TAFE sponsorship helps IT students gain enterprise anti-virus
software experience in the classroom
Sophos, a world leader in corporate anti-virus protection, has
announced it is sponsoring TAFE NSW - South Western Sydney
Institute. The unique software sponsorship at the institute allows
students to conduct their security and network learning with live
Sophos Anti-Virus software and gain valuable technical experience
with network administered software.
The courses using Sophos software include:
- Certificate III and IV in Information Technology (Network
Administration)
- Certificate III and IV in Information Technology (Network
Management)
- Certificate IV Information Technology (Technical Support)
Sophos has provided anti-virus software for the students'
computer labs at the Institutes' Wetherill Park, Miller, Macquarie
Fields, Campbelltown, Granville and Liverpool colleges. The
sponsorship includes licences for all multiple server and client
platforms within the labs., monthly software updates, 24x7
technical support and email notification of new virus
identities.
"It is a challenge across all education institutions to provide
up-to-the-minute content for technology courses," said Mr Gary
Amesbury, Head Teacher of Information Technology at Wetherill Park
College. "Sophos Anti-Virus enables students to install and update
anti-virus software across a network as they would for any real
business. The software satisfies both the security and network
elements essential to each syllabus, giving students the
opportunity to work with current software not usually available to
them."
The TAFE colleges were previously using standalone anti-virus
software. Sophos software not only provides students with valuable
hands-on anti-virus learning, it also enables them to gain the
skills required to complete their coursework including: setting up
network software; analysing and rectifying problems on a network;
as well as optimising and maintaining a networked system.
Sophos Anti-Virus enables students to take advantage of
automatic and manual virus updates. The software is also an ideal
resource for students to produce basic training and helpdesk
management documentation, as part of their end-of-semester
projects.
"More than ever, network security is taking an increasing share
of the corporate budget," said Mr Stuart Palmer Managing Director
of Sophos Australia and New Zealand. "Our sponsorship helps ensure
that the 300 IT students that graduate from South Western Sydney
Institute each year will leave with quantifiable skills and a
qualification that prepares them for corporate IT
environments."
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.