August 2, 2023
The Information Technology Department of Pearl River Community College has been recognized for excellence by Cohesity. The Trailblazer: Rookie of the Year Award is one of five given as part of the inaugural recognition program.
The Trailblazer Award recognizes an organization that made its first Cohesity purchase on or after January 1, 2022 and has innovated in groundbreaking ways, including driving exceptional early outcomes and/or charting a new course in how data is protected, secured, and managed.
With ransomware attacks on the rise and colleges becoming a regular target, PRCC sought out a more secure data management option than previous options provided.
“With Cohesity, we can answer ‘yes’ to new requirements for cybersecurity insurance – yes, we have immutable backups, keep a copy in the cloud, use MFA, and require multiple administrators to approve changes to backups,” said PRCC’s Chief Information Officer Matt Logan. “Without those capabilities, our insurance premiums would be much higher, if we could get insurance at all.”
Cohesity’s DataProtect and FortKnox maintain onsite and offsite data storage. The data management is integrated with Cisco SecureX to help find potential ransomware attacks quickly. Cohesity also utilizes an immutability feature that will not let a backup with potential data modifications enter the secure environment and flags them for review.
“We live in a day and age where it is not a matter of if institutions or even individuals will become a victim of Ransomware, but will they be able to overcome and recover from the attack,’ said PRCC’s Technical Services Director Kevin Lomax.
The Cohesity data protection solution is only one piece of the overall improvement to PRCC’s digital environment. The IT team has implemented robust measures to safeguard against unauthorized access and potential threats.
Multi-Factor Authentication on all servers adds an extra level of security for accessing systems by introducing a process that involves multiple steps to verify a person’s identity. Software is installed on all computers and servers to shield them from harmful viruses and malicious programs. They set up a system that closely monitors potential security issues with a team available around the clock to respond to incidents. As an educational piece, they have implemented monthly Phishing campaigns to educate users and prepare them for real-world Phishing attacks.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), Facebook (@PRCCMKTG), and TikTok (@prcc_wildcats).
Article by Laura O’Neill. Photography by Jacob Cochran.
