CHALLENGE

The Tax Collector’s Office for Polk County, Florida (TCPC), was operating on an IT infrastructure that was outdated and near the end of its life. TCPC needed a more reliable, secure, and up-to-date technology to facilitate daily operations and records for its citizens. At first, the office was considering a hardware refresh but then decided to seek an exceptional partner in the journey towards a more agile and secure IT infrastructure.

SOLUTION

Instead of replacing expensive hardware, the Tax Collector’s Office for Polk County chose Thrive’s industry-leading and fully managed Thrive Cloud solutions with exceptional Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and performance. The Thrive team created a comprehensive bundle of a Virtual Private Cloud, Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS), Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), and Cybersecurity solutions that fit TCPC’s budget, requirements and compliance. The ThriveCloud Platform is VMware-based and built for the most demanding workloads with 24×7 monitoring, management and support.

RESULT

As a result of the Thrive partnership, the Tax Collector’s Office for Polk County experienced a seamless transition to the ThriveCloud Platform, enabling TCPC to accommodate the growing demand for citizen records quickly. The robust solutions also gave the office automation, visibility and control of workloads to improve efficiency and lower costs.

TESTIMONIAL 

“I wholeheartedly recommend Thrive to any organization seeking a seamless transition to a Virtual Private Cloud environment. We were kept informed during every step of the migration and they were always available to address any concerns. Their expertise, commitment, and personalized approach make them an exceptional partner in the journey towards a more agile and secure IT infrastructure.”
-Timothy Murphy | Chief Information Officer
Office of Joe G. Tedder, Tax Collector for Polk County, Florida

How can Thrive help your business?

Thrive is a leading provider of outsourced IT Infrastructure designed to drive business outcomes by helping you get the most out of your IT.

To learn more about our services, CONTACT US

The post A Florida Tax Collector’s office selects Thrive to update aging IT infrastructure and protect vital data with the Cloud appeared first on Thrive.

44% of government agencies have said they experience cyber attacks daily, with the pace of breaches accelerating, according to researchers. Download our eBook to learn more.

The post The Partner That Knows: State & Local Government Industry eBook appeared first on Thrive.

At Thrive, we understand you require an IT infrastructure that is strong, secure, and resilient. That’s why our solutions provide customers with several advantages, including safe, dependable business continuity and data recovery.

A disaster recovery plan (DRP), in its simplest form, is a collection of guidelines, tools, and processes designed to change how critical technological systems and infrastructure are restored or maintained following a natural or man-made disaster.

The terms disaster recovery planning (DRP) and business continuity planning (BCP) are frequently used interchangeably.

Disaster recovery plans focus on the steps that must be taken before, during, and after a loss. In contrast, BCP is the preventive process set up before managing a disaster.

Unplanned downtime examples include:

• Cyberattacks
• Hardware failure
• Software failure
• Power outages
• Data corruption
• External security breaches
• User error

At Thrive, we keep your infrastructure operational.

The following are five advantages Thrive can provide for your BCP:

1. Minimal Data Loss, Fast Recovery. For protection against incidents that could completely disrupt regular business operations, Thrive offers NextGen IT business continuity solutions that minimize data loss and offer quick, automated recovery of essential systems. Thrive’s Cloud-based Enterprise-class business continuity solutions are ideal for organizations of any size. They are tested and proven DR solutions to meet demanding recovery objectives.
2. Priority Restoration Approach. An essential part of an effective business continuity plan is identifying your company’s mission-critical deliverables, prioritizing restoration, and conducting a proactive risk assessment to determine key risk factors that can disrupt processes. To guarantee that the response tactics and data security techniques stay relevant, Thrive’s disaster recovery plan, which includes a BCP framework, is most successful when updated and tested regularly.
3. Cost Savings. Developing and executing a DR plan is often limited due to budget, technology, resources, or the availability of skilled professionals onsite. That’s where Thrive comes in. Our Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) offering is a cloud computing service model that allows an organization to back up its data and IT infrastructure in a third-party cloud computing environment. This makes it possible to regain access and functionality to IT infrastructure after a disaster.
4. Rapid Deployment.. Thrive’s Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) provides virtually no data loss and costs less than increasing the recovery speed of the current provider. The Thrive team can virtualize physical web servers and set up shadow servers in a Virtual Private Cloud.
5. Monitoring 24x7x365. Thrive offers complete access to our Network Operations Centers (NOCs), which are staffed by senior technicians and disaster recovery experts and accessible 24x7x365 to implement your DRaaS plan in the event of a disaster or an emergency. Our specialized monitoring and alerting procedures safeguard your vital systems and data.

