TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Tom Kisela, City Manager
FROM: Susan Galvan, Assistant City Manager
1. Subject
title
Agreement with Sidepath, Inc. for Security Operations Center as a Service using Arctic Wolf (cyber security monitoring and remediation).
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2. Summary
Given the ever-increasing cyber security threats facing government agencies today, the City of Orange has strengthened its cyber security posture by partnering with Sidepath Inc./Arctic Wolf to provide a best-in-class Security Operations Center as a Service.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
Approve the three-year agreement with Sidepath, Inc. in the amount of $409,381.02 for Security Operations Center as a Service using Arctic Wolf; and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute on behalf of the City.
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4. Fiscal Impact
The annual expense for this agreement is $136,460.34 and will be funded through Information Systems Operations (780):
780.1601.51670.00000 Other Professional & Consulting Services
This agreement is for three years totaling $409,381.02, payable in $136,460.34 annual installments. Future installments will be budgeted in conjunction with the annual operating budget.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 4: Provide outstanding public service
c: Enhance technology to improve public accessibility to information and services.
6. Discussion and Background
On June 8, 2021, the City Council approved a three-year agreement with Sidepath for Security Operations Center as a Services (SOCaas) via Artic Wolf. Staff has been very satisfied with the services being provided by Arctic Wolf. As a result, staff did not perform an RFP for this new contract as Arctic Wolf extended the same unit pricing from the original competitive bid process completed three years ago. In addition, the effort required to remove and replace the existing infrastructure with a new provider would be both very disruptive and cost prohibitive.
Arctic Wolf uses network sensors on site, accessed remotely and securely to provide their services. This facilitates the following broad goals and benefits to the City:
• Access to security expertise, research, and threat intelligence.
• Continuous monitoring of all aspects of the Information Technology environment - including all endpoints (e.g., servers, desktops, business applications, databases, network devices internet traffic, etc.) for suspicious activity.
• Continuous monitoring (year-round, 24 hours a day) to detect, analyze, identify, contain, and respond to possible threats.
• Evidence-based reporting of risks and vulnerabilities.
During the past three-year term, staff added to the scope of service by expanding log retention from 90 days to one year. The new term also reflects a cost increase due to growth in the number of monitored nodes and users. While Artic Wolf did not increase the per unit costs, the two increases in scope adjusted the annual costs from the original contract of $127,763 to $136,460. Staff continues to be very satisfied with their service and notes that the cost increase is due solely by staffs direction to expand service. Staff recommends continuance of these services.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Agreement with Sidepath, Inc.