La Salle Enhances Network Protection & Data Security with Help from IT Solutions

A nationally recognized leader in technology education, La Salle College High School supports one of the most advanced networks available in secondary education. The school’s wireless campus includes five state-of-the-art computer labs, TV and multi-media studios for students to gain unprecedented hands-on experience. La Salle has been awarded for the its innovative approach to education, namely for the school’s Lab Manager programs and Microsoft IT Academy curriculum, preparing students for a successful transition to college and careers in the Information Technology field for more than 12 years.

La Salle’s student-assisted IT department wanted to get a professional services firm’s outside evaluation of the school’s network and datacenter security practices to ensure conformity with emerging industry standards and proper protection from increasing external threats that are impacting businesses and schools alike today. Having already fulfilled PCI compliance requirements, La Salle IT staff had confidence that their network was in a strong position from a security standpoint, but sought to identify any potential gaps in order to tighten security measures and processes even further.

Having worked together over the years on a number of successful projects and support, La Salle selected IT Solutions to conduct a security assessment that focused on five core areas: user accounts, data storage, network devices, physical security, and written security policies. After completing the assessment, IT Solutions delivered a detailed list of recommendations, including the following:

• Expansion of the password policy to allow for stricter security
• Implementation of secure web filtering for enhanced user protection
• Replacement of outdated management portals with newer, more secure front ends
• Enhancements to anti-malware tools and processes to guard against Cryptowall and other insidious programs
• Recommendations for more comprehensive monitoring of hardware security and stability

One month after IT Solutions delivered its report, La Salle was already implementing a majority of the recommendations, strengthening the school’s network protection and further reducing the risk of a security incident or data breach.  La Salle’s IT department presented the results to the School’s Board to demonstrate their commitment to maintaining network security and data protection is well beyond industry standards. Recognizing the value provided by the additional security measures now in place, the Board agreed to increase the budget and support for the IT department’s growing needs.   With the added security and protections in place, everyone affiliated with La Salle – staff, students, parents, alumni, and the Board – have more confidence than ever knowing that the school’s network is secure and data is as safe as it can be.