Batelco, Bahrain’s leading ICT business solutions provider, has enhanced its business services by introducing Sophos' wireless security appliance as part of its extensive portfolio.
Sophos and Batelco earlier signed a platinum partnership agreement at Gitex 2016.
The Sophos wireless firewall solution is designed to meet the specific requirements of small businesses. It supports a multitude of virtual access points that create independent, segregated networks in the same physical area for separate teams such as sales, marketing, guest users, and more. It also offers secure authentication and prevents rogue clients from connecting to networks, said a Batelco statement.
The wireless networks in organisations face big risks of information theft due to their inability to trace users, especially guest users within the network. Additionally, lack of IT security staff and limited budgets can make it difficult for the small business segment to find security solutions that are adequate, cost-effective and easy to manage. Furthermore, organizations with distributed networks, remote and branch offices, especially in sectors such as retail stores, logistics and transportation, and utility distribution centres, demand mobility within the network and need network security, secure remote access, and secure Wi-Fi for walk-in customers, it said.
The solution based on Sophos patented Layer 8 technology, allows administrators to apply user identity-based security policies to gain visibility over user activity and also manage Guest Internet access in the network, it added.
The Sophos wireless security appliance is designed for small and branch offices to offer secure Wi-Fi on par with wired security. It enables a leaner Wi-Fi security infrastructure to organisations by replacing both Wi-Fi router and firewall with a single appliance. For remote offices with limited connectivity options, the solution also offers 3G/4G USB support.
Batelco Bahrain CEO Eng Muna Al Hashemi said Batelco is constantly on the quest to expand its cyber security services portfolio in order to support the increasing requirements for organisations of all sizes.
“Our aim is to provide relevant security solutions for Bahrain’s businesses whether home or small businesses or large enterprises. Better network security ensures peace of mind and a more efficiently run operation,” Eng Al Hashemi said.
Sophos VP MEA Harish Chib said: "As Bahrain moves towards a new technology era, there has been great demand for innovative, easy-to-deploy and cost-effective security solutions by SMBs in the market. The inclusion of this Sophos solution by Batelco will be beneficial to SMBs as it will strengthen their IT infrastructure and build a secure environment that combats complex and sophisticated threats.”