The Association, in partnership with VC3, provides technology services to cities and towns. Headquartered in Columbia, VC3 is a managed IT and cybersecurity services provider focused on serving municipalities. They also provide cloud hosting, data backup and disaster recovery, and voice communication services. Contact VC3 for more information.
VC3 provides the following services:
MANAGE
Manage Essentials (formerly known as IT in a Box)
From backing up and securing data to modernizing a website, it can be a challenge for municipalities to invest in the right services. To address these needs in a cost-effective way, VC3 created a packaged technology service called Manage Essentials.
What’s inside Manage Essentials?
- Cybersecurity and computer maintenance
- 24/7 helpdesk
- Data backup and disaster recovery
- Records / document management and email
- Video archiving
- Policy and compliance
- Website
- Vendor management and procurement
Cloud Performance offers complete cloud hosting including 24/7 support, hosted applications and desktops within the cloud, Office 365, and VC3-provided workstations.
Cloud Collaboration gives you the cloud-based version of Microsoft Office 365 —meaning there are no servers and it’s always up-to-date — and a VC3-provided workstation.
Manage On-Premises provides cities and towns with a dedicated customer service team to handle IT issues, provide application support, and proactively monitor and maintain technology systems. Cities also receive a dedicated strategic advisor who will meet with them quarterly.
Manage Voice offers Voice over Internet Protocol that can improve the quality of phone calls, add functionality that is currently missing, and integrate email with voicemail.
PROTECT
Protect Data Recovery provides offsite data backup for worst-case scenario recovery after a major incident like a natural disaster, ransomware incident, or server failure. VC3 helps municipalities become operational again within hours.
Protect Shield (Managed Security)
Antivirus and firewalls alone will no longer fend off modern cyberattackers. Bundled cybersecurity services with Protect Shield include these:
- 24/7/365 Security Team: Proactively looks for security threats across your entire IT network and responds to security incidents 24/7.
- Endpoint Detection and Response: Detects malware and potential cyberattacks on endpoint devices, such as servers, desktops, laptops and others. This prevents ransomware, malware, and cyberattacks from spreading across your network.
- End-User Security Awareness Training: Provides simulated phishing tests and security awareness training to help keep employees sharp, skilled, and smart to counter cyberattackers. Includes dashboards and reporting to note training progress, identify employees who click on phishing emails, and track metrics for compliance purposes.
- Advanced Office 365 Cloud Protection: Monitors security events 24/7/365 within the Office 365 environment, such as bad actors logging in, downloading excessive amounts of data, or making unauthorized changes.
- Advanced Email Scanning: Encrypts your email, scans it for malware, and stops most phishing and spam attempts from ever reaching your employees.
- Advanced Web Protection: Proactively blocks users from accessing websites that may cause harm to your municipality.
- Dark Web Vulnerability Scanning: Scans the dark web to uncover compromised credentials shared or sold by criminals, giving you the information you need to act.
90% of cyberattacks begin in an email.
To keep city employees trained and ready to resist a cyberattacker’s tricks, VC3’s Security Awareness Training service provides
- monthly automated phishing tests that identify people in your organization who are vulnerable to clicking on bad links and attachments,
- quarterly security training that covers safe computing practices, and
- monthly management reports and ongoing training support.
Customized plans
VC3 can customize plans depending on the number of city employees and the size of the city’s technology infrastructure. This customization makes cybersecurity and technology services affordable for a city’s budget.