CUSTOMER SUCCESS: LTA DELIVERS FOR ITS REMOTE EMPLOYEES

IBM eNetwork Firewall provides a secure and cost-effective telecommuting solution

LTA Group, Incorporated is a transportation company that provides store delivery and related services to specialty retailers. Regionally, LTA Group operates out of three wholly owned terminals. The main terminal, located in Jamesburg, New Jersey, acts as a hub for local delivery terminals in New Jersey and Massachusetts. LTA Group also utilizes a national network of 22 affiliates and 30 local delivery terminals for freight pickup and sorting. Using advanced computer technology and a unique freight system, LTA Group provides its customers with competitive service and transit times at lower costs.

Creating a Security-Rich Environment
In 1997, LTA Group moved its main facility from North Bergen, New Jersey to Jamesburg. Realizing that the 50-mile commute to the new headquarters would be difficult for some of its employees, the company developed a telecommuting program to offer employees the flexibility of working from home. The MIS Director for LTA Group, Nino Silvano explains, "We have a small IT staff, and we needed to manage a major office move while deploying secure remote access to employees."

LTA especially needed a solution that could provide a security-rich environment for its enterprise network while enabling remote access to internal files and information over the Internet. In addition, the company wanted to build a highly secure foundation for its future e-business needs.

"This solution has worked out well for us, since the IBM Firewall isolates Internet traffic from private network traffic. The firewall serves as our first line of defense." -Nino Silvano, MIS Director, LTA Group

Delivering Remote Access More Securely
To protect its enterprise while providing remote access to the company's private network, LTA Group asked IBM Global Services to design an integrated security solution using IBM eNetwork Firewall, now a SecureWay Software offering. The comprehensive solution provides LTA Group with a scalable, cost-effective means of supporting new and existing remote users and future Web-based applications for business partners, suppliers, and customers.

IBM eNetwork Firewall software provides LTA Group with highly secure intranet and Internet communication for its enterprise network. The eNetwork Firewall solution also enables LTA Group to segment the corporate network that connects its delivery terminals and the remote access network that supports telecommuting, after-hours access, and work-at-home applications. "The system is now up and running, and it requires little management effort," says Silvano. "All of the software is intuitive and easy to use."

LTA Group's authentication concerns were addressed by ACE Server® and SecurID® tokens. (The eNetwork Firewall includes a two-user version of ACE Server and two SecurID tokens.) Now, users can access the corporate network by logging on from their desktops, or they can connect to enterprise network resources remotely with access provided through the Internet. After submitting a personal identification number and token, remote users are authenticated by ACE Server, which provides the credentials for establishing a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection to authorized network resources. The two-factor authentication process prevents unauthorized access to enterprise network resources.

Employing a Cost-Effective Solution
LTA Group now saves money not only by managing its remote access security infrastructure but by outsourcing its direct dial-up Internet connections through IBM Global Network™. According to Silvano, LTA Group anticipates saving more than $3,600 (U.S.) per month in usage fees as the number of telecommuters increases. Silvano concludes, "IBM was a cost-effective choice to serve as our Internet service provider for local dial-up users."

For more information
Visit www.ibm.com/software/security/firewall.