Guardian Pharmacy Services
Pharmacy Service Provider Solidifies Lead in Automated Dispensing with Hybrid Mesh Firewall Approach
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Overview
Georgia-based Guardian Pharmacy Services is a distributor of custom-packaged pharmaceuticals for skilled nursing homes and other care facilities. As such, its operational technology (OT) systems are vulnerable to the same kinds of cybersecurity threats as those in other manufacturing environments. And because Guardian Pharmacy transacts with healthcare systems, its IT network and users are prime targets of cybercriminals seeking patients’ personal information.
These complex concerns led the company to a cybersecurity architecture based on Fortinet’s hybrid mesh firewall approach. From its on-premises OT and IT networks to its cloud assets, Guardian Pharmacy now has unified network protection and rapid, effective threat mitigation. It also has an operationally efficient way to scale its secure network while retaining a lean IT staff.
“Fortinet makes it a lot easier to manage our network and security infrastructure. In fact, managing our network without Fortinet would require us to hire more staff—or else we would have trouble keeping the network secure.”
– Mathis Colquitt, Manager, IT Infrastructure and Security, Guardian Pharmacy Services
Business Impact
Significantly enhanced security across firewalls, switches, and access points in every pharmacy
Segmentation protects robotic dispensing systems in case of an IT breach, and vice versa
Streamlined cybersecurity insurance application process because of security enhancements
95% smaller IT staff, vs. likely staffing requirements in a non-Fortinet infrastructure
Substantial cost savings through consolidation of many different security capabilities within FortiGate NGFWs
Better business agility, as FortiGate architecture can scale quickly, easily—and securely in Azure Public Cloud
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[We are] trying to be proactive, rather than reactive. I would much rather prevent someone from getting in [the network], rather than having to figure out: ‘Okay. They have been there for how long, and what have they done?’ And I think that is the important piece: looking at the zero-trust approach.”
- Charles Christian, Vice President of Technology and CTO, Franciscan Health
We have a nursing home, rehab hospitals, and home health agencies. They need service 24 hours a day. And we have been getting hit with a lot of hurricanes and other disruptions, where the lines get wet, and the main internet service goes down. We really needed SD-WAN, because we are nonprofit, so we do not have a lot of funding, and we have to pick and choose the equipment and services we get.”
- Sheikh Arshed, Director of Information Security and IT Operations, Catholic Health Services
If I log into a FortiGate, it will notify me if there are updates available for our switches and access points as well. We can use FortiManager to push out patches and updates to all our buildings from a central location. Having that centralized management is a key reason to go with Fortinet.”
- Brian Cole, VP and IT Security Officer, Diversicare
