Designing And Deploying A Secure Web Architechture

Of all the organisations that require secure IT systems for their survival, few are more dependent on technology than modern local authorities.  Virtually every area of a council's activity, from collecting local taxes through to housing benefit, social services and payroll, requires mission critical applications running in a highly secure infrastructure. 

In order to meet the Modernising Government Agenda Targets of 2005, all Local Authorities must have a secure web architecture to enable citizens and business communities to access government services on-line.  As with other Local Authorities, Scottish Borders stores information on a range of disparate systems, across a number of different platforms.  The challenge set for Sopra Group was to design and build a secure web architecture that was capable of supporting current and future requirements.

Solution

The project took one year to complete, starting with the initial infrastructure design through deployment, testing of infrastructure and applications before the final rollout of live Internet enabled council services.

The overall solution includes the following:

• Firewall system planning, provision, installation and initial management utilising market leading firewall products
• Intrusion Detection System (IDS) planning, provision, installation and initial management, utilising market leading IDS solutions incorporating network, operating system and database level security
• Design of server and application hardening processes
• Application level firewall solutions
• Web server digital certification solutions
• Web server load balancing technologies
• Market leading server hardware
• Skills transfer
• Specialised business security consultancy services
• System security baselining
• Security testing.

Throughout the course of this project, Sopra Group staff conducted continuous practical skills transfer for both the security and application teams within Scottish Borders Council (SBC).

The skills in question included techniques for the following:

• Firewall and intrusion detection system management
• System hardening techniques, Risk identification and management
• Security awareness and best practice
• Security change control and auditing
• Security reporting.

Benefits

The successful implementation has delivered a series of key benefits for the council.  These include:

• A stable, manageable and secure infrastructure capable of allowing the council to confidently rollout a large number of on-line services thus reducing costs and improving the availability and quality of services to citizens.  The web architecture has lowered the total cost of ownership through the use of secure, manageable systems whilst meeting the regulatory compliance guidelines laid down by the government
• Working closely with Scottish Borders Council staff, Sopra Group has provided additional security consultancy in the fields of remote access, application security and operational improvements regarding the use of IDS within Scottish Borders Council and network infrastructure
• By using independent auditing the client not only received cutting edge solutions, but had confidence that it was implemented to the highest standard.  Citizens now have fast, convenient access to a wealth of council services including social services information and on-line payments - and in the future the number and nature of these services will grow.  These services are now available 24 hours a day 365 days of the year.

What our clients say...

"By adopting Sopra Group as its trusted security partner SBC has created an infrastructure that enables it to meet current and future customer needs"

Stewart Meldrum, IT Manager,
Scottish Borders Council