The Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) stands as a beacon of digital connectivity, facilitating seamless interactions between networks, internet service providers (ISPs), and content providers worldwide. The neutral member-based association operates multiple interconnection platforms around the world. Its leading platform in Amsterdam is one of the largest hubs for internet traffic in the world with over 12 Terabits per second (Tbps) of peak traffic. With an eye toward proactive risk mitigation, AMS-IX sought a management and security solution capable of providing comprehensive oversight across Mac and mobile devices.
Fostering a secure environment
Playing a crucial role in the core of the internet in Europe and worldwide, cyber security is a top priority for the organization. As is ensuring online safety for co-workers. Harald Bosman, Senior macOS Engineer and Endpoint Security Expert at AMS-IX, recognizes the critical role of visibility in maintaining device and data security in such a globally connected environment.
For Harald, visibility is key to success when it comes to keeping devices and company data safe. A management solution capable of giving an overview of all devices across different platforms was required to create an efficient and secure environment. Furthermore, the team wanted to build and implement policies that could be dynamically changed and easily adapted to user behaviour and needs. For instance, certain users needed periodic, rather than continuous, admin privileges, all while upholding compliance and data security standards.
Equally important was fostering confidence and awareness of potential threats within the user community. Through close collaboration between IT, security teams and end-users, AMS-IX encourages a culture of security awareness and resilience.
Working together
According to Harald, Jamf was chosen by its reputation in managing and securing Mac and mobile devices. Driven by the unique challenges faced by Mac administrators, AMS-IX had already integrated Jamf into its technology ecosystem; however, extending management to include mobile devices required an additional layer of security.
Recognizing the importance of mobile device security, Harald extended Jamf capabilities to secure mobile fleets, enhancing visibility and safeguarding sensitive information.
Working together with their information security and end users, the team merged Jamf Pro, Jamf Protect and Jamf Connect, together with their IdP and other integrations, to create a full circle solution with the flexibility required by the organisation. These close internal connections helped keep their information security teams and IT admins on the same page, making work easier for both camps. The synergy means policies can continue to evolve and teams have the bandwidth to keep learning in this fast-paced environment.
With Jamf, AMS-IX gained a platform that not only mitigates problems but also provides invaluable visibility into device activity. This visibility empowered the team to create and enforce dynamic policies adaptable to evolving user behavior and compliance needs, ensuring a more robust defense against potential threats.
Security with Jamf
When it comes to safeguarding devices with Jamf, Harald mentions that the integration of Jamf with built-in macOS security features such as Gatekeeper has been crucial. “Apple and Jamf are in the same fruit bowl. If there is a problem, it usually gets solved pretty quickly”, said Harald.
Jamf Pro keeps Gatekeeper always up to date while Jamf Protect keeps logs of exactly what is happening on each device. With Jamf Protect, the risk assessment can be made by the security experts and any threat can be dealt with immediately, not just shown to the user in the unsafe situation. Through Jamf Pro, AMS-IX uses SOAR (Security Orchestration Automation and Response), where communication with the end user is part of the incident response. This way the team can instruct the user on the next steps to get themselves back to safety.
This is especially key when it comes to mobile devices. “Your phone is holding quite a lot of sensitive information about you as a user but also about the company. We need visibility on these phones”, said Harald.
Part of keeping the company secure is teaching users what to watch out for when using their devices online. Jamf Trust, a user facing app that identifies malicious websites and scripts, has been helpful in building awareness within the user community. With the app installed, users become immediately aware of any risk behaviour. This visibility helps develop better habits and fosters discussions between users, IT and management teams that benefit the overall security posture of the organisation.
What’s next
When envisaging the times ahead, Harald mentioned that AMS-IX wants to continue enhancing the safety of Mac and mobile fleets without crossing the line between security and functionality. Improved security responses need to go hand in hand with keeping applications working well and not interfering with activities. To keep policies adaptable and suited for different world locations, AMS-IX plans to go further with automations.
“If our coworkers go to China, or to Oman, or to Qatar, or to the US or to Venezuela it should not matter. I should always be able to keep their online presence as safe as possible. Automation is key in this case.”
AMS-IX brought Jamf from Mac to mobile with the addition of Jamf Protect and Jamf Connect to their original management solution with Jamf Pro. This great foundation leverages Jamf’s holistic approach of management and security together—Trusted Access.
