The George Washington University Protects Sensitive And Private Information With Reconnex Solution
Reconnex iGuards Help University Protect Data and Comply with Regulations While Balancing Security and Academic Freedom
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 18, 2006 - Reconnex, the expert in electronic risk protection, today announced that The George Washington University has purchased two Reconnex iGuard network security appliances. The University is deploying the iGuards at Internet gateway points throughout its campus-wide network, which serves both administration and academic departments. The University is acting proactively to prevent leakage of private information and support compliance with important regulations such as the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The GW’s network is comprised of over 30,000 users and is spread across two class B networks.
"The University places a priority on data security; it has to protect the personal information of thousands of students and employees and ensure compliance with all pertinent regulations," said Amy Hennings, assistant director, information security, The George Washington University. "The Reconnex iGuard technology will make it far easier and faster to find and mitigate problems, allowing us to improve network security while freeing up staff time for other important functions."
Two years ago, the GW’s security team began a process of regularly scanning servers for confidential data. This exercise was not only time consuming but also potentially prone to errors, as it was difficult to scan all files effectively. The scanning problem was compounded by the fact that while most of the servers the University needed to scan were Microsoft Windows machines, it also had to scan some Linux and Apple servers as well. These servers host a number of different applications that create and use data. "Ensuring data integrity on a system-by-system basis was extremely difficult; we decided we needed to complement these types of checks with a network-based view of the problem," said Hennings.
With the Reconnex iGuard, The George Washington University will be able to automatically scan all traffic leaving and entering its network, regardless of the server that data resides in or the application being used. Confidential information, such as social security numbers, will be identified. Other information is not collected so the privacy of GW users will be maintained. Only the Reconnex appliance is port agnostic and protocol independent, allowing 100 percent visibility into electronic threats. This capability will allow the University to compress a process that once took hours or even days to a matter of minutes.
GW expects the iGuards will be extremely helpful in forensic investigations by logging data passed between systems. When security incidents arise, the University can use the iGuards to look at the entire data session and determine what information was accessed. In addition, the iGuards will be used to pinpoint unauthorized servers on campus and inappropriate data use.
"Adding the iGuards to GW’s defense-in-depth strategy is a proactive measure for staying ahead of the threat of data loss. We’re pleased to add the Reconnex appliances in support of our mission to protect confidential data while balancing security and academic freedom," said Krizi Trivisani, GW’s chief security officer.
"The George Washington University deployment is a perfect example of how the iGuard enables organizations to provide regulatory compliance and security without compromising the needs of network users," said John Peters, CEO of Reconnex. "And the iGuard does this automatically, thus providing a far better, faster, and more cost-effective solution than the university’s previous methods."
About The George Washington University
Located four blocks from the White House, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the nation's capital. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 120 countries. For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
About Reconnex
Reconnex is the standard for electronic risk protection for Fortune 1000 companies, government organizations, financial institutions, and healthcare providers who want to protect their brands, shareholder value, and mission-critical operations from the insider threat. Reconnex offers complete visibility into both known and unknown threats to network and information security; provides intelligent capture, classification, and storage of all outbound and inbound content for risk discovery, correlation, and analysis; and enables open integration with existing enterprise security solutions. Reconnex enables enterprises to know with certainty what content enters and leaves their networks and to quickly capture, identify, and remediate both known and unknown threats to compliance, competitive advantage, corporate governance, and critical infrastructure.
For more information, call Reconnex today at 1-866-940-4590 or visit us on the web at www.reconnex.net.
