Meeting the
highest standards
in legal information
security
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan meets increasing
client security requirements with the Cisco®
Virtual Security Gateway.
“Our clients often require micro segmentation to mitigate the
lateral movement of threats. We now have an ideal tool to
meet that requirement.
”
- James Forrest, Director of Information Security,
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Law firms that service the financial services industry are subject to client due
diligence audits. Passing them requires a new approach to security.
• Demonstrate compliance during client security
audits
Challenges
• Control network access and segmentation
centrally
• Protect critical data center and information
assets
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP has served the New York City market for more
than 130 years and has offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, D.C.
The law firm is well known for its corporate department, which represents
many top-tier financial institutions.
“One of our ongoing priorities is to ensure that we meet the high security
standards our clients expect,” says James Forrest, director of Information
Security. “Stroock & Stroock welcomes client security audits because they
provide a defensible position on why we are increasing security.
Case Study | Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Size: 300 Attorneys
Location: New York, New York
© 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Industry: Legal
1
Until recently, the firm took a traditional approach to network access control,
applying rules at each core switch and updating them manually. However,
stricter client requirements for network segmentation led the firm to consider
a virtual approach.
“We wanted a fluid management experience and flexibility to meet new
requirements,” says Forrest. “We began looking for a virtual firewall that
would give us centralized control and microsegmentation, as well as robust
performance.”
Deliver data center microsegmentation with
Cisco Virtual Security Gateway (VSG).
Solutions
• Deploy Cisco VSG as a distributed firewall
integrated with the Cisco Nexus® 1000V Switch
• Centralize management with Cisco Prime™
Network Services Controller
Real-time compliance with client audits
Stroock & Stroock is meeting its clients’ requirements for micro segmentation
by providing direct evidence of compliance in real time with screen shots and
walk-throughs.
“That’s extremely powerful,” says Forrest. “We can easily demonstrate that
our security controls are in place and working. And as new requirements come
about, we can efficiently and effectively put controls in place.”
Solving problems, reducing risk
SIMPLIFIES
COMPLIANCE
ENHANCED
SECURITY
With Cisco VSG, the firm can centrally provision
security policies to put controls around legacy
applications that require old operating systems
or allow certain users to access the Internet while
blocking their access to internal resources.
“Cisco VSG is a very flexible risk mitigation tool that really makes our jobs easier,”
says Paarin Mehta, senior security engineer at Stroock & Stroock.
An efficient approach to virtual security
By simplifying security administration and audits, the Cisco solution is helping
the firm meet client requirements and make the best use of IT staff time.
“We like solutions that consistently mitigate more risk exposure than their
acquisition cost, which gives us a better chance to maximize our return on
security investment,” says Forrest. “Combining Cisco VSG and PNSC is a
very cost-effective way to enhance our security posture.”
© 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
2
Integrating firewalls with big data
The firm recently deployed Cisco next-generation intrusion prevention
systems at all its locations to gain more visibility into threat activity.
“Cisco is very good at integrating with Splunk, which we use to analyze our
logs,” says Mehta. “Kudos to Cisco for that partnership and for providing
integration that really helps us operationally.”
Raising the bar
Stroock & Stroock is active in the legal security community and shares
virtual security best practices with other firms. “Security is a journey, not
a destination,” says Forrest. “Cisco gives us the tools we need to drive
continuous improvement.”
• Simplifies client audits and ongoing compliance
Results
• Enhances security with flexible microsegmentation options
• Streamlines management of security services
and policies across all environments
Ready for the future
As network management becomes more dynamic, the firm will be ready. “We’re
pleased with the rich features Cisco offers for virtual network management, and
we’ll be using more of them,” says Forrest.
Products & Services
Security
• Cisco Virtual Security Gateway
• Cisco ASA 5516-X, 5525-X, and
5545-X with FirePOWER™ Services
• Cisco Adaptive Security Device
Manager
Cloud & Systems Management
• Cisco Prime Network Services
Controller
Unified Computing
• Cisco UCS® servers
• Cisco UCS Manager
Routing and Switching
• Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch
Americas Headquarters
Cisco Systems, Inc.
San Jose, CA
Asia Pacific Headquarters
Cisco Systems (USA) Pte. Ltd.
Singapore
Europe Headquarters
Cisco Systems International BV Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
Cisco has more than 200 offices worldwide. Addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers are listed on the Cisco Website at www.cisco.com/go/offices.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL:
www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship
between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
© 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.
03/16