iLAMP

One box to secure them all?
By Isabelle Chan, CNETAsia
26/10/2004

It doesn't matter if you're a big-name bank like Citibank or a small business startup. You are just as susceptible to virus and worm attacks.

But particularly for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), combating these risks is a bigger challenge since they lack the technical expertise and financial budgets.

"Typically, it's very rare to find IT security expertise in SMBs given that many do not even have an IT department, while some outsource the IT function or delegate day-to-day administration to a non-technical staff who takes it on top of his or her job scope," says Ang Ah Sin, Trend Micro's regional marketing manager for Asia South.

Several security vendors today offer "all-in-one" hardware and software products, which typically comprise features such as firewall, intrusion detection systems (IDS), VPN and antivirus protection. These integrated single-box software suites or security appliances are said to offer enterprise-class capabilities but are yet simple to deploy and manage.

Compared to integrated products, purpose-built boxes "may be too complex and expensive to be practical for SMBs", Ang says. The value proposition of single-box offerings is, therefore, attractive because SMBS now deal with a single supplier instead of multiple vendors or integrators.

Lawrence Loh, senior regional product marketing manager for Symantec's Gateway Security Solutions, agrees, citing ease of use as one reason to buy a multi-function product. Small businesses, he says, save time as they do not have to worry about managing different vendors' products when they install an integrated appliance designed for simple setup and low maintenance.

"Consolidated protection, convenience and cost are clearly the key advantages of deploying single-box solutions."
Lawrence Loh,
senior regional product
marketing manager,
Symantec Gateway Security Solutions
"Consolidated protection, convenience and cost are clearly the key advantages of deploying single-box solutions," he notes.

But do such products offer simplicity at the expense of flexibility?

Charles Cousins, the managing director for Sophos Anti-Virus Asia, thinks so. "It's a good place to get started if an SMB has no solution, but later they will probably want to have a more flexible solution.

"Over time, the SMB will start to face more demands from internal users, the volumes will increase, and there could be problems with upgrading and scalability," he adds.

Ang agrees that upgrading can be a challenge since components in the box are usually fixed. "Unless the appliance is upgradeable, any future expansion can render the appliance obsolete. Upgradeable single-box security software that offers comprehensive protection is preferred since it does not have such limitations. This is provided that the complexity of installation, configuration and maintenance have been removed and taken care of by the software," he says.

Symantec's Loh emphasized that upgrading concerns are addressed in the company's LiveUpdate feature. "Our appliances all use LiveUpdate which enables updates for the products to be sent through without any disruption. There is no difficulty in upgrading only parts of the product as LiveUpdate can upgrade the parts separately," he claims.

Another issue is the fear of a single point of failure. "With a box that does everything, when the power supply fails, everything stops, and the office is 'off the air'," Cousins notes.

Weigh the pros and cons
Like with all security technologies, the advantages and trade-offs must be carefully considered and mapped against the functionality, performance and business requirements.

Lim Ai Ling, McAfee's marketing manager for Southeast Asia and India, says SMBs should be concerned with functionality and performance, and suggests that SMBs ask questions like: Would a multi-function box slow down the network traffic flow? Will it be 'jack of all trades but specialist of none'?

While cost may be a concern when deploying many point solutions throughout the network, Lim adds that SMBs should not forget to consider the ease of managing these solutions and the need for a multi-layered and in-depth protection for critical PCs, servers and the entire network.

How to budget
A recent survey conducted by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) found that 50 percent of SMBs surveyed spend less than 2 percent of their revenues on IT. "For companies that depend on IT, security should one of the top prioritized costs of doing business and it is recommended that up to 5 percent be set aside," says Trend Micro's Ang.

"For companies that depend on IT, security should one of the top prioritized costs of doing business and it is recommended that up to 5 percent be set aside."
Ang Ah Sin
regional marketing manager
Trend Micro Asia South.
However, as each company is different, how much to budget depends on the number of computers, servers, complexity of the network infrastructure, as well as the type of digital assets that the company wants to protect, he adds.

An SMB suite such as Trend Micro Client/Server Suite, which protects desktops and servers, costs about S$60 (US$36) per license based on a 50-user network. "But the cost per license will decrease in relation to the size of the network setup," he adds.

Ang outlines several buying criteria for security. First, the software must be supported round-the-clock, 365 days a year by a world-recognized virus research laboratory that is able to dispatch timely updates whenever a virus is on the loose.

Second, the security software must be designed specifically for an SMB and not a re-packaged bundle of several individual security software or module from existing enterprise series. "Many security offerings are in fact scaled-down enterprise solutions that treat smaller business as enterprises with fewer seats," he says.

Third, make sure the product is easy to install, configure and maintain, so that minimal IT security knowledge is required.

Fourth, the product should be compatible with other existing software in the computing environment as well as the latest operating system or application patches.

Fifth, look for a product that offers a centralized management system with reporting features. And don't forget automatic and transparent distribution of updates to every PC and/or server on the network, says Ang.

Keeping these criteria in mind, Ang adds, SMBs should weigh the pros and cons of deploying a single-box offering versus point solutions and pick one that is most suitable to their needs.