Guarding the grid: BELD’s IT Team Ensures Safe, Reliable Power
When it comes to delivering electricity safely, reliably, and efficiently to the residents and businesses of Braintree, the efforts of electrical engineers, line workers, meter men, and customer service personnel are indispensable. Yet, there's another vital player in the mix: the Information Technology (IT) team at Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD).
Guardians of Connectivity and Security
BELD's IT team plays a crucial role in designing, installing, and maintaining the town's network infrastructure. But their responsibilities extend far beyond mere connectivity. They stand against cyber threats such as attacks, breaches, ransomware, DDOS attacks, and malicious software.
Partnering with the American Public Power Association and collaborating with other municipal IT departments keeps BELD abreast of the latest trends in cybersecurity. Measures such as multifactor account authentication and network and datacenter redundancy ensure that Braintree's network remains resilient and operational, even in the face of hardware failures or cyber onslaughts.
"Spam and malicious emails are a huge problem," remarks Jim Boyle, Division Manager for Technology and Security at BELD. "In one recent month, we had a total of 256,942 messages hit our email gateway. 26,426 were blocked, 101,328 were quarantined, and 220 were dropped due to being Advanced Persistent Threats."
Beyond Utility: Serving the Community
BELD's IT support doesn't stop at it's utility operations. They extend their expertise to provide Internet service and technical support for every public building in Braintree, excluding the public schools. Boyle emphasizes, "We take pride in offering service that go above and beyond, ensuring an exceptional experience and aim to resolve technical problems within our defined service level agreements."
“Clicking on a harmful email link and downloading malicious software can lead to serious consequences,” said Boyle. ‘We are always teaching employees how to detect and report the latest and "greatest" threats to our network.”
MUNICIPAL INTERNET:
BELD offers top-notch IT solutions for most of Braintrees town buildings. From hardware and software support to network and systems maintenance. Plus, BELD IT provides high-speed Internet services to key town-owned facilities including Braintree Town Hall, Braintree Police Department, Braintree Fire Department, the Water & Sewer building, and the Council on Aging. You can trust BELD IT to keep our towns operations running smoothly.
“Cybersecurity is a critical function for electric utilities in today’s digital age,” said Bill Bottiggi, BELD’s General Manager.
Empowering Through Education
Aware of the pivotal role of human intervention in reducing cybersecurity incidents, BELD's IT department conducts cybersecurity training for all municipal employees. Through these sessions, employees are equipped with the latest techniques to recognize and report suspicious emails, steer clear of harmful websites, and safeguard sensitive data both at work and at home.
In the complex task of supplying power, managing technology, and ensuring security, BELD's IT team plays a central role, ensuring Braintree remains not only interconnected but also resilient and dependable.
(Photos: Jim Ritchie, BELD Marketing)
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