Fresh Start in Education helps at-risk students struggling with education and learning to re-engage and re-integrate into school and work. With a 96% success rate, the company’s approach, tools, and training enable children and young people throughout the UK to become successful learners, confident individuals, and productive and responsible members of society.
Robbin Tyrrell, Operations Executive, oversees Fresh Start in Education’s IT and security management. For Robbin and his team of two IT professionals, keeping data safe and protected are ongoing priorities. He must also maintain compliance with the UK cybersecurity standard, Cyber Essentials, which has become an important certification when working with local authorities and schools.
“Fresh Start in Education works with highly sensitive, personally identifiable information every day. Ensuring the security and privacy of this data is paramount,” Robbin shares. “The company has security measures in place that are highly regulated. We are always evaluating new tools and technologies to stay well ahead of cyberthreats and maintain our Cyber Essentials accreditation.”
An AVG-Avast customer since 2015, Fresh Start in Education upgraded to Avast Business Managed Antivirus and the Cloud Management Console to gain strong security protection and ensure compliance with Cyber Essentials. He explains, “Cyber Essentials requires software to be centrally managed, so moving to the cloud and upgrading to Avast Business Managed Antivirus made a lot of business sense for the company.”
When Robbin was ready to deploy the new software, he immediately noticed the time savings with a cloud solution that didn’t require installing on every user’s PC or entering license keys. The central console also won points for usability and capabilities. “Installation was smooth and fast,” Robbin says. “I have used many different IT consoles over the past ten years and the Avast Business Managed Antivirus console is really top of its class. It is clear the user was considered first and foremost in making this software. It’s incredibly user-friendly and this helps my team easily access what we need to and efficiently manage tasks.
Robbin has also been able to put a proactive security program in place. He explains, “We don’t have to worry about missing a virus scan or potential vulnerability. At a glance, the team can see the health of all devices on our network and can routinely schedule and complete maintenance. I can also see by the number of threats blocked on our PCs which users may have the most risky behavior. This helps the company educate our staff on best security practices.”
Patch management is something Robbin also hopes to improve through the new Avast Business Patch Management Service, currently in beta. “I like the functionality the Patch Management Service offers and that it is designed to integrate with the Avast Business Antivirus software and dashboard interface,” he adds. “Through the patch reports, I can see straight away what needs to be patched and easily assign a task to ensure patches are scheduled and completed.”
Upgrading to Avast Business Managed Antivirus has resulted in a 100% improvement in threat protection for the company. It has also had a positive impact on user behaviour. “Our users know that the IT team is now able to monitor and identify potential threats when suspicious emails or files are downloaded or accessed. This has made users more aware that their actions may lead to security issues,” Robbin shares.
Robbin credits the upgrade for saving hours of work each week and increasing efficiency, adding that the Patch Management Service will contribute to even more time savings. “We are working much more efficiently while maintaining a higher level of security.”
Education
Ensuring strong data protection and maintaining compliance with Cyber Essentials
Avast Business Managed Antivirus through the Cloud Management Console
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