The vast majority of cyberattacks are executed for financial gain, and that means that any organization, regardless of size, industry, or current in-house capabilities, can become a victim of cybercrime. Educational organizations are a particularly attractive target for cybercriminals, especially from phishing and ransomware attacks, due to their valuable personal data on students and lack of resources and cybersecurity staffing. Research and consulting firm Gartner reports that “(e)ducation typically employs the least number of security employees when compared to other industries.” But that’s where a new partnership between E&I and Pondurance can help.
Pondurance, a national cybersecurity firm that provides an array of comprehensive services to clients, was recently selected to partner with E&I Cooperative Services, a procurement cooperative serving the education industry. Now, existing E&I members can receive cybersecurity services from Pondurance via the cooperative, and prospective clients of Pondurance can join E&I to take advantage of the special pricing, programs, and benefits that come with membership.
Work with Pondurance
Pondurance is the first and only managed detection and response (MDR) provider to be built on a risk-based approach to cybersecurity. The approach focuses on the specific cyber risks of an organization and considers what the organization wants to accomplish and what it needs to protect. Using this approach, the Pondurance team helps organizations identify their cyber risks, prioritize the risks, and find the most impactful ways to protect organizations against those risks. Once the team has that understanding, it can customize a bundle of services that allows a organization to achieve its cybersecurity and compliance goals. Services include virtual chief information security officer leadership, MDR services, incident response services, penetration testing, vulnerability management, tabletop exercises, risk assessments, awareness training, and more.
Pondurance’s team of highly skilled professionals uses technology, automation, and advanced analytics to gather specific threat intelligence and provide relevant data. Team members gain insights on potential cyber threats and assess how to plan, recognize, respond to, and mitigate a threat. They limit an organization’s cyber risk exposure and ensure that the organization can confidently respond to a cyber crisis. In addition, the team integrates the organization’s tools and technology with the Pondurance platform to assure that there are no security gaps and no inefficiencies from overlapping capabilities.
“Pondurance is proud to partner with E&I Cooperative Services,” says Ron Pelletier, Founder and Chief Client Officer at Pondurance. “We look forward to offering our risk-based approach and full suite of services to protect E&I members from cyber threats and reduce their exposure to attacks.”
Become and E&I Member
E&I is a member-owned, nonprofit cooperative exclusively focused on serving the education industry. The organization is equipped with the knowledge, experience, and passion to meet the specialized needs of education procurement. E&I helps nearly 6,000 member institutions make informed, analytics-driven decisions.
The benefits of membership include:
- Skipping the request-for-proposal process. E&I vets its partners so members can focus on more strategic initiatives.
- Tapping into aggregated spend. E&I negotiates better terms and pricing on contracts for better purchasing power for members.
- Accessing competitively solicited contracts. E&I’s portfolio of contracts spans most categories including technology, residence life, research, and healthcare.
- Meeting compliance needs. The member-driven, competitive solicitation process complies with generally accepted procurement standards.
- Optimizing the spend. E&I uses a member’s purchasing data to reduce costs, bring more spend under contract, and maximize control and efficiencies.
- Taking advantage of e-procurement. Members reap the benefits of e-procurement through the no-cost online platform and other platforms.
- Containing costs and driving revenue. Members benefit from supplier-driven rebates, financial incentives, and the patronage program, which distributes funds at year-end.
- Handling supplier management. E&I handles regular supplier and contract performance reviews to save members time and money.
- Receiving local support from industry experts. A nationwide team of member representatives understands member needs to ensure member satisfaction and success.
Educational organizations can join the E&I cooperative at no cost and with no minimum purchasing requirements. Once becoming a member, an organization can receive the added benefits of membership — including special pricing, programs, and benefits for using Pondurance as a cybersecurity provider.
Learn More
The education industry is an attractive target for cybercriminals, but the new partnership between E&I and Pondurance offers members the opportunity to work hand in hand with a trusted partner to stay protected against cyber threats. Learn more about the benefits of membership and how to join E&I today.
