portal (SMP) On-Demand from Check Point. SMP On-Demand is a fully-hosted central management and service provisioning platform delivered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). It features an intuitive, web-based user interface that allows all Safe@Office gateways to be managed from a single location. The Check Point solution required a minimal upfront investment and low administrative and support costs, making it an attractive choice for WDP. Moreover, the solution exceeded the requirements for PCI compliance, providing robust security for WDP's operations. For remote locations that couldn't receive broadband service, WDP used a wireless Internet card plugged into the USB port of the Safe@Office appliance, eliminating the need for costly phone lines.

Operational Impact

With the implementation of Check Point's solution, WDP has improved operations across all of its locations by actively managing IT security, including spam filtering and web content monitoring. This has ensured that security is consistently deployed company-wide. The company can now manage everything centrally, ensuring all locations are online and operating properly. The Safe@Office appliances also provide a key benefit for WDP’s remote locations that aren’t able to receive broadband service. In these instances, WDP uses a wireless Internet card plugged into the USB port of the Safe@Office appliance, freeing itself of costly phone lines. Looking forward, WDP is planning to install ATMs online in its locations and roll out secure hotspots at select locations for its customers, further enhancing customer experience and brand loyalty.