Cascade Defense
Layered Security Solutions for Modern Enterprises

The Liberty Lake, Washington-based security solutions provider Cascade Defense is barely a year old, but their dedication to Fortinet solutions and its security fabric gives them an edge over other providers with extended product sets. Their team’s extensive knowledge and experience with security solutions make their success possible.

Steve Sims, co-founder of the company and Air Force veteran, believes that their team “eats, drinks, and sleeps Fortinet.” He and his partner, Eric Foster, each have over ten years of experience in the IT security domain, and they use their proficiency to deal with the ever-changing environment of security and the avalanche of threats in the modern world.

Cascade's Arsenal

Gone are the days when businesses only need to secure a single point of internet access for physical locations. Today, cloud services, SAAS, wireless networks and much more must be protected from a variety of attack vectors, such as malware, ransom ware, phishing or other zero-day attacks. Modern enterprises need layered protection with Unified Threat Management (UTM) or Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) across cloud infrastructures, wireless locations, and internal segments. Cascade Defense offers end-to-end protection utilizing the Fortinet platform with various solutions, such as sandboxing, centralized management and switch/AP management.

Steve believes that, due to a shortage of qualified security engineers in the market, managed security services will increase in popularity. Backed by the maturity of the Fortinet platform, Cascade Defense offers top-of-the-line solutions for their clients. “Fortinet has brought much-advanced functionality into their platform, especially in switching and wireless, which others with basic capabilities cannot match,” he observes. The knowledgeable team rarely receives customer requests to which they are unable to cater; however, Steve says that if they do encounter such an issue, Fortinet responds quickly with use cases and design specifications that can best serve their customers.

Fortinet has brought in much advanced functionality into their platform, especially in switching and wireless, which others with basic capabilities cannot match

Cascade Defense prioritizes meeting client expectations and bridging the gap between business needs and security. They use their experience to understand a business’s needs and know how to be flexible in every situation. If customers want to secure remote access or to provide more visibility into additional layers of the network, they are quick to respond. Collectively, the team has worked across nearly all verticals within the industry, including state and local governments. They believe that their breadth of experience and the customization and flexibility of their offerings gives them a distinct advantage in the industry.

As an example, one client in the food service industry required a different configuration for each of its more than 20 locations, including offices, production plants, and warehouses. Each location required various capabilities with unique access policies and wireless specifications. Cascade Defense provided solutions for all the client’s needs using the suite of Fortinet products.

Bracing for the Future

Cascade Defense has set its sights on launching more solutions and products. By early 2019, they expect to launch their Managed SIEM (Security Information Event Management) offerings. They also plan to launch additional services based on Fortinet’s product offerings, including managed sandboxing solutions, while simultaneously expanding operations across the Pacific Northwest. They foresee growth in security as enterprises of all sizes embrace the managed security model. “Small-to-medium businesses and mom-and-pop businesses can no longer deploy a simple ‘set it and forget it’ device and cross their fingers, hoping nothing will happen,” says Peter Johnson, VP, Business Development at Cascade Defense.