Secure IT Systems is offering Securewall to tackle what it calls the spectrum of risks inherent in always-on internet connectivity.
Secure IT Systems is offering Securewall to tackle what it calls the spectrum of risks inherent in always-on internet connectivity – from malicious attack by virus or hacker to the haemorrhage of losses through employees’ uncontrolled use of the web and e-mail. The product combines virus checking and intrusion detection software with controls over internet users, including ?acceptable use? policy templates. The firm quotes a recent survey by the DTI, Information Security Breaches 2002, that an estimated 44 per cent of UK businesses suffered at least one malicious security breach in the last year, and the average cost of a serious security incident was ล30,000. Securewall, taht can be rented, meets the needs of small and medium firms, according to the manufacturer, that lack the dedicated IT resources to address this threat on their own. The DTI survey identified the lack of a security-aware culture and a clear security policy as particular points of vulnerability.
What they say
Secure IT Systems’ Managing Director Mike Blackburn said: ?The internet’s a two-way street, when it comes to risk – and the most obvious threats aren’t necessarily the most damaging. Many companies believe that firewalls are enough, but all they do is stop outsiders getting in – and that’s only part of the problem.? Securewall tackles what it calls the often delicate issue of acceptable personal usage of web and e-mail through formal controls over web access, and content filtering. It provides a security policy template as a foundation for the employer’s acceptable usage policy – determined with the appropriate legal advice. Secure IT Systems Finance Director Andrew Mayers said: ?The ramifications of uncontrolled access to the internet really don’t bear thinking about – there may be no malicious intent, but personal access can affect the employer’s privacy and data protection responsibilities, and limit the capacity available for legitimate users, as well as wasting perhaps tens of thousands of pounds a year in lost productivity. With Securewall, we’re giving the tools, and the framework for implementation. You need both – one without the other just won’t deliver the results.?
To rent
Rental facilities mean that organisations see a clear and rapid return on their security investment – a fully managed Securewall service for a 30-employee company costs around 70p per person, per working day. For an employee earning ล10 an hour, that means Securewall pays for itself with less than five minutes of regained productivity. A Securewall server is installed between the company?s servers and the internet connection. Traffic in and out is checked by a killer combination of anti-virus, intrusion detection, and content filtering systems. An optional desktop anti-virus system deploys and manages virus detection software on users’ desktops, without any user intervention. Where internet access is permitted as a perk of the job, Securewall’s User Management System is set up to control who can access the internet, when they can do it, and where on the web they’re allowed. Flexible permutations enable companies to reflect the needs of individuals and departments. Securewall provides further support for productivity through its ability to ?fall-back? to a secondary dial-up or ISDN connection should the primary internet connection fail. This fall-back feature means e-mail can be sent and received as normal, and browsing can continue, even though the main connection is down. The managed Securewall service provides the additional benefits of regular usage monitoring, and a quarterly vulnerability assessment, to help companies monitor effectiveness of their security policies. Visit www.securewall.co.uk
