Legal Approval Form_SecureIT

Summary: Presented by: Ms. Monika Davis, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information & Instructional Technology

Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the purchase of information and network security services and associated infrastructure components from Dell EMC, Layer 3, Blue Ally, Vivacity Tech, and Microsoft at a cost not to exceed $2,126,660.84.

Why: The purpose of this agenda item is to support the Division of Information and Instructional Technology and district leadership in ongoing efforts to secure information systems and network resources by protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of student, staff, and financial information/data.

Details: The SecureIT Initiative is a comprehensive ongoing program designed to bolster the district's information, cyber, and network security. This agenda item seeks funding to continue support that protects sensitive district data and technology assets. By implementing a proactive security posture and mitigating potential risks, the initiative aims to safeguard the district's operations and maintain public trust.

Below are the key strategies for the SecureIT Initiative:


Revise and develop policies, standards and procedures required for the protection of confidential information  
Increase student, faculty, staff, and community awareness of information security through training and communication  
Identify risks to the security of information and systems. Mitigate these risks to levels  acceptable to the district’s leadership  
Refine security requirements, establish baselines and measure compliance, based on applicable laws, regulations, and leveraging industry best practices  
Consult with the district’s users and departments to investigate security issues and evaluate products and processes  
Collaborate with key stakeholders/leadership, utilize external resources and leverage technical staff to develop Dekalb County School District’s information security strategy and architecture  
Ensure incident response and disaster recovery plans are implemented, routinely tested and continuously refined  
Respond to and recover from disruptive and destructive information security events  

Please note that this agenda item provides a high-level overview and is purposely written with limitations to protect the district's security posture.

The vendors associated with the SecureIT Initiative will utilize existing Board approved RFP awards, state contracts, and government cooperative agreements.


Board Policy DJE allows purchases to be made through contracts formally solicited and obtained by the State of Georgia to achieve cost savings and administrative efficiencies. As a result, the SecureIT Initiative will utilize the state of Georgia contract #99999-001-SPD0000139-0004 for Dell EMC.
The vendors associated with the SecureIT Initiative will utilize existing Board approved RFP awards, state contracts, and government cooperative agreements.
Board Policy DJE III.D.3.d. allows purchases to be made through contracts formally solicited and obtained by the State of Georgia to achieve cost savings and administrative efficiencies. As a result, the SecureIT Initiative will utilize:

Gergia contract #99999-001-SPD0000139-0004 for Dell EMC
Gergia contract #99999-SPD-NVPUT3229-0001 for Layer 3
Gergia Department of Administrative Services contract U#7752567 for Microsoft


Board Policy DJE III.D.3.d., authorizes the Purchasing Department to make purchases through inter-governmental and educational cooperatives, alliances, and consortiums to achieve cost savings and administrative efficiencies based on economies of scale. As a result, the SecureIT Initiative will utilize the National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance cooperative purchasing agreement #01-170 for Vivacity Tech.
Board Policy DJE III.D.3.c., authorizes the Purchasing Department to make purchases as a single source if the required goods or services can only be obtained from one source among others in a competitive marketplace for a substantial reason such as compatibility or standardization which is applicable to Blue Ally for this purchase.

Financial impact: $2,126,880.84

Professional Services - 100.2800.530000.0001.7600.9990.0308.070.0000
Computer Software - 100.1000.561200.00011.7600.9990.0308.070.0000
Expendable Equipment - 100.2210.561500.00011.7600.9990.0308.070.0000

Contact: Ms. Monika T. Davis, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information & Instructional Technology, 678.676.1274

Effective: Upon Board approval

Status: Approved by Office of Legal Affairs