Network Security
Security blind spot resolved
University protects mobile assets and
prevents loss of sensitive data on laptops.
CharlestonSouthern University's IT team,
from left, Lisa Fleming, director of
computer operations, Tom Zimmerman, network
administrator, and Rusty Bruns, CIO, chose a
wireless access card solution to safeguard
information on laptops.
Several years ago, when Wi-Fi technology was
in its infancy, Rusty Bruns, CIO of
Charleston Southern University (CSU),
Charleston, S.C., saw the promise of an
all-encompassing wireless network for the
school. He foresaw students and faculty
moving from place to place during the course
of their day, using laptops with campus-wide
network access. Teachers could call up
lessons and data in class, and students
could use laptop computers in their classes
and for studying in the evenings.
Since its installation, the wireless
program has been successful, Bruns says,
creating a mobile atmosphere that is
pervasive at the school, founded in 1964 and
one of South Carolina's largest accredited
private universities with about 3,200
students. More than 70 percent of
residential students and 100 percent of
faculty now carry Wi-Fi-enabled laptops and
use the network, which spans all seven
residence halls and every classroom,
laboratory, administrative and support
building on campus.
"Laptops are very attractive here because
you can carry them anywhere and still have
fast Internet service, whether you're in
class, the dormitory or library," Bruns
says.
Last year, however, the downside of this
mobile atmosphere was revealed when thieves
broke into a campus lab and stole several
laptop computers. School security officials,
worried that sensitive data resided on those
computers, immediately called Bruns.
The theft "took me by surprise because
this had never happened before. I had to
hurry to the school and literally stand
there helplessly while local police
investigated the situation."
That call came at 1 a.m., and Bruns calls
it his security wake-up call. Fortunately,
he soon learned none of the missing laptops
held sensitive personal or financial data,
but the theft demonstrated there was a need
for more security on these devices,
especially as the university was planning to
expand its wireless network, which would
mean sensitive student and financial records
would be on the laptop computers.
A MAJOR BLIND SPOT
"From that day forward, we no longer
viewed our campus-wide mobile atmosphere
with the same high level of confidence," he
says. "We realized a Wi-Fi-based laptop
environment made us very vulnerable beyond
hardware replacement costs. Data on lost or
stolen laptops is a major blind spot,
because if the device is stolen, you lose
all control over the information it
contains.
"Despite the obvious risks, it appeared
the campus community was willing to accept
them in exchange for continued, open
wireless access," he adds. "But as CIO, I
was extremely uncomfortable with this
tradeoff, because losing sensitive
administrative data would be catastrophic.
We're no longer talking about lab projects
and class notes; rather, detailed financial,
academic, employment, security, payroll and
personal information that could hurt the
school monetarily and expose it to legal
redress if not properly protected."
With demand increasing for more and
better laptops, CSU's IT group started
investigating different products and
technologies that could help prevent theft,
as well as control and protect the sensitive
data held on these devices.
The solution Bruns selected is the
OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian
(NLG) from Alcatel-Lucent. The NLG is a
wireless access card combined with a
"computer on a card" that is installed in a
laptop's PCMCIA card slot. The card uses
wireless broadband technology configured for
data and comes complete with its own
battery, memory, processor, operating system
and software that links it to the laptop.
This ensures the protected laptop is always
available wirelessly to the IT staff,
working off its own battery power, even if
the laptop is switched off or the card
removed from it. All laptops with PCMCIA
slots are compatible with this card.
The system offered users a suite of data
security capabilities, including VPN
tunneling and data encryption on the hard
drive. What attracted Bruns to the NLG,
however, was what happens when a laptop
computer is stolen. The always-on feature of
the NLG means that if the computer is lost
or stolen, the IT team can use the wireless
network to communicate with the card. It
also features a global positioning system
(GPS) transponder to help recover the
computer.
The technology also increases the value
of encryption solutions by protecting
encryption keys on the card. If stolen or
misplaced, the IT staff can wirelessly
contact the specific card for the laptop,
revoke the encryption key and make all data
stored on the encrypted drive unreadable. If
a missing laptop is later found, or located
using the GPS feature, the encryption key
can be enabled again, restoring all data and
returning the laptop to full functionality.
"This kind of solution lets you take
immediate control of a deplorable situation
and turn it around to thwart those who
caused it. It is the ultimate answer to our
laptop security concerns," Bruns explains,
"and also fits perfectly with our major
investment in campus-wide Wi-Fi
communications."
Currently, CSU faculty and staff are
using the technology. A program to offer it
to students at special pricing is being
explored. Student grant funding for NLG is
also a possibility in the future.
The GPS tracking feature of the NLG has
meant that CSU has been able to locate all
laptops that have been reported missing or
stolen, saving the costly replacement
charges and time wasted to reorder and
reload each device. While the lost
productivity and cost of replacing a
computer are significant for Bruns and his
team, these issues pale in comparison to the
risks associated with sensitive data loss,
which can lead to more damaging activity,
such as identity theft.
With the system in place, when a laptop
is reported lost or stolen, Bruns and his
team simply log on to a dedicated Web site,
highlight the preregistered entry for the
device and send the command to lock it down.
The device is immediately rendered useless
because the hard drive becomes inaccessible.
Sensitive data can no longer be compromised.
The only way to overcome this action is for
IT to turn it back on.
What Bruns likes best about the system is
that it allows his department to deliver the
wireless experience, with all of its
freedom, productivity and convenience, while
still maintaining control over the network
and all sensitive data on NLG-equipped
computers.
"Had NLG been available years ago, I
could have immediately entered the master
Web site and wirelessly locked down the
stolen laptops without leaving my home," he
offers. "If the thief tried to remove each
laptop's card, the net effect would be the
same–a valuable laptop PC with even more
precious data inside would be rendered
useless.
"Today, we have an unmatched ability to
securely manage and control laptop devices
24/7, while protecting the data they
contain," he concludes. "This solution
answered our laptop security concerns, and
fit perfectly with our major investment in
Wi-Fi communications."
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