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BACKGROUND The firewall currently employed was procured and installed in 2016. This model went to end-of-sale and was discontinued in October 2019, with an announced end-of-support date of October 2024. The firewall is the City's first line of defense in protecting against cyber-attacks and is designed to prevent unauthorized access to the internal network and systems. It provides real-time alerts and logs suspicious activity for security personnel to investigate and respond to potential threats quickly. Since 2016, this firewall's role has expanded in use, bandwidth, and security needs. A new remote workforce requires secure virtual private network (VPN) connections, increased bandwidth to two separate Internet Service Providers (ISP), and deeper network packet inspections to identify and block emerging threats. The legacy firewall is running at full capacity and not delivering the performance and results for today's demands. DISCUSSION Overall, the City firewall is a crucial component of the City's cybersecurity strategy and is implemented in conjunction with other security measures and solutions. The proposed solution, in addition to being among the best in the industry, will also facilitate redundancies and resiliency in the event of an outage to one of the City's two ISPs or equipment failure. The City's connectivity to the Internet will still be maintained as it is now even more critical to have the highest service levels due to the growing number of Software-as-a-Service solutions employed by the organization, and to maintain a reliable and secure connection to the remote workforce. Information Technology staff met with two other firewall manufacturers and resellers to discuss and analyze potential firewall solutions. After careful consideration and research, staff determined that continuing with the incumbent manufacture while upgrading and migrating the configuration is in the City's best interest. Supporting factors considered were that the solution is from a proven leader in cybersecurity, positive experiences with the incumbent, and the ease of migrating within the family of the manufacturer's products. Savant Solutions, an Authorized Reseller of this manufacturer, and network security consultant with proprietary knowledge of the City's incumbent legacy solution, designed the proposed configuration consistent with the City's specifications and requirements. The City will be procuring through a national cooperative purchase agreement bid - NASPO Contract#AR3229; Savant Solutions is named on this NASP contract. itte Fiscal Review: Appr by: Allen nd Susa- Gerry n Hsieh Ger Beaudin Infor do chnology Finance Director City Manager Dire t Attachment: 1. Savant Solutions Quote Page 2 of 2