From country to coast, Gympie region gets protected

Gympie Regional Council in Queensland employs approximately 450 staff to provide infrastructure, programs and facilities for the community. With the implementation of Webroot’s email and web security services, the Council now has reliable protection against spam and viruses for staff and the general public who access the internet in the Council’s offices and public libraries.

The Problem

Gympie Regional Council was established three years ago as a result of local government amalgamations. Home to over 45,000 people, the Gympie Regional Council employs approximately 450 staff and continually explores ways to improve its current procedures and systems.

When the Council’s existing email and web security subscriptions were up for renewal, this gave the Council an opportunity to explore the market for more appropriate options and providers. After an online demonstration from Webroot, the Council realised there were clear advantages that could be gained from a hosted security offering tailored to its needs.

Gympie Regional Council had two obstacles they wanted to resolve. Due to web traffic congestion, the previous system occasionally failed, stopping all incoming and outgoing mail and bringing down the Internet security service. By introducing Webroot’s external infrastructure the Council ensured systems were secure 24 hours a day. As a result, this has reduced downtime and allows the Council to benefit from regular automatic updates from Webroot, without needing to invest in ongoing maintenance and the purchase of additional hardware.

The Council was also seeking to improve management of inappropriate and intrusive internet usage. Gympie Regional Council required a service that could monitor employee web activity to improve worker productivity and eliminate the possibility of viewing unsuitable websites in public libraries through its free Wi-Fi access.

The Solution

With a fast, reliable and cost-effective solution in mind, Gympie Regional Council comprehensively tested Webroot’s service to ensure it was the appropriate tool for their workplace.

The Software as a Service (SaaS) system was an appealing option for the council as it provides 24 hour security, and a 99.999 per cent guarantee of service uptime, a downfall of the previous system.

Peter Bailey, Information Technology Manager, Gympie Regional Council, said the council chose Webroot as their service provider as they delivered a great product with fantastic support.

“The support that Webroot offered us during the evaluation period and now in the service’s every day running has been second to none. There was never a question about the issues we raised; only determination to resolve them,” he said.

“Webroot’s service decluttered our web and email traffic by directing it through its infrastructure which has made our system quick and dependable.”

Gympie Regional Council was also concerned about a delay on data delivery. With large volumes of staff and high rates of email traffic, it was important to ensure these new services did not interrupt the delivery of information.

“Another important factor for us was ensuring there were minimal delays on emails being delivered. This service is so efficient it can scan for spam and viruses on emails with only a 15 second interval between sending and receiving,” Peter said.

With a simple set-up procedure, Webroot now provides the Council with the ability to implement separate policies when restricting inappropriate internet sites in council offices and the library, while monitoring staff activity and ensuring the network is free of viruses.

The Benefits

Peter Bailey said: “Webroot has given us instant capabilities including highly effective category based blocking, allowing us to set up blocking rules based on web content, as opposed to words.”

“The SaaS system also gives us the ability to create excellent and thorough reports that we can easily send to management - a great tool for a large organisation.”

“Webroot’s Email Filtering service scans emails for spam and viruses with minimal delay. It is pleasing to know our system is covered 24 hours a day through the new service.”

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