Managing, maintaining and securing PCs always has brought some level of agony for security professionals. Whether it's a virus, worm, spyware, corrupted files or incessant patching, something always is bringing PCs down. That's a headache David Barter, technical services manager for Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice of Lewiston, Maine, knows all too well. "Systems in four of our remote offices were breaking often," he says. And part of the problem was that those Windows-based PCs were getting bogged with spyware.

That just wasn't acceptable for Androscoggin, considering the increased reliance on electronic health records to deliver care, the security requirements associated with HIPAA, and just how much care Androscoggin delivers each year. More than 375 physicians utilize the hospice and home care services the non-profit provides. And, in 2005, Androscoggin served more than 8,000 patients and families, and provided more than 140,000 home care and hospice visits.