Since 2000, CSC has been providing information technology services to the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Office of Computer Systems and Support (OCSS). We also support NLM’s Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications as a team member with Management System Designers, Inc.
NLM is the world’s largest medical library, giving the public access to cutting-edge medical information, conducting research in bioinformatics areas such as proteomics and genomics, and engaging medical researchers across the globe in collaborative projects. Lister Hill is an NLM research and development division dedicated to improving access to high-quality biomedical information.
CSC supports NLM through network engineering, information security, information systems administration, and deploying and servicing desktop computers. Our Lister Hill support includes language and knowledge processing, information systems, and image processing.
As prime contractor on the OCSS project, CSC leads a team that maintains the network infrastructure and provides both core and extended services to NLM’s users. We enable a global user community to benefit from the medical knowledge NLM makes available online by maintaining public web servers that enable access to the Library’s information system. This involves ensuring 24x7 distributed network and desktop computing services across more than 1,200 local and remote desktop systems and 86 servers. We also maintain network connectivity with the broader National Institutes of Health (NIH) community and enable Internet access for NLM staff.
Major areas of support include:
- Communications and Network Services. We maintain the primary OCCS network infrastructure and provide both core and extended network services. We also support NLM’s remote facility for business continuity and disaster recovery. In addition we track information assets; install cables and related infrastructure; and handle system administration needs, including file sharing, storage area networks, server backup, account administration, and directory services.
- Desktop Systems Support. CSC provides desktop system installation, configuration, and troubleshooting for the OCSS user community. Our efforts include distributing software packages, supporting remote workstations, deploying software patches as vendors make them available, and deploying approximately 200 new or upgraded PCs to users each year.
- Desktop Systems Security. We routinely scan all desktop systems for viruses, spyware, and other malware. We maintain and patch anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware applications across the enterprise and identify, isolate, and remediate any problems detected.
- Critical Infrastructure Protection and Information Assurance. Information technology security is one of our most critical responsibilities. CSC’s security team works with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to develop security policies, plans, and procedures. We administer both perimeter and internal firewalls and work with various NLM branches to coordinate overall security. Our responsibilities include vulnerability scanning; intrusion detection; incident response; desktop system security; and maintaining and patching anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware applications across the enterprise. Our ability to pinpoint incursion attempts has reduced malware and spyware incidents by more than 90 percent.