Industry Standard Computers Home Page
Industry Standard Computers
St. Clairsville, Ohio
(740) 695-1520
30 Years In Business - 30 Years Experience with Computers - 25 Years with Networks & Security
The oldest system builder in the area, maybe in the state!
Best Labor Rate in the Area, $25 Shop, $40 Outside

Firewalls... Managed:

IN reality this is the highest form of a firewall. If designed properly and with enough of the proper software installed, managed firewalls offer extreme protection and if they are ever compromised ("rooted" or "owned" as called in the linux world) someone knows it and can fix the problem and block the intruder from ever attacking you again.  Costs: $600 - $50,000 per year.

A managed firewall in reality is a firewall (computer based) that a person or company monitors.  These are most of the time leased not bought services. This type of firewall records everything. Attacks on the system, logins, outgoing traffic, incoming traffic, self checks itself, etc. It updates itself with firewall IDS updates (intrusion detection updates), content filtering blacklists, virus updates, spam blacklists, advertising blacklists, etc.

(Give you a quick example why: our Firewall content Filtering Servers per location sends email of log activity, self checks and such that takes 5 minutes per day 365 days a year to monitor if nothing bad ever happens.  5 minutes times 365 divided by 60) times $20 per hour = $608.33)

So why have a person or company monitor it?   NO firewall should ever be considered indestructible. So with that in mind, an unmanaged firewall could be breached and company information is stolen and no one would ever have an idea of when.  In a managed firewall system there would be a record of when the breach took place.

Any other advantage to outside monitoring or maintenance?  Because at this level of protection from the evils of the Internet, some good legit web sites are blocked too.  The key wording used in better content filtering might block xmradio.com or some news story because it talked about Michael Jackson. In this type of firewall the software can be changed, updated or modified to allow what the customer needs even when it could be dangerous to them. With other levels of firewall you get what you get. For them to avoid "tech support" calls, they open some ports or remove some IDS updates that a managed system would never do unless needed by the customer. If you have ever used a Windows based "porn blocker" you really understand where I am coming from on this topic.

On a Managed Firewall Solution you almost need to ask what features do you get and what do they cost?

So you can compare to others I have put down the highest estimate ever given to a business by us:
Cost for first year computer, software, installation and management $2100.
Cost each additional year for updates & management: $1200
Every 4th year upgrade of core software $200-300. Hardware will doubtfully need upgrades unless company goes from T1 line to T3 line or triples in size.

Computer hardware and battery backup
Weekly IDS updates (snort)
Weekly content filtering updates
Core software critical updates
Spyware, Adware blacklist updates
Advertisement blocking
Upfront E-mail virus scanning
De-SPAM incoming email
Virus updates
Whitelist management (company sites never to block)
Tech support
Detection of local network infected PC's (spyware or network virus). (Our FcFS usually shows these. So you don't need to run Anti-Spyware scanners constantly on the PC's.)
Intrusion detection and blocking
Port monitoring.
Caching server (Squid usually)
DHCP server (normal with all level 2 or better firewalls)
SAMBA server (a Linux replacement so you can scrap some of your peer to peer servers or NT / W2k / Win 2003 servers).

For a joke... there is a company that monopolizes the new car dealership industry that charges over a $1000 per month for their managed firewall and it doesn't stop any virus or spyware.
 
 
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