Farmers & Merchants Bank

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1 CUSTOMER SUCCESS Ensuring Safe, Secure, and Highly Available Customer Information with Symantec Information Integrity Solution With a wealth of customer information that must be kept both secure and available, requires a resilient infrastructure. The bank turned to Symantec to deliver reliable, cost-effective information security and information availability. The software solution provides Farmers & Merchants Bank with tangible business value that includes US$100,000 in annual savings through the elimination of branch backups and a 100 percent return on investment via a remote office data protection solution, a 99.9 percent success rate in quarantining HTTP and FTP attacks and blocking -borne viruses, 80 percent reduction in time required to manage security software environment, and a projected US$136,000 saved in annual user productivity via self-service restoration of corrupt and lost files. Company Profile Privately held Farmers & Merchants Bank operates 20 branches in Los Angeles and Orange counties, with a full range of advanced personal and business banking services. Industry Financial Services Solution Information Integrity: Data Protection and Enterprise Security A traditional bank with a flair for technology Both Symantec and VERITAS have a history of delivering robust, effective solutions for Farmers & Merchants. With the merger of the two, we look forward to having a single strategic resource that can help us build even more resiliency into our infrastructure. Robert Graham Senior Vice President of Information Systems Rooted in tradition, wired for the future is the tagline for (F&M), a fixture in California since its founding in The family-operated institution offers a unique blend of personal service and high-tech banking to individual and business customers through its 20 California branches in Los Angeles and Orange counties. F&M prides itself on its fiscal responsibility and is rated one of the strongest banks in California and the United States based on scores from several rating services. Like all financial institutions, F&M generates and depends on mountains of data, from transaction records and messages to highly sensitive customer information. Not surprisingly, information security is a top priority for F&M. By California state law, if we have reason to suspect that an intruder has accessed a customer s account number or Social Security number, the bank must notify that person in writing, explains Robert Graham, senior vice president of information systems. An intrusion into our customer database would require us to send letters to more than 120,000 customers, both a black eye for the bank and a potential source of lawsuits. Assessing the bank s security protection Aware of that danger and others, F&M took stock of its antivirus security posture in At the time, F&M was using a mixture of McAfee and Symantec Corporation products (formerly Norton) installed and maintained on individual user machines. Deciding that it needed to upgrade and centralize the management of its information security infrastructure, F&M issued a request for

2 CUSTOMER SUCCESS A remote office data protection solution using Symantec software reduced the risk of accidental disclosure of customer information and saved over US$100,000 per year in out-of-pocket expenses and 24 staff hours per week. Threats can enter through an individual device and, once inside our defenses, propagate throughout the network. By having antivirus protection on every endpoint device, from desktops and laptops to PDAs, we achieve enterprise-wide information security. Robert Graham Senior Vice President of Information Systems proposal (RFP) to both McAfee and Symantec for an enterprise-wide solution. At the end of the evaluation process, Symantec was the clear winner. We chose Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition software because of its superior performance, remembers Jerry Craft, assistant vice-president of network services for F&M. Symantec also offered better licensing terms, with a lower yearly update fee than McAfee. In addition to better performance and licensing terms, Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition software offered the centralized administration that F&M sought. We can monitor all instances from our master security administration server, notes Craft. Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition software almost manages itself. To upgrade to a new release, we simply download it to the master security server, and Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition software automatically updates our complete environment. At the same time, Graham points out the tangible benefits: Because of Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition software s centralized administration, our security officer spends less than an hour a week managing antivirus software, compared to five hours each week with our previous solution an 80 percent reduction, adds Craft. He now leverages the time savings to develop more proactive responses to our security needs. In addition, F&M has been able to accommodate a 25 percent increase in protected information without adding staff or additional software. The next few years saw an explosion in the number and virulence of the threats that F&M was receiving. Graham and Craft looked to bolster F&M s defenses, and again Symantec had the answer. In 2002, we added Symantec Web Security software to extend our defenses to the gateway, Craft recalls. Symantec Web Security software gives us a highly reliable defense against sophisticated Internet attackers. For example, when a hacker tries to deliver Java-based malicious code using HTTP or FTP, Symantec Web Security software quarantines the code and sends an alert to our security officer, prompting him to assess the level of threat. F&M uses the content filtering feature of Symantec Web Security software to limit employee access to sites with inappropriate and non-work-related content. Symantec Web Security software looks at both the URL that the user requests and the downloaded content itself to check for proscribed material, says Graham. The reports produced by Symantec Web Security show that we have a 99.9 percent success rate in quarantining HTTP and FTP attacks. I d have to say that Symantec Web Security has been highly successful for us. Adding client defenses for improved security Even with the enhanced security provided by Symantec Web Security software, F&M wanted an additional layer of defense against threats that might enter the network through other avenues. Graham and his team decided to increase security at the client level, selecting Symantec Client Security software in 2004 as the bank s standard client threat protection solution. More recently, as the bank s top executives have adopted personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the PalmOne Treo and HP ipaq, F&M s IT team added Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition software. We see client security as the logical progression in our security strategy, Graham explains. Threats can enter through an individual device and, once inside our defenses, propagate throughout the network. By having antivirus protection on every endpoint device, from desktops and laptops to PDAs, we achieve enterprise-wide information security. F&M is currently achieving a 99.9 percent success rate in blocking viruses carried by incoming , the most common entry point for threats.

