McAfee has donated $2.3 million in security hardware and software to enhance Rochester Institute of Technology's information security, academic and research programs. The gift will serve as a core security component of RIT's new data center, enhance the security of endpoints--such as desktops, laptops and mobile devices--and create the McAfee Interlock Lab within RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

RIT's new data center, which will be located in Institute Hall and operational in spring 2013, will provide much-needed computing capacity and services for the RIT community, such as high-speed networking and server management. By consolidating RIT's data and computing services into an air-cooled facility leveraging the latest in processing, storage, virtualization and security technology, RIT will improve energy-efficiency, fortify security and advance computing capacity and capabilities.

"This is a mutually beneficial and innovative partnership that significantly enhances RIT's information security posture while providing RIT the opportunity to serve as a reference architecture for McAfee in the higher education market," says Jonathan Maurer, RIT Information Security Officer and adjunct professor of enterprise security. "McAfee's solution will allow RIT to holistically understand its information security risks."

The McAfee gift allows the data center's security to be managed more efficiently, while offering a wider breadth of security options and strategies. McAfee's "single pane of glass approach," or the idea of monitoring crucial security information from one central interface, provides an integrated, safe and energy-efficient defense.

"McAfee is proud of its longstanding partnership with RIT, a leader in computing education and applied research," says Michael DeCesare, co-president, McAfee. "This gift will reinforce RIT's information security while providing a showcase for our solutions and best practices in higher education."

The gift also helps establish the McAfee Interlock Lab--a smaller version of the data center's security system--within the Golisano College. The lab will support the teaching, learning and research in many critical areas, including mobile, endpoint, server, database and network security.

"The hands-on experience that our students will get using McAfee's leading-edge integrated security tools will give them an advantage as they enter this demanding and growing job field," says Andrew Sears, dean of the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

The partnership will also create several McAfee cooperative education opportunities, allowing students within the computing college to work on RIT's information security, including the data center, as paid McAfee employees.

"This longstanding partnership aligns with RIT's commitment to the highest security standards and energy efficient initiatives," RIT President Bill Destler says. "I am pleased that students will also benefit from McAfee's generosity, as they prepare for careers in computing security."

About RIT

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging science, sustainability, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. RIT enrolls 17,500 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For more than two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation's leading comprehensive universities. RIT is featured in The Princeton Review's 2013 edition of The Best 377 Colleges as well as its Guide to 311 Green Colleges. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2012 names RIT as a "Best Buy," and The Chronicle of Higher Education recognizes RIT among the "Great Colleges to Work For 2011."

News, Podcasts, Blog, Photos and Videos: www.rit.edu/news

About McAfee Inc.

McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corp., is the world's largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems, networks and mobile devices around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet and browse and shop the Web more securely. Backed by its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities and continuously monitor and improve their security. McAfee is relentlessly focused on constantly finding new ways to keep our customers safe. For more information, go to www.mcafee.com.

Note: McAfee is a registered trademark of McAfee or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other marks may be claimed as the property of others.

Rochester Institute of Technology
Scott Bureau, 585-475-2481
sbbcom@rit.edu
or
McAfee
Tracy Ross, 408-346-5965
Tracy_ross@mcafee.com