| Network
Growing Pains?
Consider VPN Enhancements
Do
you want to improve your company’s sluggish retrieval
of e-mail and files? Is your company likely to expand
its network through additional branch offices and/or
remote users? If so, it may be time to step up to a
stand-alone virtual private network (VPN) solution or
all-in-one security appliance.
With
their affordable price and high-level security, VPNs
are seen as increasingly essential to guarding proprietary
information. However, while stand-alone VPNs are ideal
for networks needing standard security, all-in-one security
appliances may be a better choice for networks needing
heightened security and lower maintenance. Here’s what
you need to know to about both options:
The
Basics Of Stand-Alone VPNs
Stand-alone VPNs -- those with no firewalls or extra
software-- come in two varieties: site-to-site and remote
access.
-
Site-to-site VPNs protect e-mail and other data flowing
from one branch office to another. This type of VPN
includes encryption software to encode the content
and a hardware box at each site.
- Remote-access
VPNs enable off-site workers to access the company
network just as they would access it from their on-site
desktop. This solution usually requires a single hardware
device, standard VPN encryption software, and separate
client software loaded on the remote user’s home computer
or laptop.
For
remote-access VPNs, you can choose between two types
of client software. The basic variety lets you log in
to the network simply and securely, while more advanced
software includes enhanced security features. When a
remote worker dials in, for instance, the software can
be set up to access a policy server that controls where
the person may travel within the network. This level
of sophistication remains relatively expensive -- but
is still less than $100 per user
Simplify
Security Tasks With All-In-One Security Appliances
While stand-alone VPNs are great for protecting internal
network resources from the outside world, they don’t
block exposure to viruses, spam and objectionable Web
content.
You
can compensate for this weakness two ways. One option
is to deploy separate software tools: one for spam-blocking,
another for virus detection and a third for content
filtering. But this piecemeal solution can be costly,
time-consuming and burdensome to manage.
A
better solution may be to purchase an all-in-one security
device, which provides virus protection, spam-blocking
and content filtering, all in one convenient appliance.
Plus, these devices save labor and provide security
capabilities that are actually stronger than the sum
of their software alternatives.
Other
specific benefits include:
Reduced Security Threats
-- Dedicated hardware appliances that reside on Internet
gateways stop viruses before they enter the network,
thus helping to minimize damage to critical systems
and data.
These
devices also combat the growing risk of “blended threats”
-- in which spam e-mails combine with viruses to devastate
your PCs. (Remember the Nimda virus and Goner worm?)
Unlike individual software solutions, all-in-one appliances
are equipped to block blended threats because their
software is highly integrated and complementary.
Improved
Bottom Line -- Integrated hardware devices
often cost less than the sum of multiple software applications,
and they require only one maintenance package. These
appliances also help lower overall costs by simplifying
security management, thus reducing labor. Using an all-in-one
device, you no longer need a software guru to manage
multiple software tools, integrate them with a network
operating system, or install patches and updates. Hardware
devices perform updates automatically -- saving time
and reducing the strain on your company’s IT staff.
Easy
Configuration
-- Unlike layered software solutions, which are often
time-consuming to install, integrated appliances can
often be deployed in less than an hour. You simply configure
the device, place it in a rack, and enjoy its multifaceted
security functions.
In
addition, integrated hardware appliances provide excellent
scalability. Manufacturers offer a variety of models
and software that can be customized to fit specific
sizes and network needs.
Enhance
your network security with a stand-alone VPN or an all-in-one
security appliance. Contact us today, and let us help
you determine the best possible solution from a multitude
of choices.
Other
VPN Considerations
No two VPN solutions are alike; all can
be customized to your individual needs.
When narrowing down your choices, ask yourself
the following questions:
-
What type of traffic is expected to flow
between your company and remote sites
or workers? If you routinely move sprawling
PowerPoint presentations, database files
or graphics-intensive data through the
network, you need a solution that can
handle more than e-mail and text documents.
Each VPN solution has its own bandwidth
requirements.
- How
many simultaneous users are expected?
The more users involved, the more horsepower
the VPN solution must possess.
- What
is your current firewall setup? Firewalls
serve as barriers between two networks,
either allowing or blocking access to
users’ destinations. Choose a solution
that works with your existing hardware
configuration. For ease of training, you
may prefer to use the same manufacturer
for your firewall and VPN solutions.
