Sunderland City Councilhas
installedCyber-Ark's Inter-Business Vaultto
tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
The
Information
Sharing and Assessment (ISA) initiative is a multi-agency
project that allows the services within Sunderland, including the
police and council, to share information and work closely
together.
Using the digital vault they are able to
securely access information that is accurate and complete to
tackle crime and incidents within the region.
If a venue continuously
attracts
vandalism, Sunderland City Council is able to use the
information provided by the other agencies to identify when these
acts are occurring.
It can then determine whether introducing measures will address
the problem, such as
installing CCTV, offering recreational opportunities or simply
improving the lighting, and then monitor the situation to see if
the actions have worked.
Historically, the various departments shared information via
email and, due to sensitivity and
security concerns, any identifying details were removed prior
to circulation.
This was not an ideal scenario as the information being shared
was therefore incomplete, so it could not be wholly relied upon. An
alternative was therefore needed.
Cyber-Ark's Inter-Business Vault, which was supplied to
Sunderland by reseller Global
Secure Systems (GSS), is a web application that sits on a
Windows platform and is hosted within the council's building in a
secure data room.
From a management perspective, the product offers total control
over who has access to certain files and can select what files each
team is able to view.
This provides tight controls and audit trails, especially
important to the council with regards to meeting ISO standards.
Craig McNally, geographical information systems manager at
Sunderland City Council, said, "Fundamentally, this project is
about tackling crimes and incidents within our region. Having the
Cyber-Ark Vault allows the partners to be able to tackle crimes
effectively and pinpoint people who are in need of help or
support."