Germany - Data processing systems

Description

Delivery and maintenance of an extension of the existing firewall environment with firewalls from the manufacturer Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. as well as services for implementation, migration and operational support.The subject of the tender is a timely extension of the existing firewall environment with firewalls from the manufacturer Check Point. The current firewall environment no longer meets the performance requirements resulting from increased mobile working due to Covid-19 and increasing segmentation in accordance with ITSiG/BSI and must be expanded in a timely manner.The expansion of the firewall environment must take place during ongoing operations and is to be initially implemented by the bidder.The operation of the firewall environment will be provided after acceptance by UKL. The Contractor shall provide operational support for this as required.
The existing firewall environment with a complex set of rules has to be extended. The tender includes the following services:Supply of additional redundant Next Generation Firewalls from the manufacturer Check Point as hardware appliances with at least 25 Gbit/s NGFW throughput each, their installation and network integration:Maintenance for software and hardware, consisting of manufacturer support and AN service, for the delivered firewalls for 5 yearsCreation of a fine and migration concept for the expansion of the firewall environment in coordination with UKL as well as implementation of the conceptual design (implementation)Integration of the new firewalls into the existing firewall management environmentMigration of firewalls and firewall services according to the fine and migration conceptThe project language is German. The creation of the concepts as well as services and service are carried out in German.A conversion of the firewall environment of the manufacturer Check Point by an environment of another firewall manufacturer is not considered.The security architecture of the University Hospital Leipzig (UKL) represents an overall system whose components are connected in a strictly coordinated interaction. The overall functionality of the security architecture represents the basis for the use of the hospital applications of the UKL.UKL currently operates a firewall environment that must process a greatly increased number of VPN connections (mobile working) as a result of the current circumstances (Covid-19). In addition, the requirements for internal segmentation have grown considerably as a result of ITSiG/BSI specifications and, for example, research groups at the Medical Faculty. This results in significantly increased performance and functionality requirements for the firewall environment. The current firewall environment has to be extended with high time pressure in order to achieve a stable and powerful security architecture for the communication requirements.For this purpose, a scalable overall system for the firewall environment has to be implemented, whose components interact with each other with a coordinated set of rules. The use of the applications of the Kritis company and thus the safeguarding of the hospital operation is dependent on the overall functionality of the security architecture with all its components.UKL restricts the tender in accordance with §31 VgV paragraph 6 to products of the manufacturer whose products are already used in the system environment of the client. For the expansion of the firewall environment, firewalls from Check Point are planned.This product specification is necessary for the following reasons:Firewalls from the manufacturer Check Point are already in use in the UKL network and are operated by UKL employees. A service provider only provides operational support in special circumstances.Due to the protection requirements of the UKL network, network operation is carried out exclusively by UKL's own staff. This staff has been trained and inducted during the development of the security architecture. The staff have completed training in the use of the security components used from the manufacturer Check Point. Any change of manufacturer would affect the operation of the security architecture and delay the migration because the staff is not trained to operate components from other manufacturers and would have to receive renewed training for the components from the new manufacturer. Similarly, there is no operational experience for other vendors and in the event of any disruption to the firewall environment, UKL-IT would be reliant on rapid support from service providers. As disruptions to the firewall environment can also cause disruptions to hospital operations, a time delay and dependency on external support is unacceptable. UKL must avoid increased familiarisation and training costs for a new product, as these cannot be provided under the given time pressure.As the firewall environment is extremely important to the ability of the entire UKL IT network to operate, it must be possible for UKL staff to take over operation of the security architecture with as little effort as possible and during ongoing operation.External operation of the firewall environment is not possible in a cost-efficient manner, as the UKL network and in particular the security architecture is undergoing restructuring due to the changed specifications for Critis environments, and external operation would result in incalculable costs or delayed implementation.The selected firewall products meet the required technical requirements, in particular a high scalability, in order to cover future requirements regarding an expansion of segmentations within the Kritis company.Easy scalability and the continued usability of the existing firewalls in the security architecture of the UKL are of utmost importance for the efficient implementation of further urgent requirements regarding network segmentation according to IT-SiG/BSI and mobile working.The existing firewalls of the manufacturer Check Point are already successfully integrated into the network and security monitoring of the UKL and a management environment for Check Point firewalls is available at the UKL. The decision to expand with Check Point components provides the optimum conditions for the necessarily rapid availability and immediate readiness for use of the expanded security architecture.

Opportunity closing date

18 February 2021

Value of contract

£100k-1m