Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC), the global leader in cybersecurity, today announced it is helping Williams combat the latest threats and accelerate its security posture ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The Williams group, which includes the WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING Formula One team and Williams Advanced Engineering, is replacing its existing security technology to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threats today’s IT environments face. With critically important IP to protect across the business, maintaining a future-proof approach to security is essential for maintaining Williams’s F1 and engineering competitive edge.
“We are taking the right steps to get to the front of the grid in Formula One, while maintaining our leadership in advanced engineering,” said Graeme Hackland, IT Director, Williams. “We chose Symantec because, as the global industry leader, it is best placed to give us the protection and assurance we need against the latest cyber threats, and help safeguard our business-critical information.”
Total Cybersecurity – Against the Clock & Around the World
With the first race of the Formula One season – the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 20th March – fast approaching, Williams looked to Symantec to ensure data and devices leaving their Oxfordshire headquarters would be completely protected. In order to maintain a secure and stable connection between the UK base and the Williams F1 team as it travels the world, Williams began to implement a new security solution combining Symantec Endpoint Protection, Symantec Web Security.cloud, Symantec Encryption and Symantec Datacenter Security.
Symantec Endpoint Protection safeguards Williams’s 1,200 computers, both within their headquarters and remotely at races around the globe. The solution provides proactive protection to catch the latest threats, such as the growing Cryptolocker ransomware, and secured Williams against many pieces of malware on day one alone. It includes cutting-edge technology such as behavioural blocking and intrusion prevention. Symantec Web Security.cloud also helps protect Williams’ network from web-borne malware and spyware threats by scanning all web requests in real time. This all means the Williams IT team can now remotely manage, control and enforce policies across all devices via the cloud, to best protect confidential data, regardless of location.
To guarantee Williams’ highly confidential information remains secure, Symantec Encryption is used across the business to protect data and support strong authentication. This is critical for protecting details of Williams Advanced Engineering’s top secret innovations – from Formula E battery development and solar energy storage to the Jaguar C-X75 hybrid supercar design. And it is equally important on race day, for protecting the remote laptops sending live, detailed race telemetry data back to Williams’s headquarters.
Bulletproof Data Centres – 100 Percent Availability & Guarding Against Downtime
Comprehensive protection starts at the data centre, the number one target for cyberattacks because it is where companies’ most important data assets are stored. Williams needed to enhance the protection of its critical applications, and both physical and virtual servers to ensure its teams have 100% data availability and are safeguarded against downtime. Symantec Datacenter Security: Server Advanced will be implemented to help accelerate security within Williams’ server estate. This Symantec solution isolates critical processes and restricts access to those that need it, whilst automating configuration and simplifying remediation.
“This is just the beginning of our partnership with Williams,” said Darren Thomson, chief technology officer and vice president, EMEA, Symantec. “We are proud to be providing Williams with additional consultancy to aid implementation, staff training, project management and strategy. This strengthens their business as well as our understanding of it, and we look forward to supporting them on and off the track in the years ahead.”
