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Security Sleuths
8/25/2005
What's more, the ability to look into each data packet to determine its validity provides another layer of protection and gives Barton's IT team fine-grained control over server requests. Finally, the solution's enhanced VPN and log-in capabilities simplify remote network access, and the new system consumes far less processing power than its predecessor. All in all, Perkins describes the new network as "safer than ever" and credits CDW·G for guiding Barton through some critical choices along the way."We are confident that our new security technologies will provide the flexibility to expand our information defenses and address tomorrow's requirements," he says. "Our strategy to combine security products, policies, and vigilance is integral to maintaining a safe and engaging online environment for the Barton community."
Layering Up
At Westminster College (MO), technologists are no strangers to CDW·G. The school has turned to the solution provider quite a bit over the last few years for purchases ranging from cables and supplies, to content management systems and other aspects of network infrastructure. So earlier this summer, it made sense when Network Administrator David Stock decided it was time to invest in better ways of managing network security, he turned to CDW·G for help. Unlike Barton administrators, who wanted a general security solution, Stock was looking for a security tool to meet a particular demand--a tool that would help IT staffers manage security updates across campus.With no delay, CDW·G representatives came in and set up a pilot program with CleanAccess software from Cisco (www.cisco.com). The product helps customers detect, isolate, and clean infected or vulnerable devices that attempt to access the network. At Westminster, the tool would be used specifically to manage updates to Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) operating systems and McAfee (www.mcafee.com/us) Virus Scan antivirus products. Stock tried the product and loved it. The following week, CDW·G lined up a series of conference calls between Westminster and the vendor to make sure all the school's questions were answered.
"It was amazing to me how quickly this whole thing came together," says Stock, who notes that the implementation began in earnest on Aug. 1 and was complete by Aug. 5. "We needed it fast and CDW·G delivered."
Under the new system, all users must install a CleanAccess desktop client before they are granted access to the public internet. With the help of two servers on the back end, the technology automatically pushes updates to the client machines, ensuring that no computers accessing the network present security risks of any kind. Stock says the new protocol enables his IT team to enforce network-use policies without having dedicated staff members monitoring student activities. He adds that the setup is just about the only way he and Westminster technologists could enforce campuswide security policies on computers they don't own.
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