3 FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK Information availability goes hand in hand with information security At the same time that F&M was beefing up its software infrastructure for enhanced information security, the bank was also building out its data protection infrastructure. Fortunately, the bank had a long and trusted relationship with VERITAS Software (now part of Symantec) on which it could build. We ve been a VERITAS customer since 1999 when we migrated from a Windows NT server 3.51 to a Windows 2000-based client/server architecture, Craft recalls. We decided to replace our Computer Associates ARCserve tool with VERITAS Backup Exec software to improve the speed and reliability of our backup operations. We knew from day one that it was the right move. In the first tests at the F&M data center, Craft s team could see the difference right away in faster and more dependable backups. As part of its migration to a Windowsbased client/server environment, F&M equipped each branch with a Compaq (HP NetServer) and RAID array running the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system, an HP tape drive, and a copy of VERITAS Backup Exec software. VERITAS Backup Exec software proved its mettle when a catastrophic failure at a branch caused an impromptu test of F&M s disaster recovery plan. Not only did the primary drive of the branch s RAID array fail, the secondary drive also failed before the local staff could initiate repairs on the faulty primary drive, causing a complete loss of data. Fortunately, they had performed the daily backup as scheduled, so recovery was a simple matter of fixing the RAID and using VERITAS Backup Exec software to restore the data. The whole process took less than four hours, reports Craft. The server came right up. That s typical of our experience with VERITAS Backup Exec software. It just works. Rethinking the bank s backup infrastructure As the bank looked to expand to more branches, Graham became more and more concerned about the cost and time spent on backups. Individual branches were required to backup and archive their own data daily, a process that was becoming increasingly more expensive as the bank expanded. The time that a branch spent on daily backups ballooned from a few hours to as many as eight hours in some cases. In addition, branch personnel did not always remember to perform daily backups, creating a management headache for data center personnel. I also had concerns about the security aspects of branch-based backups, Graham relates. Since each branch sent its backup tape to an off-site storage location, there were 20 chances a day of losing a tape with sensitive client information. We wanted to minimize that risk while reducing our operations costs. To enhance its backup infrastructure, Craft targeted an upgrade to the data center storage infrastructure as the initial step. We compared a number of server solutions and finally settled on Dell Inc. as the best fit for our foreseeable needs, says Craft. Another vendor proposed a hardware architecture based on a storage area network (SAN), but the cost was prohibitive and the capability was more than the bank needed. Dell recommended a NAS environment powered by a Dell PowerVault 775 and a Dell PowerVault 220 storage array server running Microsoft Windows 2003 Enterprise Server connected to a Dell PowerVault 122T LTO autoloader tape drive. With a hardware decision in place, Craft looked to Symantec for the software solution. Symantec recommended that F&M deploy VERITAS Backup Exec 10.0 for Windows Servers software to take advantage of its centralized management and monitoring features as well as it ability to perform disk-based backups. Symantec also recommended SOLUTION AT A GLANCE Business Drivers Reduce risk of data loss for 20 branch offices Decrease cost associated with data backup and archiving at each individual branch Meet range of governmental regulatory requirements for data retention Minimize risk of lawsuits and damage to reputation from unauthorized disclosure of customer personal information Maintain high level of productivity and information availability for all users Technology Challenges Centralize backups for all important business information daily from branches to a primary location and backup securely Provision new PCs quickly and ensure consistency of configuration for efficient troubleshooting Defend IT infrastructure against incoming threats such as viruses, spyware, and other malicious code Extend antivirus protection to all client devices, including handheld PCs Solution Consolidated data protection and enterprise-wide security for 20 branches with centralized management Products Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition Symantec Web Security Symantec Client Security Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Symantec LiveUpdate Symantec Elite Program Enterprise Licensing Agreement VERITAS Backup Exec 10.0 for Windows Servers VERITAS Replication Exec 3.1 VERITAS Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server VERITAS Backup Exec SmartLink VERITAS Backup Exec Desktop and Laptop Option Technology Environment Storage Platform: Dell LTO Auto Loader, Dell Powervault PV-122T Server Platform: Dell Powervault 775N and Dell Powervault 220S servers running Microsoft Windows 2003 Enterprise Server Applications: Microsoft Exchange Server; Microsoft SQL Server Services VERITAS Extended Support Symantec Gold Maintenance Partner Dell Inc.

