South Dakota Achieve has a big job. The Sioux Falls-based nonprofit agency serves more than 475 people with disabilities, mostly adults. With more than 570 full- and part-time employees, Achieve also has a large staff to coordinate.
The organization’s official mission is to find innovative ways to help clients achieve their dreams. The uncertain status of state and federal funding programs that assist people in need add complexities to the agency’s future.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Achieve and Children’s Care Hospital & School, another prominent nonprofit in Sioux Falls, are exploring the possibility of merging. Children’s Care Hospital & School serves children and young adults with disabilities, so the two agencies appear to be compatible.
Network security is one facet of operations that leaders of Achieve don’t have to spend much time worrying about. That’s because Achieve subscribes to Managed Firewall Service from SDN Communications in Sioux Falls.
Dan Luke, Achieve’s IT Director, says SDN also has assisted the organization with some network troubleshooting. But firewall protection is the main service SDN provides Achieve, Luke says.
It was attracted to SDN by the company’s ability to monitor threats 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
“It’s a capability we didn’t have before,” Luke said.
Maintaining high-quality, round-the-clock firewall protection from sophisticated and relentless threats is critical for many organizations and businesses. One successful attack on an organization’s electronic assets can be devastating.
Breakdowns can be costly
Managed Firewall is among SDN’s expanded suite of Managed Services. Firewall protection is also part of a Managed Hardware Service that SDN offers to businesses.
Businesses are sending and receiving more electronic data than ever. One breakdown in security can seriously damage an organization’s reputation as well as its financial standing.
Threats to networks change daily. Too often, network security becomes a concern for organizations after data has been compromised.
But that can change by proactively monitoring and protecting networks from malware, cyber attacks, and data loss. That’s what SDN’s Managed Firewall Service offers for a flat, monthly fee, all while allowing organizations to focus more attention on core operations and less on network security.
That monthly cost varies depending on the level of service desired, but is steady and predictable; you don’t have to worry about surprise capital expenditures popping up because SDN provides and maintains the necessary equipment.
On top of that, SDN monitors clients’ networks 24-7 and have engineers ready to help, if needed.
Clients can also see how much and what type of traffic is moving on their networks on reports from SDN while logs help clients meet regulatory requirements of their industry.
Anti-virus software is also an important component of a company’s network security. However, anti-virus software alone does not provide full protection.
Service offers numerous advantages
Firewall protection from SDN offers clients numerous advantages. It can help:
- Identify and resolve network issues
- Provide logs to help monitor suspicious activity
- Provide customized alert configurations
- Retain ownership of security policies
- Enhance an organization’s reputation with customers
- Securely connect clients’ branch offices and mobile users
- Block unnecessary applications
- Find threats hidden within legitimate content
SDN staffers keep up with the evolving complexities of technology and will work with clients’ existing staff to implement and maintain protection.
Learn more about how SDN’s Managed Firewalls can help your budget and give back time to your staff, take a quick self-assessment and request a demonstration through the form on the final step.
