From The Field

Jun 1, 2007 12:00 PM

HEALTH CARE

How Potomac Hospital Ensures Network Security

Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, Va., has selected SonicWALL's network security, secure wireless, remote access and data backup solutions to protect the hospital's medical staff, employees and patients. Potomac Hospital is a 183-bed community hospital with more than 1,000 employees and 250 medical professionals serving Prince William County, Va., and surrounding communities.

Looking for a secure wireless solution, Potomac Hospital acted on the suggestion of reseller Database and LAN Solutions (DBLS) and tested alternatives to its legacy vendors. Tony Davis, manager of network systems for Potomac Hospital, selected SonicWALL, Sunnyvale, Calif., after seeing the speed and ease with which DBLS proprietor Jeff Greenspan was able to get the system up and running.

Greenspan worked with Davis to install a secure SonicWALL distributed wireless network that provides Internet access for Potomac Hospital patients and their families as well as wireless access for medical personnel using laptops. Protecting the network is the SonicWALL PRO Series 5060 Unified Threat Management firewall, which is equipped with dynamic threat protection designed to prevent entry of viruses, worms, Trojans and other malware. The hospital also uses the devices for two active wide area networks and as secure wireless switches and controllers for 37 SonicWALL SonicPoint secure wireless access points.

“When there is a major virus outbreak, my counterparts at other hospitals are working through the night to secure their networks or make repairs, while I am heading home,” Davis says. “The medical industry is an entirely different world, and if we make a mistake or our technology fails, it can be bad for a whole lot of people.”

PUBLIC FACILITIES

Grace Christian Center Overcomes Rekeying Dilemma

Grace Christian Center, Killeen, Texas, has approximately 170 doorways throughout three buildings, and more than 2,000 adult members. Because of the facility's large size, the staff faced significant key control issues. “Our biggest concern was having to rekey the entire facility every time someone lost a key ring, or a master key,” says Pastor Steven Timmerman. The loss of a master key had forced the church to re-key the facility three times over a six-year period.

In July 2004, the church selected the CyberLock system from Videx Inc., Corvallis, Ore., and installed it on the church's exterior doorways, offices, classrooms, sound booths, children's ministry, and an outdoor basketball court and play area. The system provides audit trails that identify who accesses, or attempts to access, a lock at a specific date and time. The lock cylinders do not require wiring, which saved the church installation costs. The CyberLock system has reduced the number of keys each person has to carry. The church plans to expand the installation by converting closets throughout the facility.

HOTELS

HotUSA Hotels Group Selects ADT To Provide Security For Portugal Hotels

ADT Security Services has been chosen by the HotUSA Hotels Group as a recommended supplier to provide electronic security systems for its extensive hotel network in Portugal. HotUSA is a leading hotel consortium in Europe with more than 150 hotels in Portugal. ADT will install anti-intrusion, closed circuit television (CCTV), access control and fire detection systems throughout the national chain.

“Security is one of the strong points that hotel guests most appreciate and look out for,” says Ignacio Cuenca, marketing director for ADT Spain and Portugal. “We will be working to adapt our systems and services to the individual requirements of each hotel.”

EDUCATION

Surveillance System Demonstration Highlights Capabilities At Colorado High School

Security With Advanced Technology (SWAT), Westminster, Colo., demonstrated its Agile-Mesh product line of wireless mesh network video surveillance systems at a high school in Colorado. In collaboration with the Douglas County School District's Chief of Security Larry Borland, and Douglas County Sheriff David Weaver, SWAT highlighted its systems' capabilities at Castle View High School, Castle Rock, Colo., on May 16.

The AgileMesh products are rapidly deployable video surveillance systems designed for first responders, including local police departments, fire departments and emergency response units. They can immediately provide video footage from inside a school during a crisis situation. First responders can view video images from fixed cameras already installed in schools and from mobile cameras that can be quickly deployed around the school. The images are transmitted wirelessly and securely in real time to a patrol car or a mobile command center.

“We want to let people know what options are available today to prepare schools for a crisis situation,” says Scott Sutton, president and CEO for SWAT.

John Jay School of Criminal Justice Deploys IP-Based Access Control

In order to provide security for more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff at three college buildings in New York City, John Jay School of Criminal Justice has deployed Longitude IP-Based Access Control (IPAC) from DVTel Inc., Ridgefield Park, N.J. The system is a “turnkey” replacement of an older system, and it solves a labor-intensive problem in the university system environment: data input and assigning user privileges.

The Longitude IPAC system can automatically load cardholders and assign access privileges to the student, faculty and staff population via download from the university's registrar system. There are approximately 30 turnstiles and six ID-badging stations at the three campus locations, providing access control for 20,000 students and staff. DVTel converted the data from the school's original system, including photos and card information and used existing hardware. Other features of the system include alarm monitoring, graphical maps, automation, reporting, photo ID badge creation, time and attendance, visitor logging and a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for criminal courts/correctional institutions.

Sarasota County School District Orders More Video Surveillance

GVI Security Solutions Inc., a provider of Samsung video security surveillance systems, has received an additional school video security order from the Sarasota County School District in Florida.

“We expect to deliver more than 900 outdoor weatherproof and vandal-resistant dome cameras that incorporate motorized zoom lens technology during 2007 to expand the school's surveillance solution,” says Michael D. Capulli, GVI Security Solutions senior vice president of sales for North America.

“The new order is in addition to the 700 cameras that we have already shipped and that have been installed since the program began last year.” The project includes CCTV video surveillance controlled through RS-485 communications.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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