� FIREWALL-X

• Overview
• How to improve your email system
• How Firewall-X processes your email instantly...anywhere
• How to assess if you are at risk of being hacked
• How Firewall-X protects your network                                          
• Firewall-X helps with IT maintenance and virus control
• Secure connection from home to office
• Content filter
• What does Firewall-X cost
• How we install Firewall-X
• What's the next step

Overview

The need for an advanced firewall arises when a company wants to grow and a more sophisticated email system is required for effective client communications. However once you're on line more frequently you increase the risk of being hacked and catching viruses. Firewall X can solve your email requirements and/or give you the hacking and virus protection you need as a consequence of improving your Internet access. Plus much much more�

� HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR EMAIL SYSTEM

When a company first starts to use email they usually have a very simple delivery system with their ISP called POP3. You will discover that there are four problems with this.

• Firstly, as staff come and go and you need to make changes to your mailboxes it is not always easy to deal with your ISP and time delays are common.
  
  
• Secondly, you can end up with very high ISDN or phone bills, as you will need to dial in regularly to get your mail or surf the web.
  
  
• Thirdly, ISP�s can also get delays when their mail system gets busy during peak periods or if they get hit with a DOS attack (someone deliberately floods there server with too much mail), which causes them to grind to a crawl.
  
  
• Fourthly, some ISPs limit the size of attachments they will allow, so when a client sends you over an important file the ISP will refuse to deliver it.

All in all this makes using your email system expensive and frustrating.

THE ANSWER

• Step one - reduce your dial up costs and improve the speed by installing a permanent Internet connection - ADSL or Lease Line.
  
  
• Step two - Host your own mail server and host your own mailboxes. This is called SMTP mail (With POP accounts the emails are on the ISPs' server at their premises).
  
  You may already have an existing email server, on which you could host your own mailboxes for example Exchange is a mail server. But it is not advisable to connect this directly to the Internet, as most of the current Virus and hackers target these systems.

The solution�

• Step Three - Firewall-X. It can be your mail server or mail relay to Exchange or other existing system. This means you're in control of your own mail, sending and receiving, and there is significantly reduced danger of being hacked or receiving viruses.

� HOW FIREWALL-X PROCESSES YOUR EMAIL

• Instant Mail Collection and Delivery. This is made possible, as you no longer have to go through your ISP's mail server. Your mail will be faster as you do not have to join the thousands of other people trying to send mail. Should their system crash you will not be affected.
  
  
• Your mail will be delivered to each individual persons desktop. Using the SMTP mail relay built into the firewall allows you to forward mail directly to the end users or to an existing mail server e.g. Microsoft Exchange. This also protects the Exchange Server from a direct Internet connection.
  
  
• Collect your Email from anywhere in the world. One of the great features of Firewall-X is that it allows users access to their mailboxes (but not contacts or calendars) through a secure web connection anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection. This is the same technology as used to access Internet Bank accounts. The contents of the mail boxes is the same as if accessed from the office. All you need is an internet connection, and a web browser (e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer). When you want to collect your email, access the web, type in the address of your mail server in the address bar, enter username and password and in. They can read, write, download attachments, do spell checks, etc. Great for tube strikes, home workers, salesmen or traveling directors.

� HOW TO ASSESS IF YOUR ARE AT RISK

We lock our houses, our cars, even our bicycles. But do we secure our company's information? Small businesses need to be aware that some networks don't even come with locks installed, much less any other type of protection. How secure is your company's most confidential data? Would your network withstand a hacker, a virus attack or a disgruntled employee?

If you access the Internet for only a couple of minutes a day the likelihood of your being 'hacked' is small. Why? Because each time you logon you are issued with a new 'identity number' (IP address) Hackers access networks through IP addresses. If your IP address is constantly changing, it is difficult for a hacker to locate your IP address quick enough while you are surfing, and get into your system.

However, the same cannot be said of some viruses. They infect unprotected systems, which in turn 'scan' around looking for other systems to infect. If your unlucky and happen to be online while a system scans your IP address a virus could be transferred to your system, leaving you wondering what happened.

Why a hacker would want to enter your system is anybody's guess. Some are merely curious and see hacking as a challenge. Others will hack your network with the intent to cause untold malicious damage or worse, steal valuable or confidential data.

With a permanent link to the Internet, i.e. ADSL line it is critical that you protect your system. Having a permanent link to the web is time saving and often more cost effective. But it opens up a very real danger of being hacked.

