For Students in the Newport News School District, Learning Never Stops With Internet Protection from SurfControl
10 January 2006
SurfControl Web Filter for CheckPoint FireWall-1 Helps District IT Staff
Regain Control of Computer Resources, Monitor and Log Unauthorized Web Use
and Improve ROI for Technology Purchases
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 9 -- SurfControl (London: SRF), the world leader in enterprise threat protection, today announced Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is helping to protect more than 38,000 students and teachers from malicious Internet threats using the newest release of SurfControl Web Filter for Check Point FireWall-1(R). NNPS reports that the integrated SurfControl/Check Point solution has virtually eliminated all forms of spyware and unauthorized applications from the district's computers, improving its return on investment from the purchase of network bandwidth, desktop computers and other IT systems.
The Newport News Public Schools is a K-12 educational institution in Newport, Va. Because Internet use is becoming a standard component of the learning process, NNPS has an ongoing initiative aimed at providing more advanced security for data and the management of network traffic and performance affecting administrative support as well as instructional educational systems. The NNPS IT staff found itself faced with Internet threats that were increasing in maliciousness and frequency, ongoing attempts by unknown users to gain access to computing resources and a critical need to accurately monitor and secure all Web activity in compliance with regulations governing the online safety of students. NNPS considered overall protection against Internet threats, ease of use and administration, reporting and auditing capabilities and integration with the district's existing CheckPoint firewall as key priorities. They elected to deploy SurfControl Web Filter for Check Point FireWall-1.
"For technology to improve education we have to ensure a safe and effective computing environment that protects all students and teachers, otherwise technology impedes rather than enhances the educational process," said John Savage, director of IT for Newport News Public Schools. "The integrated SurfControl/Check Point solution automated our ability to identify, block and log unauthorized Web activity and eliminate most of the threats we were experiencing, dramatically increasing our overall network security and helping us maintain the availability of critical online educational services."
SurfControl Web Filter shields NNPS users from the wide spectrum of Internet threats including spyware, Trojans, viruses and phishing scams that result in more and more identity theft. The solution is powered by SurfControl's Adaptive Threat Intelligence(TM) (ATI) Service, which combines 24/7 threat research and analysis from the company's global team of threat detection experts, with the comprehensive Internet Threat Database and artificial intelligence technologies. Organized into six overarching protection groups and 54 well-organized categories, the SurfControl's Internet Threat Database provides NNPS with flexibility to develop and enforce an Internet acceptable use policy tailored to the district's specific needs. It features more than 13 million Web sites and more than 2.3 billion Web pages covering 200 countries and 70 languages.
Savage continued, "We were extremely pleased with the reporting provided by SurfControl Report Central. We haven't seen any other reporting tool for Web filtering like it. We can now quickly identify new threats and security concerns that may be harmful to our users or create a wide variety of risks for the district.
"We are also greatly concerned about the online safety and security of our teachers after they leave the safety of the confines of the NNPS network. SurfControl Enterprise Threat Shield allows our teachers to take the safety of our local network with them as they travel with their laptop computers, preventing scenarios in which portable computers may serve as a conduit for Web-based threats to be introduced back into the school division."
SurfControl Web Filter extends the value of NNPS's Check Point firewalls by providing a better understanding of user activity while causing virtually no impact on overall network performance. SurfControl Web Filter has helped NNPS distribute protection across an 80-mile wide fiber-based metropolitan area network, protecting each school in the district while maintaining multi-gigabit performance and nearly flawless network uptime. "When budgets are stretched thin and every dollar is scrutinized, it's nice to know that the integrated SurfControl/Check Point solution ensures we're getting full use of the bandwidth for which we are paying," concluded Savage.
About SurfControl
SurfControl plc (LSE: SRF) is a world leading Internet Security company delivering multiple layers of threat protection to shield organizations against complex blended threats. SurfControl's Enterprise Protection Suite has redefined traditional "filtering" by offering a unified threat management solution that eliminates spam, spyware and phishing attacks, as well as Web and e-mail abuse. The SurfControl Adaptive Threat Intelligence(TM) Service provides continuous and proactive threat detection and protection from emerging threats, known blended threats, and customer-specific threats. Customers avoid significant business downtime that impacts productivity and the bottom line, while limiting legal liability and enforcing regulatory compliance and confidentiality. SurfControl has 14 offices worldwide serving more than 20,000 enterprise customers. For further information and news on SurfControl, visit http://www.surfcontrol.com.
Source: prnewswire
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