What if I want somebody to come to my office instead of supporting me over the Internet or phone?
To be able to offer our service at such a low price, we must first try to solve all problems over the phone or the Internet. If we are unable to solve the problem, we will send one of our technicians on-site.
I can’t afford to spend any additional money, but I would still like to work with Ferrum, how can I access services?
Ferrum has support plans and resources that can be built-in over time as your organization, IT support needs, as resources continue to grow. This allows both Ferrum and your organization to begin to build a long-term relationship.
How do you address the issues of confidentiality?
We do sign a standard confidentiality agreement with our members which prohibits Ferrum or its employees from disclosing any information related to the member or the member's end-users.
Why do I have to pay $285 for our second and third offices?
Each additional office has network infrastructure which requires support and adds to the overall complexity of your IT support environment.
Does Ferrum provide more than one backup copy of data?
Yes. Your data is encrypted and stored at four geographically different, highly secure, off-site co-location facilities, ensuring that your business can fully recovery from any disruption or disaster.
How are VSS backups handled?
When configuring the backup of servers an option to schedule a daily VSS Incremental Backup is available. When the VSS Incremental Backup occurs it shuts down all VSS aware applications then performs the backup.
What is the frequency of backups?
This configuration performs 96 incremental snapshots of the server every 15 minutes throughout the day.
Can I select what files and folders to backup or exclude?
Backups are performed by server volume. For virtualization, you must capture the boot volume and any other volume(s) containing server applications. For example if you install the operating system to Drive C and Exchange to Drive D, you must have both C and D backed up if you want to virtualize the server.
Can I restore Exchange Mailboxes?
Yes, we have a utility that allows the restoration at the mailbox and message level.
Do I have to reconfigure my firewall settings and any DNS or MX records if we need to virtualize a server?
No, the virtualization process keeps the servers system state so no additional configurations are needed. Service will continue to run like they did prior to the server failure.
If a client has more than 8 servers, can we have multiple NAS Device's at the client site?
Yes, multiple NAS configurations are possible.
Can I have more than one server running in a virtual state on the NAS Device?
Yes, depending on the amount of hard disk space, memory and processor a server consumes. The only limitation is the physical hardware of the NAS Device.
What is the normal life expectancy of today’s technology?
As a general rule more technology products can have an average life expecting of approximately three years. There are exceptions however. Because of accelerated technology in certain areas, better, faster, cheaper technology may cause obsolescence faster than normal. Also it depends on how long the technology has been on the market when you purchased it. For example it is now possible to purchase a PC with processor speeds between 450 and 800MHz. The 450MHz processor is at the end of it’s industry life cycle even though it may be new PC purchase for you. Thus when you bought it, it may have only two-thirds of it’s life expectancy remaining.
What is the average life-cycle cost of PC computing?
According to the Gartner Group, one of the leading technology research groups, the average annual cost for a networked PC is over $10,000, nearly three times it’s original purchase price. The cost includes hardware, software, management, support, administration and communication costs as well as non-budgeted costs such as downtime and lost productivity.
Why is standardizing my computer hardware and operating systems so important?
Through standardizing computer hardware, many variables are eliminated that can cause glitches and unnecessary downtime due to conflicts and compatibility issues than can arise between hardware and software. Studies have shown that deviating from standards in an attempt to supply cheaper PCs cost more in the long run because of higher support costs and more frequent downtime time.
Who should I have administer my network?
Due to the increasing complexities being brought on with greater Internet access and greater software integration, network administration is becoming very important. Maintaining adequate network administration can reduce a lot of aggravation and frustration that can occur from an unstable computer network. For many businesses that do not need or can not afford a full time network administrator, outsourcing the network administration to a professional firm gives them the support they need at a price they can afford.
How do my employees learn to use my technology?
Businesses who establish an on-going technology skill development program often see immediate return for their investment through improve employee performance and higher morale. Creating a skill development program that uses a combination of in-house training and orientation, CD training and Web base training can reduce employee time away from work, and reduce travel expenses sometimes associated with training. Some companies have also discovered a longer retention time by employees because they are more satisfied with the jobs.
