Security news
Security news18 July 2007
Sophos protects Australia's biggest automotive dealer group Automotive Holdings Group has rolled out an integrated endpoint and email security solution from Sophos
Rob Forsyth, Managing Director of Sophos Asia Pacific.
Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, has announced that Perth-based Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) Limited (ASX:AHE) has deployed its computer security solutions to protect more than 1,200 computer users in Western Australia and Victoria. Sophos now guards AHG's servers, PCs, laptops and email gateways against malicious threats, unauthorised intrusion and potentially unwanted applications.
AHG is Australia's largest automotive dealer group and holds 86 franchises across Australia and New Zealand. The group generates income from the sale of new and used cars, finance and insurance, service and parts, as well as through its logistics division which operates businesses in the warehousing, transport and distribution sectors. AHG's net profit after tax for the year ended 30 June 2006 was AUD$20.2 million, a 19.5% increase on its 2005 prospectus forecast.
"AHG's core requirement was for a cross-platform endpoint security solution that would protect the integrity of our data without compromise, but also be easy to install, configure and manage from a centralised location," said Eugene Kavanagh, CIO for AHG. "We also required the solution to be highly flexible so it could seamlessly adapt to any future changes to the organisation."
AHG selected Sophos following a comprehensive evaluation of the offerings of competing IT security providers by Kavanagh's systems engineers.
"Sophos ticked all the boxes and was the best solution from a performance/price perspective," Kavanagh said. "Furthermore, one of the key features that made our decision to move to Sophos rest more comfortably with us was the provision of local support in Australia. Even during our pilot run, we received regular advice from Sophos and knowing that technical support is only an Australian phone call away is something we value."
According to Kavanagh, AHG conducts much of its business via the internet.
"Email is a very important business tool for each of our dealers and we are also connected to the extranets of most manufacturers we have franchises with. Protecting these systems against computer threats is of critical importance to our ongoing growth and success," he explained.
"With the protection of its customer, manufacturer, shareholder, employee, financial and other critical information at stake, it is very pleasing that AHG made the decision for Sophos," said Rob Forsyth, Managing Director, Asia Pacific for Sophos. "We welcome them to our rapidly growing base of Australian customers and look forward to working closely with them to support and protect their business."
About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