4 CUSTOMER SUCCESS Integrated Information Security and Data Availability Architecture Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds- Corporate Edition extends antivirus protection to the bank s Palm and HP personal digital assistants (PDAs). Remote users Symantec Client Security offers an additional layer of defense for the bank s PC and laptop users. Symantec Ghost Solution Suite deploys new PCs and laptops quickly with a fully useable configuration. VERITAS Backup Exec Desktop and Laptop Option extends backup protection to the bank s remote and internal users. Internal users Internet LAN VERITAS Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server provides continuous disk-based protection and allows users to restore their own files. Symantec Web Security provides a highly reliable defense against sophisticated Internet attacks including malicious code based on HTTP or FTP. Web servers Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition protects the bank s infrastructure and offers centralized administration. Application servers Data center Dell Powervault servers Dell Powervault tape library WAN Every evening VERITAS Replication Exec 3.1 replicates all data back to the NAS server located at the F&M data center, where VERITAS Backup Exec 10 for Windows Servers writes the complete data set onto tape. Remote offices Information Security Data Availability Farmers and Merchants Bank (F&M) has deployed an integrated information security and data availability solution using a wide range of Symantec products. The solution protects all of the bank s important data, not only at headquarters, but also at its 20 remote branches. For information security, F&M has implemented a multilayered approach, with Symantec antivirus protection for remote and local client endpoints PDAs, laptops, and desktops and the bank s server population. Because of Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition software s centralized administration, our security officer spends less than an hour a week managing antivirus software, compared to five hours each week with our previous solution an 80 percent reduction. Jerry Craft Assistant Vice President, Network Services VERITAS Replication Exec software, part of the Backup Exec Suite, to provide continuous data protection for F&M s branch offices. Simplifying backup administration The new data protection infrastructure means that each branch is now out of the tape backup business. Every evening VERITAS Replication Exec software replicates all data back to the NAS server located at the F&M data center, where VERITAS Backup Exec software writes the complete data set onto tape (see figure). The Replication Exec software allows system administrators to choose which files to backup, saving tape space. And it only sends the changed portions of files, minimizing network and bandwidth consumption. Leveraging the Backup Exec SmartLink functionality in VERITAS Replication Exec, an administrator can monitor the status of all backup jobs running under Replication Exec software from the Backup Exec

5 FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK BUSINESS VALUE AND TECHNICAL BENEFITS Return on Investment 100% ROI in five months for data protection solution Cost Savings US$100,000 saved per year in out-of-pocket expenses and 24 staff hours per week through elimination of branch backups US$14,400 saved per year in more efficient desktop and laptop provisioning US$136,000 projected savings per year in increased user productivity through self-service restoring of lost or corrupted files Productivity 80% reduction in time required each week to manage enterprise security software environment 20% estimated improvement in IT staff productivity for backup operations With VERITAS Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server, users don t have to call us anymore, they can find files themselves. It saves time in the IT group as well. Within three to six months, most of our employees will be using Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server. Jerry Craft Assistant Vice President, Network Services Scalability 25% projected annual growth in data volume accommodated with no staff increase Information Security 99.9% success rate in quarantining HTTP and FTP attacks 99.9% success rate in blocking -borne viruses Greatly reduced risk of unauthorized access to customer information by eliminating physical movement of tapes from branches to secure storage Console. VERITAS Backup Exec SmartLink software makes it much easier to monitor the replication jobs, explains Craft. Without the SmartLink technology, my staff would need to log in and track each job individually from Replication Exec. With it, they can watch the whole process from the Backup Exec Console. Backup Exec SmartLink also tells them when and why a replication job failed. We save a lot of time with SmartLink. The new system removed a huge administrative burden from the branches as well. When we told the branches that they didn t have to do backups anymore, I received s from every branch the next day thanking us for taking that load off their shoulders, quips Craft. The time our branch administrators spent tending to local backups is now directed toward improving customer service and operational efficiency. Branches don t even need to load their own backup software, since we can use VERITAS Replication Exec software to push the VERITAS Replication Exec software agent to our remote servers. This functionality helps simplify deployment of initial and follow on releases. Replication Exec software also scales easily to extend backup protection to new branches as the bank expands geographically. Backing up remote and mobile users With reliable backups in place for all its servers, F&M decided to extend backup protection to the bank s remote and mobile users with the Desktop and Laptop Option of VERITAS Backup Exec software. We have about 17 employees who keep files on their own machines as opposed to the servers, explains Graham. While they are expected to back up their own information regularly, we decided that we could relieve them of that responsibility with the Desktop and Laptop Option of VERITAS Backup Exec software. The Desktop and Laptop Option keeps track of files that are changed when the remote user is working offline and then synchronizes them to the server when the user next connects to the network. The entire process is transparent to users and ensures that their data is protected and secure. Moving to continuous data protection In Backup Exec 10.0, F&M had a reliable, robust data protection solution. But Graham saw one place for improvement. We believe that 80 percent of files that are lost or corrupted never get restored, Graham asserts. Why? Because users don t want to ask us to find files for them. They might not remember the file name or where it s located, and they don t want to spend 20 minutes on the phone with us. They often just spend the time to recreate the lost information, a productivity drain that we wanted to fix. Enter Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server. When Symantec approached F&M to try out the beta version for VERITAS Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server, Graham and Craft jumped at the chance. After a few months use, both of them see a huge upside potential. With VERITAS Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server, users don t have to call us anymore, they can find files themselves, Craft says. It saves time in the IT group as well. Within three to six months, most of our employees will be using Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server.

