NSW selects MessageLabs to secure free Internet services

The MessageLabs service will be protecting a statewide communications infrastructure called NSW.net formed to provide free access to the Internet for councils and their communities.

“Delivering community connectivity that’s safe from malware is vital. Much of the services’ success has been based delivering an Internet service that’s free from viruses and spam,” said Joyce Azzopardi, manager at NSW.net.

NSW.net’s main public aim is to provide free Internet access to the NSW population by installing free public access internet terminals in virtually every public library in the state and provide access to a number of online databases by all NSW public libraries.

According to Azzopardi, after an initial trial at Marrickville Council the decision was made to expand the service across the state and so far NSW.net has bought 5,500 users.

As a managed service there is no need for staff to ensure patches are downloaded or to manage our security at stations individually, said Azzopardi.

“Rather, we occasionally make an adjustment via a common interface, thereby freeing staff with the far more important tasks involved in running a library,” she said.

James Scollay, vice president for MessageLabs APAC said: “Like any public sector organisation, councils and libraries want to free themselves from the nuisance of spam and the potential threat of malware. We hope to offer local government services a solution that is completely hassle-free.”