Thrive’s business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) solutions assist our clients in being prepared for the worst.

Contact our team today to learn more.

The post Five Reasons SLED Organizations Need a Disaster Recovery Plan appeared first on Thrive.

In order to meet these standards and those still to come, various government funding programs have been put in place to offer organizations the opportunity to modernize their cybersecurity practices and mitigate incoming threats as effectively as possible. 

How can you navigate the funding opportunities available to you? Leverage Thrive’s services to help break down the complexity of this process and help you find the programs that best fit your organization. 

For State and Local Governments

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

• Thrive understands that state and local governments require robust cybersecurity solutions to protect their critical infrastructure as well as civilian and government data. Through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), significant federal aid is available to support cybersecurity investments such as leveraging big-data analytics and around-the-clock insights to prove cybersecurity compliance across all major frameworks and strategies. By leveraging Thrive’s expertise in software and critical infrastructure protection, organizations can modernize their cybersecurity programs and effectively secure their assets.

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP)

• Another vital funding source for state and local governments is the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP). Comprehensive cybersecurity planning is essential for addressing risks and threats effectively. Thrive can collaborate with organizations to develop a robust cybersecurity plan that aligns with the requirements of the SLCGP. With Thrive’s support, governments can leverage applicable security programs within the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring compliance and proactive security measures.

For Federal Agencies 

Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)

• For federal agencies, it is a top priority to enhance cybersecurity across government networks to ensure the safety of critical systems as well as the protection of Personal Identifiable Information (PII). The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) serves as a valuable resource to address urgent IT modernization challenges and bolster cybersecurity measures. By leveraging TMF funding, agencies can accelerate information technology-related projects that improve cybersecurity and secure sensitive government systems. Agencies can work with Thrive to take advantage of such funding opportunities, ensuring the adoption of the proper frameworks to transform reactive cybersecurity practices into a proactive cybersecurity strategy that ensures ongoing protection. 

Leverage Thrive to Meet Your Needs

At Thrive, we understand the significance of federal funding sources in modernizing cybersecurity practices for state and local governments, as well as federal agencies. By leveraging ARPA, SLCGP, and TMF, organizations can close their budgetary gaps and meet today’s threat management challenges, adhere to increasingly complex compliance obligations, and strengthen risk mitigation long-term.

Thrive encourages organizations to maximize the benefits of these funding opportunities. By partnering with Thrive, specifically our vCISO and vCIO services, government entities can navigate the federal funding landscape with confidence, effectively modernize their cybersecurity programs, and ensure the protection of critical infrastructure. Together, we can maximize your security potential, contact Thrive and book a consultation to learn more.

The post Navigating Federal Funding Sources to Modernize Cybersecurity appeared first on Thrive.

While cybersecurity remains the biggest IT challenge and area of investment for government agencies, cybercriminals are leveraging the vulnerabilities and targeting poorly secured systems to attack critical services.

Essential public services like 911 operations and police and fire departments, could be shut down if a ransomware or malware attack occurs. Additionally, even if you pay the ransom, you may not get your files back, and if you’re an agency in a state that prohibits paying a ransom, then you won’t even have that option. This can hinder the accessibility of vital emergency services that communities rely on.

The following are the main risks to government agencies:

• Lack of affordable cybersecurity talent
• Outdated legacy IT systems
• Malware attacks
• Phishing and social engineering attacks
• Regulatory compliance requirements
• Lack of basic cybersecurity training

Cloud security can help combat these threats with a set of policies, controls, procedures, and technologies that work together to protect cloud-based systems, data, and infrastructure.

Thrive has experience helping agencies and organizations in the SLED sector mitigate critical threats.

• Thrive’s 24x7x365 Security Operations Center is staffed with cybersecurity engineers to protect your mission-critical infrastructure.
• To avoid data loss, Thrive advises your organization to back up its data to an impartial third party.
• To reduce susceptibility, Thrive collaborates with your organization to detect security flaws.
• To identify cybersecurity threats, Thrive builds a long-term strategy by learning about your organization’s goals, people, procedures and technologies.
• Thrive delivers tailored security-managed services to protect your organization while reducing cyberattacks.

At Thrive, we have 700+ technical resources and IT experts with a cumulative 3,000+ years of experience managing security for educational institutions of all sizes, using the best technology to safeguard your network from online threats.

Don’t wait, contact us to learn more.