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Fed
Up With Spam? Feast On New Solutions
Most everyone using e-mail has encountered spam -- unsolicited
junk mail that clogs e-mail systems, eats up network
bandwidth and wastes valuable time. But you don’t have
to go through the day unprotected from this nuisance.
Here’s an overview of solutions that can help.
A Desktop Software
The first line of defense for small-office and home-office
users is typically anti-spam software, which blocks
e-mail on the desktop using a variety of filtering methods.
Rules-based
filtering, for example, checks incoming e-mail against
characteristics frequently used by spam authors (e.g.,
words, catch phrases or “ADV” labels denoting advertisements).
Black-list filtering compares e-mail messages with directories
of spam senders’ ISP addresses. Once a message is identified
as spam, the software will either delete it, or quarantine
it temporarily in a junk-mail folder.
These
software products are easy to install, simple to configure
and inexpensive (usually less than $100).
Server-Based
Software
For small to midsize businesses with e-mail servers
-- and a higher volume of spam --server-based solutions
may be more effective.
Unlike
desktop solutions, server-based software provides rules-based,
content and black-list filtering directly on the server.
Before purchasing this type of solution, make sure your
existing hardware is robust enough to handle both an
e-mail server and a secondary application. If processing
power presents a concern, consider a server-based hardware
appliance instead.
Server-Based
Hardware
These solutions bypass the e-mail server and stop spam
right at the network gateway. While more costly (starting
around $3,000), these appliances automatically download
real-time black lists, so spam filters are always up-to-date.
Server-based
hardware appliances also offer easy management via a
Web browser, and increased network security by blocking
hackers before they reach the network.
The
Newest Anti-Spam Feature: Heuristics
Some software and hardware solutions are beginning to
take filtering one step further -- with an intelligence
technology called heuristics.
Previously
used in antivirus solutions, heuristics detects spam
by examining not only e-mail content, but other characteristics
as well, such as the method of message distribution
(e.g., mass mailing to all network members). This rapidly
advancing technology adapts to spammers’ ever-evolving
tricks.
Despite
the high occurrence of spam, there are plenty of spam-blocking
solutions that can help you get the upper hand. Find
out more by calling us today.
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Watching
Your Back
IP Surveillance Offers
Convenient, High-Quality Security
In
today’s uncertain times, even the smallest companies
need video surveillance solutions. Until recently, basic
closed-circuit television (CCTV) technology -- video
cameras hardwired to a monitoring station -- offered
the best, and only option. Now, surveillance has evolved
to the digital realm.
The
result is “IP” or “networked” surveillance, which relays
camera images through the network to a PC monitor for
observation. In addition to potentially lowering the
cost of system ownership, IP surveillance offers higher
quality, more convenience and flexibility:
- Off-site
monitoring
-- Standard CCTV technology allows remote monitoring
of offices or areas thousands of miles away – say
at a branch office. However, observing those sites
from afar requires sending video data from the camera
hookup through ISDN or T1 lines. In contrast, IP cameras
let users observe from any PC within a network, eliminating
the expense of high-end dedicated phone lines.
- Image
capture
-- Digital images and the related ability to control
the viewing experience through software configuration
greatly enhance visual quality. For instance, the
camera can be set to roll only when it detects motion
– saving on playback time and logging. Additionally,
when incidents occur, individual snapshots of a suspect
can easily be pulled out and given to police. Traditional
closed-circuit setups require the purchase of higher-end,
time-lapse photography cameras to retrieve single
video frames.
- Storage
-- Most companies desire the ability to play back
the tape when conducting video surveillance, to view
incidents in greater detail or discern patterns. With
traditional technology, this means saving the video
to a VHS tape, then logging the tape, cataloging it
and playing it back on a VCR. With IP-based video
surveillance, media is saved on hard disk and easily
searched from the desktop. The solution saves time
and the expense of tapes and related logging. Users
may then burn the material to a CD-ROM or DVD.
IP
surveillance solutions involve wired or wireless cameras
that connect with your Ethernet. All-in-one packages
typically include digital cameras, viewing configuration
software, and a 40- to 60-MB hard disk.
These
days, security is no longer an option. When planning
a surveillance system, consider both quality and efficiency.
Contact us and we’ll help you assemble a custom system
that fits your needs.
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