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Computer Security - Firewalls
With more small businesses having full-time, high-speed
Internet connections, security for computers is increasingly
important. The information below can help make your system
less inviting to anyone trying to break into it.
A firewall is a piece of hardware or software that monitors
the connections your computer makes to the Internet. Until
recently, they were expensive, difficult to install, and hard
to maintain.
Firewalls for individual and small business users are designed
to be installed easily and to operate with minimal user intervention.
Most will alert you to probes of your system by others; although
not all probes are malicious. It takes a little time to figure
out which probes are malicious and which aren't. The manuals
teach you about the kinds of probes and how crackers use them.
A personal firewall, being software, is certainly a good choice
for most individual users and small businesses. If you have,
for example, a small office with a half-dozen PCs linked to
the 'Net by an SDSL connection, installing a personal firewall
on each machine is generally sufficient.
A software firewall is an application program, there may be
conflicts between the firewall and programs already on your
machine. However, since there are many software firewalls
to choose from, if one doesn't work, you can easily uninstall
it and install a different one.
Larger companies with critical information to protect, such
as credit card numbers for an ecommerce site, should consider
a hardware firewall. These are pieces of hardware that sit
on your Internet connection, between your office LAN and the
'Net. You, or preferably your IT administrator, can manage
the rules that determine just what information can flow back
and forth. This is the most efficient way to keep crackers
at bay.
Primus T1,
DS3,
and routed SDSL
customers already have the option to put up a basic hardware
firewall; these routers can filter the "packets",
or Internet traffic, that the router allows through to the
user's computer or network. Information on how to purchase
this service can be found on Primus SDSL,
T1,
and DS3
product pages.
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| VPNs:
Your Own Private Data Network | Primus
Partner Recommendations |
How
can your business link remote offices with a secure network,
without paying for new network infrastructure? By using a Virtual
Private Network, or VPN.
A VPN is a highly-scalable private data network carved out of
a public data network like the Internet. Security is maintained
by encrypting the data sent, or tunneling the data inside other
data packets, or a combination of these methods.
VPNs are perfect for corporate intranets, or for linking suppliers
and businesses with secure extranets. And, since there are no
costs associated with private circuits, business can save up
to 80% compared with leased lines and long distance dialup.
When looking for VPN solutions from service providers, you could
just compare prices and services, but gauging long-term benefits
can be difficult. Look for superior value-added services to
help make your decision.
And while you're at it, make sure you compare Service Level
Agreements, or SLAs, which define the terms and conditions and
how the service provider guarantees those terms.
For a look at the Primus VPN solution, visit our web
site. | | Choosing
a Web Designer
So, you want
to create a web site for your business. But with everybody and
their sister claiming to
be web designers, how do you choose?
There
are no hard and fast criteria that define web designers, and
there are few ways to objectively rate them, other than by comparing
their experience and rates.
But, you have to start somewhere. Overall technical skills are
a good indication if a designer is right for your project. When
you see their portfolio, find out how they created their favorite
sites: did they use straight html, or Flash? Are their sites
database-driven and easy to update? Can they handle multi-media
or animation?
These days, budget is a key factor in choosing a web designer.
Don't be fooled by big web design firms. Because of increased
overhead, they often charge more than lone designers for similar
projects, and can be prone to dividing their attention among
several clients at once. Unless you have a site with excessive
backend requirements (an e-commerce site like Amazon.com, for
example) or one that is 100 or more pages, the design team's
headcount doesn't matter. A talented student, a lone designer,
or a small firm could give you just what you're looking for.
Again, look at the designer's portfolio. Have they handled projects
similar in scope to yours? Do you like their style(s)? Can they
create what you want based on your budget?
And lastly, be realistic. Don't expect every bell and whistle
on a meager budget. Start with the basics and add-on as budget
permits. |
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©
2002 PRIMUS Telecommunications Group |
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