The Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes Rivières (CSCDGR) is a francophone Catholic school board comprising 24 elementary schools, eight high schools, and three alternative education centers. The Board serves over 5,500 students across a 25,000 km2 district in northern Ontario, Canada. The CSCDGR was created in 1998 with the amalgamation of several smaller school boards.
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) – Confidently adopt cloud applications and services without sacrificing security.
Cloud Firewall – Provides network security, enables consolidation, reduces complexity, and lowers the cost of operations.
Next Gen Secure Web Gateway (SWG) – The foundation for SSE web and cloud inline security providing threat and data protection.
Enables secure remote working for staff and students
Protects students from harm online
Provides granular web filtering and cloud app controls
The CSCDGR’s cybersecurity modernization project was catalyzed by the successful rollout of its SD-WAN (software-defined wide-area network). Richard Fecteau, Director of IT at the Board emphasizes this success: “The SD-WAN implementation had improved the performance of our network and we were keen to do the same with our network security capabilities. When COVID came along, it added a sense of urgency which made us work faster and more efficiently than ever to achieve it.”
The pandemic led to the need to support students and staff working remotely. The CSCDGR now provides all staff and students with laptops so they can work anywhere. “During the pandemic, we tripled the number of devices we provide our staff,” explains Fecteau, “but that also means we tripled the associated security risks.”
The key risks for the Board were that students could access inappropriate materials or engage in harmful activities online using these CSCDGR devices when outside of school networks. François Sauvé, Information and Communications Technology Supervisor for the Board specifies: “Since all students were now able to learn from home on our devices, we needed a security solution that would safeguard their well-being and protect our network from a higher threat risk.”
Since all students were now able to learn from home on our devices, we needed a security solution that would safeguard their well-being and protect our network from a higher threat risk.
When the Ontario Ministry of Education came out with its Reference Architecture 3.0, which provides best practice for network security, the CSCDGR undertook a cybersecurity pilot project.
Mr. Sauvé comments: “The Ministry launched the framework and provided us training on its use. It was clear that the architecture would help meet our security needs. With the Ministry’s guidance, we were able to get up and running quickly to test recommended vendors. That’s when we were introduced to Netskope.”
Following extensive bench testing of market options, the CSCDGR selected Netskope to provide its Next Gen Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Firewall, and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB). The Next Gen SWG helps prevent malware and detect advanced threats, while providing greater control through website filtering and visibility into traffic.
Further security capabilities are afforded by the Netskope CASB, which enables the Board to identify and manage the use of cloud applications. Finally, the Netskope Cloud Firewall helps the Board secure all ports and protocols with firewall rules for user and office egress traffic.
The Board implemented the solution gradually over a period of months to ensure that the user experience was not impacted and that all staff members understood the need for key policy changes.
We are pleased to offer a more secure and safe learning environment for staff and students thanks to Netskope!
With the help of Netskope, the Board has been able to maintain remote learning for students without worrying about security.
The CSCDGR benefits from a high degree of control when it comes to web filtering and cloud application usage. That means it can adjust its policies to fit the context; for example, by blocking streaming services during school hours but making them available during the evening.
The Board also benefits from the advanced data loss prevention that comes with the Netskope CASB. The security team can see when information is shared with unauthorized cloud apps and act accordingly. The API feature (a technology that allows automatic data transfer between two computerized tools) of the CASB also ensures that students are unable to publicly share school data without permission.
From a cost perspective, Netskope delivers greater functionality per dollar compared to the next-gen firewall features the Board previously used on its SD-WAN. Mr. Fecteau states: “Our SD-WAN enabled us to adopt new approaches to security, including Netskope’s cloud-based tools, allowing us to improve our cybersecurity significantly without adding to our overheads. We are pleased to offer a more secure and safe learning environment for staff and students thanks to Netskope!”
The Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes Rivières (CSCDGR) is a francophone Catholic school board comprising 24 elementary schools, eight high schools, and three alternative education centers. The Board serves over 5,500 students across a 25,000 km2 district in northern Ontario, Canada. The CSCDGR was created in 1998 with the amalgamation of several smaller school boards.