Should I purchase or lease my computer system?
The Gartner Group estimates that 50 percent of U.S. computer equipment sales now involve leasing; by 2003, the number of companies using leases will out number outright purchases by 2 to 1. Leasing is becoming a management strategy, not just a financing tool. The reasoning is simple. In a world where products become obsolete in a matter of two or three years, nobody wants to be stuck owning equipment that has no useful purpose. Making a large capital out-lay every two or three years is difficult for many businesses. Using available credit from the bank to purchase computers can reduce credit for other necessary business needs such as seasonal inventory build-ups. So leasing with the “pay as you go” feature makes it an attractive alternative for businesses.
How do I make my data safe from security breaches?
Anybody can be a victim of computer crime, so it pays to take precautions to protect your company’s data and your customers privacy. Through adequate security planning, firewall protection and periodic reviews most security breaches can be prevented. We recommend that you seek the assistance of professionals who are familiar with the best practice standards that will help to prevent security breaches.
What are my options for backing up my data?
There is an old saying in the computer industry, “There are two kinds of businesses, those that have lost data, and businesses who will lose data.” No matter which category your business fits into, having an effective back up system is critical. The most common backup solution used is the storing of critical data on network servers. Typically these servers should have a tape backup system that enables data to be backup on a daily basis. Many businesses don't have a server or don't have the capacity on the server to hold all of their data. In those cases they use ZIP drives, which are an economical and convenient means of back up.
How do I avoid power problems?
According to a study by IBM, more than 120 disturbances hit a normal computer in typical month. Some have imperceptible effects; still others can result in a serious damage to data and equipment. Deploying proper power protection may be as simple as using an adequate surge suppressor, or as complex as installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). An UPS can give you adequate time to power down correctly or can have enough battery power to keep the equipment up during the power disruption. Power management software is also available. This software can monitor power situations so that mission critical applications can operate predictably. If your business maintains a mission critical environment, we recommend a power audit be completed that will enable you to properly plan power protection for you business.
What are my options for giving employees Internet access?
If your business is like most, more and more employees need access to the Internet. Purchasing a modem and phone line has gone the way of the telephone switchboard. Not only does this alternative cost more, but it doesn’t give the firewall protection necessary to protect your information system. Depending on how many employees need access and what your employees may be doing, bandwidth has become a major factor in determine the cost-effectiveness of Internet options. Whatever the bandwidth need, your employees can have managed access through Microsoft’s Proxy Server.
What is the proper way to plan for technology?
The old adage: “Pay me now or pay me later.” never rings truer than in planning for technology. The first step is to have a technology assessment completed. Done right, the assessment will give you a clear picture of the problems and opportunities that lay before your business. Now you are in a position to formulate a technology roadmap of where you want to take your technology.
Why are IT policies important to have?
There isn’t a sports game that doesn’t have rules. Without them it would be impossible to determine the outcome of the game. That same idea is true of running a business, especially when it come to technology. By allowing employees to make up their own rules when it come to using technology, a business faces the risk of not only making technology more expensive to maintain, but it can also have major affects upon how a business serves it’s customers. What policies to implement is based upon the size and complexity of an organization, but every business should have IT policies in important areas of their business.
What are some do's and don’ts of e-mail?
E-mail can be either an intentional or unintentional marketing tool. E-mail is becoming a frequent method of business communication. Poor grammar and misspelled words are just a couple of examples of the impression your business may be making on customers and potential customers. Having netiquette policies can help to ensure that your business is projecting the professional image you want.
Equally important is maintaining safe e-mail practices to protect yourself, customers, vendors or anyone else your company communicates with. Probably the most important of these practices is e-mail attachments. Not only can these attachments become an aggravation chewing up bandwidth, but they are also the most common vehicle for transmitting computer viruses. Therefore maintaining safe e-mail practices makes good business sense.
How do Ferrum Email Protection services work?
Through simple DNS modification, all email messages intended for a company's mail servers flow through Ferrum for real-time pre-processing before delivery to an end-users "inbox." If junk mail or virus-infected messages are detected, the messages can be tagged, delivered to an alternate mailbox or directed to a password-protected quarantine area for review and disposition.
