News/Events

LONDON BOROUGH OF HILLINGDON SELECTS MIRAPOINT TO TACKLE SPAM AND PHISHING SCAMS
Mirapoint partner Matrix Communications Group installs RazorGate appliance to enhance security and manage email content

Hillingdon Council consulted with Matrix Communications to select a security platform that would provide scalable and reliable technology that would best meet Hillingdon’s requirements. Matrix were able to offer Hillingdon hands-on advice during the evaluation and assist them to make a decision that best fit their needs, based on a “wish list” of requirements they created together. After the necessary features were agreed upon, Matrix continued to support Hillingdon during the commissioning of the new system. 

“When spending the public’s money, it is essential to do the necessary due diligence and get the best value for every penny spent,” said Bruce Thomson, Technical and IT Security Manager at the London Borough of Hillingdon.  “In close consultation with our integration partner Matrix, we considered the entire spectrum of email security solutions from software to appliance-based to outsourced offerings – it was Mirapoint’s RazorGate appliance that turned out to be the perfect fit.”

“We also needed to ensure we were buying into a company with a history of products which could respond to our evolving security concerns.  Mirapoint’s proven pedigree as a messaging expert was a significant factor in influencing our decision,” added Thomson.

The RazorGate 300 is designed by Mirapoint to be deployed quickly to complement any existing email server and provide immediate results, effectively defending against spam, virus and hacker attacks at the network edge through a sophisticated, multi-layered approach.  The appliance also provides advanced content filtering capabilities which enables the filtering of messages based on keywords in the message body, header, or attachments, including HTML, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files.  This functionality was another key factor in the selection of the product.

“As a council, we are subject to a high level of public scrutiny.  It is vital we prevent the circulation both internally and externally of offensive, illegal or inflammatory content,” confirmed Thomson.  “RazorGate’s advanced content filtering capabilities allow us to configure policies for managing incoming and outgoing email traffic, enabling us to quickly identify email abuse and protect against harassment.”

Performing over 200 statutory functions, the Council receives a high volume of emails from a diverse range of people.  As elected representatives, the Council cannot allow legitimate email to get trapped in a spam filter and therefore required a reliable solution that could effectively defend against spam with near zero false positives.

As well as spam, Hillingdon also singled out phishing scams as a major threat to the well being of its employees.  The Council has a vast range of staff with varying degrees of IT knowledge and it felt it had a duty of care to its workforce to not only protect them from potential phishing scams but also to ensure their time was not wasted in dealing with such content.

“We consulted with Hillingdon Council about the various technologies available to reduce the unsolicited emails they were receiving and identified a ‘wish list’ of requirements. From that list, Matrix and Hillingdon selected Mirapoint as the best solution available,” said Andy Mills, who heads up the security team at Matrix Communications. “With the recent addition of Rapid Anti-Spam technology to its MailHurdle edge-blocking technology, Mirapoint’s RazorGate appliance provides a comprehensive email security solution that meets all of Hillingdon’s requirements. Within days of deployment, Hillingdon Council saw a dramatic drop in spam confirming that together the Council and Matrix Communications selected the right product.”

 “Hillingdon Council is recognised as a pioneer in embracing the benefits of technology in the public sector and we are delighted that it has selected the RazorGate to provide an effective security solution for its workforce,” said Nigel Brooke, VP, EMEA at messaging specialist Mirapoint.  “The Council’s stringent list of criteria proved a perfect match for Mirapoint’s appliance-based approach.”

About Hillingdon Council
Hillingdon is the second largest London Borough by area – 44.7 square miles – with a population of about 250,000 it takes its name from the parish at its centre dating from the 11th Century.  Created in 1965, the Borough stretches from Hertfordshire in the north to Heathrow Airport in the south. Its neighbours are Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Surrey and the London Boroughs of Hounslow, Ealing and Harrow. As well as a large amount of countryside, Hillingdon has a number of important waterways including the Grand Union Canal, the River Colne and the Yeading Brook.

Hillingdon is a relatively prosperous Borough and an attractive location for business, with many UK and international firms making their headquarters here. Unemployment levels are 1.4% compared to a London average of 3.3%. The Borough can boast a thriving and successful University and Further Education College, improving schools, two theatres, the second largest area of green belt of all London Boroughs and currently three major hospitals.

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