The post How to Navigate Cyber Threats Targeting Government Agencies appeared first on Thrive.

Thrive’s NextGen technology and managed services, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Collaboration and more, optimize and protect critical technology ensuring government agencies are innovative, secure and efficient.

Take your organization to new heights with Thrive.

1. Reduced CapEx Spend Thrive’s NextGen technology and managed services are scalable and flexible to meet changing demands. We save your organization money by eliminating hidden operating costs and cutting upfront infrastructure and hardware costs with technology that reduces downtime and makes workflows efficient.
2. Efficiency Thrive’s decades of experience serving government agencies, combined with using digital collaboration platforms such as Microsoft 365, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams, will digitally transform your business from the ground up. Thrive’s secure Hybrid Cloud solutions are built to support the Cloud solution that best meets the needs of each organization’s compliance requirements.
3.  Enhanced Measures to Meet Compliance Requirements Thrive understands the unique complexities government organizations face. Thrive is uniquely positioned to meet this demand and future-proof your digital infrastructure operations, from industry-tailored Cloud and Cybersecurity services to a world-class IT platform.
4. Advanced Security As government IT systems grow in complexity, there is an increased risk of vulnerabilities, exploits and security breaches. Thrive’s Managed SIEM-as-a-Service (SIEMaaS), Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) and Vulnerability Management with a 24x7x365 Security Operations Center protect your organization, uncover and mitigate risks and meet stringent regulatory requirements.

Thrive gives government organizations peace of mind with a comprehensive, proactive security strategy with technology solutions. Read more in our recent industry brief here. Click here to contact us today to solve and manage your organization’s Cybersecurity and Cloud needs.

The post 4 Ways Thrive Helps Government Organizations appeared first on Thrive.

The first thing a government agency may want to consider is finding a CJIS-compliant Cloud provider that can work within their budget. Many Cloud providers adhere to the consumption-based billing model, meaning that the amount an organization pays can vary wildly from month to month. For government agencies operating on a
strict budget, such fluctuations are not acceptable.

DOWNLOAD CJIS Compliance PDF

The post CJIS Compliance In the Cloud appeared first on Thrive.

Thrive is a leading provider of outsourced IT infrastructure. Thrive delivers comprehensive managed services and unmatched expertise to drive secure digital transformation. Thrive’s unique combination of industry experts, an automated technology platform, and the Thrive5 Methodology provides customers with a strategic advantage as they look to secure, scale, and succeed.

DOWNLOAD CJIS Checklist

The post CJIS Checklist appeared first on Thrive.

Learn more about the relationship between data encryption and CJIS compliance, and why the right data encryption methods are essential for maintaining the confidentiality required of criminal justice information.

What is CJIS Compliance?

Every day, criminal justice and law enforcement agencies on the local, state, and federal levels access the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) databases for information necessary to perform background checks and track criminal activity. It’s important that this data not fall into the wrong hands — the security of CJIS data could mean the difference between civil liberties being secured or violated.

CJIS compliance keeps networks on the same page when it comes to data security and encryption, and ensures that sensitive criminal justice intel is locked down. However, there is no nationwide, uniform certification system for CJIS compliance; instead, each state government manages CJIS compliance semi-independently through a state-appointed CJIS Systems Officer (CSO) who administers policy for computers, networks, and other parts of the CJIS infrastructure. The CSO is also tasked with ensuring that organizations are obeying regulations, documenting compliance, and reporting back to the FBI.

What Is Data Encryption?

In cryptography, or the art of writing or breaking codes, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can decipher a ciphertext back to plaintext and access the original information.

Like multi-factor authentication, data encryption adds an extra layer of security to your data — if a criminal gains access to an encrypted file or communication, that information is useless without the key to decrypt it.

The purpose of data encryption is to protect digital data as it is stored on computer systems and transmitted using the internet or other computer networks. These encryption algorithms provide confidentiality and drive key security initiatives including authentication, integrity, and non-repudiation – or the inability to refute responsibility.

Understanding How Data Encryption is an Essential Part of CJIS Compliance

Despite not having a national standard for how its information is secure, CJIS itself has established requirements for the use of data encryption when storing and using sensitive data, as well as including CJI in communications. Such regulations stipulate a minimum of 128 bit encryption be required, and keys used to decrypt data must be adequately complex – at least 10 characters long, a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters – and changed as soon as authorized personnel no longer need access.

