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Board reviews security‑service options after software breach; preventive maintenance debated
Summary
Board members reviewed two security contract options covering IP cameras and access control and were told a November breach expanded over months; staff said preventive maintenance and current licensing could have limited the incident and recommended cost comparisons before signing multi‑year agreements.
The High County Board of Education used its April 8 work session to review proposed security service agreements that would cover IP cameras, network recorders and card‑access panels across district sites.
Staff member (S7) presented two options: a three‑year service model and a five‑year plan that front‑loads subscription payments to reduce annual costs. “If you sign a five‑year, the first year looks more expensive because the subscriptions are taken care of up front,” S7 explained.
Committee member (S6) pressed for a line‑item breakdown of what is paid each year and how the preventive maintenance contract differs from the district’s past as‑needed repairs. S7 said the district had not renewed preventive maintenance last year and that an incident dating to November — which grew through December and culminated in February — required more than 300 staff hours to resolve. S7 and other staff members described that keeping licensing and software current reduces the risk of breaches and can shorten response time when issues arise.
“Had we had a preventive maintenance agreement in place, the breach might not have happened or might not have grown to the extent it did,” S7 said, noting that software patching and regular updates are part of an active service agreement.
Board members asked staff to compile historical totals for as‑needed security repairs and to compare those costs with the proposed annual subscription models. They also discussed whether a time‑and‑materials or negotiated rate model would make more fiscal sense than a full preventive‑maintenance contract.
No procurement decision was made; staff will return with a cost comparison showing prior as‑needed spend versus subscription pricing and a recommended negotiation approach.