6 Banking bottom-line savings from VERITAS Backup Exec Suite Less than a year after implementing the new centralized backup solution, the bank is reaping significant benefits. F&M estimates annual savings of US$100,000 through the elimination of tape backups at each branch and 24 hours a week in labor cost savings. When the cost savings and efficiency gains are compiled, F&M achieved a 100 percent return on investment for its data protection within five months. F&M now completes the combined backup in about four hours, less than the time each branch used to take. Craft credits the high level of integration and improved performance of the Symantec products with making his staff 20 percent more efficient overall. Even with the bank s data growing at a rate of 25 percent a year, he is confident that the IT group can keep up with no increase in staff. Looking ahead to the eventual enterprise-wide deployment of Backup Exec Continuous Protection Server, Graham and Craft are predicting significant employee productivity savings. We estimate that the average user will save as much as 15 minutes a week by being able to retrieve backups immediately, Graham says. With 500 employees, that adds up to US$136,000 annually. Once it is fully deployed, we expect to completely recoup our investment in Backup Exec Continuous Protection quickly. Streamlining the process of deploying PCs with Symantec Ghost Solution Suite A component of information availability is the ability to deploy new machines quickly with a fully useable configuration. Symantec Ghost Solution Suite software has been filling this function for the bank since F&M maintains a library of predefined standard PC images based on the job function of The discounts from the Symantec Elite Program combined with the increased efficiencies of centralized management have reduced the total cost of ownership of our antivirus solution. Robert Graham Senior Vice President of Information Systems the user for example, loan officer, branch manager, or executive. Deploying a new PC is fast: The technician loads the appropriate image for the user s job function, a five-minute operation compared to the four hours it would take to manually build the system using traditional methods. Since we deploy over 60 new systems a year, Symantec Ghost Solution Suite saves us over US$14,400 annually, explains Graham. Symantec Elite Program cuts TCO F&M purchased Symantec Ghost Solution Suite and the other Symantec products under the Symantec Elite Program Enterprise Licensing Agreement, a two-year contract that provides volume discounts and includes upgrade protection and technical support. It has been a big hit at F&M: We like the consolidation of all our purchases into a single yearly figure, says Graham. This and the increased efficiencies of centralized management have reduced the total cost of ownership of our antivirus solution. Technical support provides peace of mind The whole experience of working with Symantec has been a positive one for F&M, both because of the inherent quality of the Symantec products and the company s excellent technical support. Graham cites one example: To test our antivirus protection, we worked with Symantec Technical Support. They showed us how to use the EICAR test string as a simulated virus. That exercise convinced us that we were well protected. On the information availability side, F&M has opted for VERITAS Extended Support since its first deployment of VERITAS products. That choice has paid dividends over the years. For example, during the upgrade, VERITAS Technical Support engineers worked closely with their Dell counterparts to iron out the inevitable integration issues and to get F&M up and running quickly. The installation was painless from our perspective, thanks to the excellent documentation and VERITAS Technical Support, Craft recalls. Using DirectAssist on the VERITAS Technical Support Web site, we find answers to most of our questions ourselves. When we do have to call, we reach a qualified engineer within minutes who has the information to solve our problem. VERITAS Technical Support also assisted F&M in a subsequent upgrade, which added additional capabilities, including the VERITAS Backup Exec SmartLink technology. Symantec-VERITAS merger adds value Graham sees the Symantec-VERITAS merger as beneficial, especially the integration of the two company s products. Both Symantec and VERITAS have a history of delivering robust, effective solutions for Farmers and Merchants, says Graham. With the merger of the two, we look forward to having a single strategic resource that can help us build even more resiliency into our infrastructure. Copyright 2005 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec, the Symantec Logo, Backup Exec, Ghost, Replication Exec, Symantec AntiVirus, LiveUpdate, and VERITAS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.