� HOW FIREWALL-X PROTECTS YOUR NETWORK

Not installing a Firewall is like leaving your front door wide open at night. It is inviting crooks to enter your premises. The equivalent to a locked and bolted front and back door - in computer terms - is a firewall.

Firewall-X is a Stateful Firewall based on a Linux 2.4 Operating System .

Called "stateful" because the firewall can permit outgoing sessions while denying incoming. This kind of firewall inspects all packets going through the firewall. Packets are only forwarded if they match an access policy rule

It simply ignores any connections unless they're in the access rules (Thus preventing unauthorized access). It also has a connection tracking system that only lets in traffic replying to a request from inside the system.

In other words - A stateful Firewall is like having a security guard that checks people coming in have an appointment and are also sent through a metal detector to check nothing untoward has come in with them.

One of the benefits of renting Firewall-X from us is that we keep a constant eye on new developments and update Firewall-X regularly. This is essential as hackers and viruses are becoming more advanced. Security updates to your system are made on average every 3 months. A service not provided by an off the shelf firewall.

� FIREWALL-X HELPS WITH MAINTENANCE

Secure Remote Management and Support. If you take up the ADSL option and become a member of the IT Department then your IT network can be supported over the web via remote control software using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection.

This is like having a virtual engineer on site. The VPN allows the engineer to view and take control of your PCs whilst speaking to the user, giving you the benefit of faster response to 90% of your PC problems and minimizing lost productivity time from users.

With Firewall-X viruses are stopped before they enter your network. A lot of our clients ask us how they can prevent viruses getting into their system via email. At present most companies check their incoming mail with antivirus software on their server or desktop. This was fine until virus's started attacking the antivirus software first, disabling or removing it.

Firewall-X will check incoming mail on the Firewall. Ensuring that viruses and trojans (used by hackers to get in) are stopped before they come anywhere near your network.

All that is required is an antivirus license from Sophos and we will setup the firewall to scan all email, and to check for updates from Sophos every hour.

� SECURE CONNECTION FROM HOME TO OFFICE

According to the Institute of Directors "The traditional office, as it is viewed in 2000, will have come to be seem by many companies as an outdated concept that has been held on to for far too long, and that by 2010 , 10% of the FTSE 100 companies will have no headquarters ". They predict that 25% will be working from home.

According to the 2000 government labour force survey 1.5Million or 5.5% of the workforce already work from home at least one day per week using a computer linked to their employer or clients office. This is a 19% increase on the previous year.

This is great for FTSE 100 companies with their FTSE 100 budgets. It costs the AA �7000 to rig up an employee with a PC and communications links plus the running costs. However with a home ADSL and Firewall-X we can make it more affordable for the small business.

Even more surprisingly, according to the AA their home workers do 30-40% more work than their office staff. Surprising isn't it?

Secure Remote Connection for Single offsite Users. Firewall X has an IPSec VPN option. This is industry standard VPN security system allowing secure cross platform connections.

Translated, this means your NT/2000 laptop can access your office network and server from any direct Internet connection anywhere, after the IPSec client software is installed. There is a reduction in actual data transferred, as the coding uses some of the available bandwidth (or speed) so for permanent connections e.g. home use, we recommend ADSL. Its slower than the office connection but still very usable.

Applications for this are endless. Roaming Sales persons, consultants working on clients sites, staff stuck at home due to weather or strikes, branch ofices. All can have access to their files, email etc.

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� CONTENT FILTERING

� HOW WE INSTALL FIREWALL-X

• Firstly, it may be required that your domain is moved to the ADSL provider. Moving domains in theory is very simple but in our experience it is never straightforward.
  
  
• Secondly, to receive Email directly we will ask your existing ISP or a new ADSL provider to provide an MX record and a backup mailbox.
  
  
• Thirdly, Installation and required modifications to the existing system.
  
  
  • Firewall configuration
  • Connecting to BT Router
  • Testing BT Router and setting up client connection
  • Modifications to Exchange Server to route mail via gateway.
  • Setting up remote VPN connection to IT Department for ongoing support

� WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP

Should Firewall-X be the solution to your company's email and security issues this is how to get the ball rolling.

1. Email us at [email protected] or call the office and request a customized quote for your installation.
2. If you would like an ADSL line let us know. We can also organize all of that for you with our preferred provider - Mistral. (Having dealt with all the major ADSL providers we have found them to be the most efficient, reliable and professional)
3. If your happy with the quote I will send you the appropriate contracts for your approval. Once it is returned to our office it takes approximately 10 working days for the ADSL line and the firewall to be installed

Once installed your company will have all the technology at its finger tips that is normally only ever available to the big boys.