AX Group is one of Malta’s leading diversified group of companies, operating in multiple sectors, including healthcare, hospitality, development, construction, real estate, and renewable energy.
The Group’s diverse portfolio, comprising award-winning hotels, Michelin-awarded restaurants, luxury residences, the Hilltop Gardens Retirement Village, and various other landmark developments, speaks for itself.
ICT Solutions enabled the delivery of a resilient network infrastructure and an enhanced security posture across the group’s critical network.
A cyber security overhaul
The client
AX Group is one of Malta’s leading Groups of Companies, with interests spanning hospitality, construction, and healthcare. With multiple hotels and business sites, AX Group’s operations rely heavily on fast, reliable connectivity – from internal corporate systems to guest Wi-Fi in hotels. In 2024, the decision was taken to overhaul their existing network to better cater for modern user experience and security demands. They needed a security-driven networking overhaul that would unify and protect all sites, improve reliability, and support new initiatives (like smarter guest services and large-scale events).
What AX wanted to achieve
AX Group’s strategy was to build out central management, avoiding silos and potential security gaps. Key initiatives included:
- Consistent Security – Uniform firewalls and consistent security policies. AX needed enterprise-grade firewalls with advanced security features deployed at every site to defend against modern threats.
- Guest Traffic Management – In the hotels, guest internet usage is heavy and considered mission-critical for customer experience. This traffic had to be isolated from corporate traffic for security, without sacrificing performance.
- Simplify Network Operations – With many devices and sites, AX’s IT team needed an effective way monitor everything. They wanted a centralized management and logging system, plus expert support to keep the network healthy 24/7.
”“ICT Solutions has truly transformed our network with cutting-edge, secure infrastructure connecting all our hotels and offices,” says Marthese Vella, Chief Technology Officer at AX Group. “Guests at our hotels now enjoy fast, reliable Wi-Fi, even during sold-out events, and our internal teams can collaborate faster than ever. More importantly, we have peace of mind knowing our network is secure and professionally managed 24/7. ICT Solutions’ expertise with Fortinet technology and their hands-on support have been invaluable – it’s like having an extension of our own IT department. This network overhaul hasn’t just solved our issues; it’s empowered us to innovate and deliver better service to our customers.”
Marthese VellaCTO
Business impact
Seamless Connectivity & Control
Enhanced visibility and centralised management
Simplified security troubleshooting
Future proof with next-generation functionality
A 3 stage approach to cyber security
Next-generation firewall protection
This Cyber Security Solution for AX uses next-generation firewalls, deploying the devices throughout its nationwide network infrastructure. The high availability firewall configuration increases performance, capacity, and security for corporate services, internet services, internet browsing, and VPN aggregation and SASE readiness.
The Solution delivered to AX also leverages threat intelligence to help appliances protect the network against new attacks—including zero-day threats—that might have defeated its previous firewalls.
Greater visibility and control
The Cyber Security solution provided enhanced protection and visibility as AX’s attack surface expands due to increased user mobility.
In addition, this newfound visibility has helped with other aspects of network management and planning. Real-time insights into each firewall’s status—including current bandwidth, active sessions, and hit count—have proved invaluable for capacity management decision-making.