Swissport Reinvents Global Ops with Unified SASE Stack

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In the world of Swissport, the focus on strengthening security and networking presents an opportunity for expansion and enhanced customer service.

Swissport faced challenges with its global IT operations due to reliance on outdated legacy systems for security and networking. As the company experienced rapid growth, the limitations of these legacy systems became apparent, prompting senior management to take decisive action.

Swissport’s growth outpaced its legacy systems

The expansion of Swissport’s business highlighted the inadequacies of its legacy systems in meeting the demands of serving customers, securing global locations, and supporting growth. With operations spanning 279 airports in 45 countries across six continents and serving millions of passengers and tons of air freight, Swissport needed a robust and scalable IT infrastructure to support its operations.

Giles Ashton-Roberts, Chief Information Security Officer at Swissport, emphasized the challenge of ensuring consistency in security enforcement across numerous sites without impeding business operations.

From fragmented infrastructure to SASE

Recognizing the limitations of legacy systems, Swissport transitioned to a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture to address the shortcomings of fragmented infrastructure and outdated VPNs. This shift aimed to standardize security measures and ensure seamless connectivity for users across various locations.

Richard Thorp, Chief Technology Officer at Swissport, highlighted the importance of maintaining a secure and available network for the company’s global operations, emphasizing the need for standardized security protocols regardless of user location.

By adopting a cloud-native SASE platform, Swissport was able to enforce Zero Trust principles, enhance security, and streamline network operations for improved efficiency and scalability.

Why SASE is at the core of Swissport’s architectural overhaul

The decision to implement SASE architecture at Swissport underscored the company’s commitment to real-time responsiveness, transparency, and accuracy in serving its customers globally. By unifying security and networking functions, Swissport aimed to create a cohesive and secure IT environment that could adapt to evolving business needs.

Swissport’s adoption of a cloud-native SASE platform from Cato Networks enabled the company to streamline security management, enhance visibility, and ensure secure communications across its global network infrastructure. The platform’s ability to provide identity-aware access and real-time threat detection contributed to Swissport’s improved security posture.

Five lessons learned from Swissport’s SASE blueprint

1. End-to-end zero trust turns detection into instant action. Swissport’s implementation of Zero Trust principles allowed for proactive threat detection and rapid response, enhancing the company’s overall security posture.
2. Global security gets easier when policy is unified. By consolidating security policies and enforcement mechanisms, Swissport streamlined network access control and reduced complexity in managing security measures.
3. Real-time visibility is a business accelerator driving results and ROI. Improved visibility into network traffic and threat analytics enabled Swissport to make informed decisions and enhance operational efficiency.
4. Decrypt everything, disrupt nothing: Secure TLS at scale. Swissport’s adoption of full inline TLS inspection improved security without compromising network performance, allowing for effective threat detection in encrypted traffic.
5. A SASE platform drives faster business wins. By consolidating security and networking functions into a single platform, Swissport achieved agility, scalability, and enhanced network security, positioning the company for future growth and innovation.