Common Data Encryption Methods

There are two types of common data encryption methods:

• Symmetric Encryption: Symmetric encryption uses a single key to encrypt as well as decrypt data; the key needs to be shared with all authorized people.
• Asymmetric Encryption: Also called public key cryptography, asymmetric encryption uses two separate keys: one that is public, or shared with everyone, and one that is private, known only to the key’s generator. The public key is used to encrypt the data and the private key helps to decrypt it.

Then there are a variety of ways to implement data encryption, such as:

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

Advanced Encryption Standard is a symmetric encryption algorithm that encrypts fixed blocks of data (of 128 bits) at a time. The keys used to decipher the text can be 128-, 192-, or 256-bit long. The 256-bit key encrypts the data in 14 rounds, the 192-bit key in 12 rounds, and the 128-bit key in 10 rounds. Each round consists of several steps of substitution, transposition, mixing of plaintext, and more. AES encryption standards are the most commonly used encryption methods today, both for data at rest and data in transit.

Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)

Rivest-Shamir-Adleman is an asymmetric encryption algorithm that is based on the factorization of the product of two large prime numbers. Only someone with the knowledge of these numbers will be able to decode the message successfully. RSA is often used in digital signatures but works slower when large volumes of data need to be encrypted.

Triple Data Encryption Standard (TripleDES)

Triple Data Encryption Standard is a symmetric encryption and an advanced form of the DES method that encrypts blocks of data using a 56-bit key. TripleDES applies the DES cipher algorithm three times to each data block. TripleDES is commonly used to encrypt ATM PINs and UNIX passwords.

ECC Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm

In 1985, two mathematicians named Neal Koblitz and Victor S. Miller proposed the use of elliptic curves in cryptography. After almost two decades, their idea was turned into a reality when the ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) algorithm entered into use in 2004-05.

In the ECC encryption process, an elliptic curve represents the set of points that satisfy a mathematical equation (y2 = x3 + ax + b).

Like RSA, ECC also works on the principle of irreversibility. In simpler words, it’s easy to compute it in one direction but painfully difficult to reverse it and come to the original point. In ECC, a number symbolizing a point on the curve is multiplied by another number and gives another point on the curve. Now, to crack this puzzle, you must figure out the new point on the curve. The mathematics of ECC is built in such a way that it’s virtually impossible to find out the new point, even if you know the original point.

Gain Peace of Mind in Your Data Protection With Thrive!

By relying on Thrive’s unique CJIS-compliant bundled cloud solutions to provide the safest and most cost-effective cloud migration, you can eliminate uncertainty, shorten implementation time, and stay focused on achieving your organizational goals!

Our bundled cloud services package provides a single, easy-to-consume solution that combines Thrive’s local CJIS private cloud and Microsoft Azure’s CJIS cloud. This enables you to receive a maximum ROI while minimizing the financial risks and up-front investments often associated with cloud migration. Learn more and contact one of our IT experts today for a free consultation.

The post Understanding CJIS Compliance and Data Encryption appeared first on Thrive.

While the popularity of DPaaS continues to grow among managed service providers, government agencies are also realizing that DPaaS offers numerous advantages when providing secure IT services for internal organizations. To fully take advantage of this service, learn more about what exactly DPaaS is, why the market is rapidly expanding, and how government organizations can harness its value for the best results, continue reading below.

Why is Data Protection Essential for Government Agencies?

The current IT landscape is constantly evolving, with malicious attackers continually devising new ways to attack. Data protection safeguards data from compromise, loss, or corruption, which could include virus and malware attacks, identity theft, scams, and more. Since government organizations may contain sensitive information that is not intended for the public, a security breach could put the privacy of officials, clients, and sensitive data at risk.

With ever-expanding advancements in data protection technology, malicious attackers are also developing new ways to compromise information. In the first six months of 2019 alone, data breaches exposed 4.1 billion records. Since then, the need for data protection has only grown more apparent. With the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerating cyberattacks and data breaches, government organizations need the best protection to prevent a potentially devastating attack. A recent survey found that almost half (46%) of global businesses have experienced at least one cybersecurity incident since moving to a remote workforce due to COVID-19 lockdowns, while the FBI has reported that the number of attack complaints in their Cyber Division has reached as many as 4,000 a day – a 400% increase from pre-COVID-19 months. With malicious software continuing to grow as a threat, government agencies need continuously comprehensive data protection to prevent the risk of data being compromised.

What is DPaaS?

Data protection as a service (DPaaS) is what it sounds like, a cloud-based service for protecting organizational data. With DPaaS, organizations can secure archival data for long-term retention requirements and enable quick data recovery in the event of a disruption to avoid business interruption. The service also provides enhanced security and stability for when your data is most vulnerable.

