Lori I Day, Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services

Mark Curry, Manager of Technology Strategy and Applications

Issue statement:  The Information Technology Services (ITS) division of the Human Resources Department has identified the need to enhance its antivirus software to upgrade the City’s information technology security infrastructure. Endpoint protection and anti-virus software products protect the City’s individual users and servers from unauthorized access and malware attacks, which can result in data being encrypted and held for ransom, as experienced by many municipalities and agencies in recent years. This software upgrade is intended to protect against these attacks.

Recommended Action:  The City Commission  adopt a resolution approving the purchase of new antivirus software from SHI International in the amount of $32,920. utilizing the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance/OMNIA Partners Contract #2018011-02.

In FY21, two independent contractors, Hazelton Engineering and SHI International Corporation, performed an evaluation of the City's IT security posture. Best practices in information technology security, as well as, certain grant and funding programs require regular evaluations of this type. As part of this evaluation, it was determined that there existed an opportunity to improve the City’s IT security by upgrading the City's endpoint protection antivirus software.

Enhanced antivirus software is critical to protect each user throughout the City's network from malware designed to encrypt data and, in some extreme cases, create  data breaches that can result in ransom scenarios. A related purchase item on this agenda is for the enhancement of the City's firewall protection (which is hardware for the network as opposed to software).

Funding for this initiative is included as part of the FY22 budget. The purchase will be made utilizing (piggybacking) the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance Contract #2018011-02 between Mesa, Arizona and SHI International Corporation dated 3/1/18 (expiration 2/28/23).

As shown in the attached quotation from SHI, the total cost this computer endpoint protection (Antivirus) upgrade software is $32,920.  Sufficient funds are included in the FY 22 Operating Budget of the ITS Division for funding of this purchase.  The proposed expenditure is as follows:

Computer endpoint protection (antivirus) upgrade software from SHI International Corporation