The Ageing Infrastructure Challenge
Barker College faced increasing pressure on its network security, as cybersecurity became their top priority, and existing systems were no longer meeting requirements.
“The firewall is essentially the gateway protecting everything in our network,” explains Jesse Bartle. “This project was critical for securing all of our infrastructure while providing a safe online learning environment.”
The school’s seven-year-old security system had begun raising reliability concerns. Its outdated network design made it difficult to monitor network traffic effectively and apply robust security measures between different parts of the school’s network. This legacy setup required time-consuming management and suffered from poor vendor support.
“We experienced several system failures over twelve months,” Jesse notes. “Each time we contacted the vendor for support, they claimed there was no issue – when in fact, our hardware was faulty.”
The Search for Enhanced Network Control
With cybersecurity becoming increasingly critical to operations, Barker College needed to completely rethink their approach to network security. The goal was not simply to replace ageing hardware, but to implement a fundamentally different system that would provide greater control, visibility, and security.
“We needed to see what was happening across our entire network and apply appropriate security measures,” Jesse explains. “Our previous system made it very time-consuming to manage different network segments, with limited visibility into what was actually happening.”
The evaluation process revealed significant differences between vendors. While comparing industry leaders, the comprehensive Fortinet solution presented by NetStrategy offered distinct advantages:
- A simplified, cost-effective licensing model.
- An intuitive interface designed for school IT staff who are not security specialists.
- Cloud-compatible options that integrated effortlessly with its Microsoft environment.
- Significantly improved User ID implementation for better identity management.
- Central management capabilities that simplified operations.
Beyond technical specifications, Barker College sought a partner who understood the unique challenges of education and could offer strategic guidance through a complex transformation.
Why NetStrategy
“NetStrategy’s response to the proposal was the most detailed of all vendors we engaged,” Jesse notes.
Having recently completed the College’s core switch implementation, NetStrategy already had a deep understanding of Barker’s environment and security goals, which set its comprehensive proposal apart. This existing relationship laid a strong foundation for the network security project, giving NetStrategy valuable insight into Barker College’s strategic direction and technical landscape.
“NetStrategy already knew our network,” Jesse explains. “They understood our objectives around implementing zero trust or getting as close to it as possible. Everyone knew what they had to do and what the objectives were,” Jesse recalls.
NetStrategy’s solution included a strategic network review and redesign that moved critical security functions to the new firewalls. This shift enabled comprehensive monitoring and protection across all network communication. The implementation also introduced a straightforward licensing model that simplified management and reduced complexity – ultimately delivering enhanced security, improved operational efficiency, and significant cost savings for Barker College compared to alternative solutions.
Even more importantly, the implementation required meticulous planning and execution, with NetStrategy providing detailed project management and technical expertise throughout the process:
- Regular status meetings to ensure alignment.
- Collaborative sessions for complex configurations.
- Strategic scheduling to minimise disruption to College operations.
- Detailed cutover planning with contingency options.
Transformative Results – Optimised Visibility and Control
The new Fortinet network security solution has significantly strengthened Barker College’s security posture, delivering unprecedented visibility and control. The most dramatic improvement came in monitoring capabilities – the system now tracks tens of millions of events per day compared to just hundreds of thousands previously – providing its IT team a comprehensive view of all network activity.
For teachers and students, the implementation was largely invisible – precisely as intended.
“The best outcome is that there’s been almost no impact to teaching and learning,” Jesse explains. “We’re delivering more services, more easily and securely, without anyone even noticing a change.”
