Accend Networks San Francisco Bay Area Full Service IT Consulting Company

Author: secureaccend

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Case Studies

When Disaster Hits, Rest Easy


When Disaster Hits, Rest Easy

The Challenge

Our client, Lithotype, provides high-quality package printing from multiple locations across the United States. Storing data is critical to the success of their business, and time is always of the essence. When their core system crashed, business came to a halt with the possibility of missing essential deadlines.

  • Client : Lithotype
  • Location : San Francisco, California

Our Solution

Accend Networks' Disaster Recovery experts stepped in immediately to help restore data from an outdated system.

Our Emergency Response Team

  • Assisted Lithotype to rebuild the switch’s teaming network configuration to work with their VMware virtual switch settings from scratch to preserve the existing virtual machines to avoid losing any data.
  • Rebuilt Lithotype's outdated network connectivity with a replacement switch.
  • Ensured any data from the old system would not be lost in configuration.
  • Worked efficiently to allow Lithotype to be fully restored and back in business the following morning.

The Results

In less than 1 day, Lithotype's data was fully restored and any scheduled projects were not delayed.

"Not only did Paula and Accend Networks come to our rescue, they brought a replacement switch, configured it, and was online supporting us throughout the entire time... Paula was amazingly quick, ef icient and brilliant with what she did. I will definitely use Paula and Accend Networks again."

- Nav Madhwan, IT Systems Administrator

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Cisco ACS to ISE Migration


Cisco ACS to ISE Migration

The Challenge

FLARNG, Florida Army National Guard, required assistance installation and configuration of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). They acquired Cisco ISE equipment and software for use on the FLARNG military network, and they wished to migrate their Access Control System (ACS) environment over to Cisco ISE as well as integrate dynamic authentication and authorization capabilities into their existing infrastructure, leveraging Cisco ISE. They required assistance to install 802.1x to authentication, authorization, and profiling for wired/wireless NAC configuration, training for all their network team, and documentation. Devices in use were Cisco 3650 and 3850 Catalyst switches.

Our Solution

Accend assisted FLARNG with the migration from ACS to Cisco ISE using the migration tool. After the migration was done, we assisted with configuring Cisco ISE for authentication, authorization, and profiling of client devices using 802.1X with MAB authentication, Anyconnect Posturing and Remediation, and Profiling. Pilot configuration was done on several Cisco Catalyst switches, model 3650 and 3850, before final rollout to production. We also provided knowledge transfer and end user’s training on how to administer Cisco ISE. All pertinent and relevant configurations were documented and provided to FLARNG.

The Results

FLARNG was able to use their two Cisco ISE appliances that they purchased in a high availability mode for authentication of Cisco devices using TACACS+ and 802.1x authentication, authorization, accounting, and providing using 802.1x with MAB authentication in a two weeks time period.

https://fl.ng.mil/Pages/Home.aspx

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Checkpoint to Cisco FirePOWER Migration


Checkpoint to Cisco FirePOWER
Migration

The Challenge

PARC, a Xerox company, was running on some legacy Checkpoint firewalls on cloned machines. They needed assistance to migrate them to the Cisco Next Generation FirePOWER firewalls with High Availability.

Our Solution

Accend's Network Security Subject Matter Expert assisted with migrating the pair of Checkpoint firewalls running in high availability (HA) mode. The Checkpoint firewalls had a lot of legacy firewall rules and object groups. We were able to assist them with migrating the firewall rules using the Checkpoint Migration Tool to migrate the rules automatically to the Cisco’s configurations, that were importable the Cisco ASA\FirePOWER firewall. Some static routes and interfaces had to be manually converted.

The Results

Accend assisted with staging the migrated configurations to the Cisco ASA\FirePOWER prior to the maintenance window. All rules (left inactive), routes, interfaces, certificates, and any configuration components that weren’t able to be converted automatic were carefully reviewed and manually migrated over. During the maintenance window, we moved all cabling, activated all firewall rules, and tested to make sure traffic was passing through. After fixing any issues found, PARC was running on the new Cisco ASA FirePOWER firewall.

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Case Studies

CCRI Inspection Project


CCRI Inspection Project

The Challenge

Florida Army National Guard (FLARNG) required a team of Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI) certified reviewers to pre-inspect the myriad of domains covered during a CCRI to include: Web and Database servers, Host Based Security System (HBSS), Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS), Traditional/Physical Security and Network Infrastructure. The project was to include a certified CCRI Team Lead to provide a full CCRI inspection, identify shortfalls, provide hands-on training and written/digital products to FLARNG’s IT staff to improve the organization’s CCRI score. CCRI is an inspection driven by the Army regulations and DISA guidelines. The domains evaluated are Technology, Cyber Network Defense (CND), and Contribution Factors.

  • Client : FLARNG
  • Location : St. Augustine, Florida

Our Solution

FLARNG reached out to Accend Networks (Accend) with the requirement and Accend was able to provide a team of 4 highly certified and experienced security consultants to assist with the CCRI audit. This was done well in advance of the audit. Due to COVID-19, scheduling had to be rescheduled around and delayed a bit but eventually, we were able to provide a certified reviewer for each area to be covered.

The Results

The CCRI was done in a span of two weeks Monday to Friday. Each assigned certified consultant met with the assigned staffmember in their respective domain and went through all the CCRI STIG for that area, assisted with remediating any vulnerabilities discovered so that FLARNG could obtain a high CCRI score, which was needed to ensure a secured and complaint environment. The certified Team lead covered the CND and Contributing Factors.

CND Components are Warning Orders (WARNORDs), Tasking Orders (TASKORDs), Operations Orders (OPORD), General Administrative Order (GENADMIN) and Fragmentary Orders(FRAGOs) issued by USCYBERCOM and JFHQ-DODIN. USCYBERCOM and JFHQ-DODIN plan, coordinate, integrate, synchronize, and conduct activities to; direct the operations and defense of specifed Department of Defense information networks (DODINs) and when directed, conduct full-spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions across all domains, ensuring US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and denying the same to our adversaries.

The Contributing Factors are designed to evaluate the Command’s emphasis on compliance of existing Information Assurance (IA) controls during a Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI). The inspection items/calls in this document link to one or more of the IA Controls as found in NIST SP 800-53. The Contributing Factors evaluate three overall IA areas: Culture, Capability, and Conduct. Each area must be evaluated and discussed during a CCRI.

Accend’s team of certified reviewers was able to assist FLARNG achieve a very high CCRI score (above the 90% rating).

It was a successful audit and Accend may likely assist FLARNG with their on-going CCRI every two years.

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Network Drops Addition – Infrastructure Cabling


Network Drops Addition - Infrastructure
Cabling

The Challenge

Lyncean Technologies, in Fremont, required 20 new additional network drops (16 news and 4 relocations to be exact). They needed this quickly and reached out to Accend Networks.

Our Solution

After receiving the inquiry and requirements from Robert Lai, the IT Manager, Accend quickly started working on providing a quote based on the floor plan and new network drops required. We quickly provided a quote with breakdown of equipment needed (network cables, wall plates, CAT6 RJ-45 jacks..etc) and the total cost for labor, the quote was approved.

The Results

By Monday and through the next two weeks (time was needed to run the cables and for some healing time needed for a concrete area that needed to be cured), Lyncean had all 20 CAT6A ethernet drops run, labeled, and documented. Robert was a happy camper and mentioned he will continue to use our service for other work needed.

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