When compared to buying storage hardware and paying to keep it operational, DPaaS is an affordable option. Organizations pay a monthly subscription for the peace of mind that they have everything they need to recover their data.

How Does DPaaS Work?

DPaaS can secure sensitive information by creating copies of the data and storing it in a separate location. This can include online in the cloud, or through an external device. Providers offering DPaaS may also include additional options to enhance data protection, including VPNs, firewalls, system health monitoring, incident response, and audits.

DPaaS is ideal for organizations facing the following challenges:

• Backups often fail
• Backup windows often run into the next day
• Multiple backup solutions need to be managed
• Backup space constantly needs to be freed up

Under the umbrella of data-related as-a-service offerings includes disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS), backup as a service (BaaS), and storage as a service (STaaS). These services offer government organizations the protection they need in an increasingly unpredictable world.

Top Drivers Growing the DPaaS Market

The DPaaS market is predicted to have accelerated growth as more organizations accept the cloud and services-based storage options, as well as the continued operational challenges due to malicious attackers. The service is predicted to reach nearly $29 million by 2022, with a CAGR of 31.5% from 2016 to 2022. Several drivers of the growing global data protection services market include growing concerns of data loss, the increasing need for data backups, and the integration of recovery and backup services.

Data loss due to disruption can be devastating for government organizations in terms of costs, and the consequences from lost sensitive data. DPaaS offers tools that can prevent loss and mitigate disruptions if they indeed occur and makes retrieving earlier versions of files much more efficient when compared to traditional backup methods.

These advantages have led to the increasingly rapid adoption of cloud computing and the soaring of the DPaaS market to be a $46 billion industry by 2024. As more organizations desire management and high scalability for their services, the DPaaS market will only grow.

DPaaS Benefits for Government Agencies

Government agencies, in particular, have much to take advantage of from DPaaS services. Here are some of the benefits of choosing DPaaS for government solutions. By encompassing backup and disaster recovery, data protection, and storage, DPaaS allows for a resilient data protection approach that can be scaled as your demands evolve.

Faster Backup & Recovery Process

Whether it’s due to a natural disaster, or a malicious human actor, disruptions are inevitable. When they do happen, government agencies need to be back up and running in no time! One of the most valuable benefits DPaaS delivers is a quick and resilient backup and recovery process to avoid extended downtime. Hosted cloud backups run continuously, enabling an accurate and quick backup when needed.

Reduced Overall Costs

When budgets are tight and you need to optimize what funds you have available for IT, you want to prioritize the areas that need it most. Choosing DPaaS as a cloud-based solution from a trusted advisor is an efficient and budget-friendly option. Instead of having to allocate large portions of funds to keep off-site facilities operational, DPaaS only requires a monthly service fee charged by a provider who manages the operation – freeing up your own internal team.

Enhanced Data Protection

Choosing DPaas services from a trusted provider allows your government organization to take advantage of resilient and agile data protection. In today’s current IT climate, managing data protection is essential, but many internal teams can be overwhelmed when balancing data protection and the organization’s own strategic initiatives. Being overworked or understaffed in IT makes your entire agency vulnerable.

Depending on what your unique needs are, your DPaaS strategy can include everything from:

• Both local and remote storage hardware
• IT support
• Licensing
• Regularly scheduled test restores
• System health monitoring
• Incident response (failed jobs)
• Request response (restores)
• Software and hardware upgrades
• Co-management
• Immutable copies to prevent data loss
• Reporting
• Audits to ensure all data is protected

Additionally, choosing a DPaaS provider not only allows your government organization to enjoy secure data protection, but also receive the expertise and vigilance of IT professionals who can help with compliance concerns and expert advice regarding your data.

Leverage DPaaS Powered by Thrive in Your Government Agency!

Thrive has been supporting government agency IT needs for years. Thrive’s Data Protection as a Service offering provides backup and restore capabilities of your data that are integral to your organization, including physical, virtual, NAS, office 365, etc. Wherever you store your data – on-site, off-site, in the private or public cloud, or even in hybrid environments – Thrive can deliver the protection you need. For systems of all sizes, Thrive ensures ready, reliable access to your sensitive information.

For more information on how Thrive can provide your government organization with the data protection you need for today’s ever-evolving IT environment contact our team of experts today.

The post How Government Agencies Can Benefit from DPaaS appeared first on Thrive.