What type of anti-virus technology does Ferrum use to filter viruses?
Ferrum anti-virus filtering services incorporate virus-filtering tools from Grisoft's AVG product, a leading security and virus email protection company. Our anti-virus capabilities deliver the ultimate defense against the ravages of viruses, worms, and other malicious code, before they have a chance to unleash their destructive payloads into your network. Ferrum supplements core AV engines with additional processing to recognize specific MIME characteristics, message fragments, and more.
Does Ferrum's processing delay message delivery?
Unlike other 'store and forward' solutions using standard email server technology; with Ferrum, messages are processed in real-time - literally within milliseconds - so there is no detectable latency. Ferrum regularly instruments elapsed time of email flow through the process to ensure we are meeting the performance requirements of our customers.
How is this process secure? Is there exposure to individual email messages?
Legitimate messages are not written to disk. Ferrum's email processing technology allows messages to be processed in real-time as the packets flow through the Ferrum servers. This ensures that Ferrum does not expose customer data to hackers or potential loss of data. Ferrum's filters process all email with no direct human contact with mail flow or individual messages. Mail messages are processed within milliseconds and immediately passed through to the customer's mail server. In the case of suspicious email, the message can be broken down into sections with a hashed file name and then directed to a secure, private, web-hosted quarantine (Message Center). Password-protected personal message centers are assigned to each email user for reviewing suspicious email. Some customers choose to have a collective message center that is assigned to a designated administrator, or for Ferrum to 'tag and deliver' suspicious messages.
Is Ferrum less secure than software or hardware installed behind the firewall?
No. Starting with our message processing architecture and our network layout and access control, Ferrum ensures that customer data is safe and secure. Software processes handle messages in real-time; access between machines is tightly regulated; and redundancy across the clusters is deployed to ensure high availability. Ferrum performs regular vulnerability assessments to ensure that our measures for securing customer data are state of the art.
What are the advantages of deploying email security as a web managed service?
Because Ferrum's protection begins at the place of origin of spam and viruses - the Internet - we are able to catch suspicious email before it reaches a company's network. In addition, we are uniquely able to intercept Directory Harvest Attacks (DHAs) (used to steal or harvest email addresses), which can only be done in the SMTP connection stream at the Internet gateway. Unlike solutions that are deployed at the network gateway or at the workgroup server, we are able to keep networks and servers free of malicious attacks and bandwidth-hogging junk email. In addition, network delivered managed services are typically a more cost-effective solution. Unlike software or appliance solutions, Ferrum services require virtually no integration and can be deployed in as little as a few days. Once deployed there is minimal maintenance required and updates are made automatically, at no extra charge. Costs are more predictable, since they're based on a consistent monthly fee. Our services pose little financial risk - customers pay a predictable monthly fee and services can be discontinued just a quickly as they are deployed, with no disruption.
Does Ferrum require extensive integration with existing systems?
No. Ferrum provides its services as a managed service, requiring minimal integration. Customers simply update their DNS records so that the MX records point to Ferrum for pre-processing before mail is delivered to the destination server. Mail delivery follows a conventional format that also lends itself to the automatic fail-over that is typical for any MX record.
How reliable is Ferrum's service delivery systems?
With our multiple data center, real-time processing model, Ferrum provides uptime of 99.99%, including scheduled maintenance. Our services remain online, even in the event of scheduled maintenance, power outages, network failures or natural disasters.
Our company already uses an anti-virus solution that includes some level of spam protection - would Ferrum's services be redundant?
While many companies have been able to successfully manage their virus problems using current anti-virus tools, they are finding that issues created by the high volume of spam and SMTP-based attacks they are receiving has become bigger problem. Ferrum's anti-spam solution provides best-of-breed protection not available in anti-virus suites and can easily be deployed along with existing anti-virus solutions. Ferrum Perimeter Manager includes both spam and virus protection, introducing an added layer of protection and reducing the risks involved with server or desktop-based solutions, by blocking SMTP-based attacks and filtering spam and viruses before they reach the network.
How much junk email (spam) do companies receive?
On average, 60% of the email that our customers receive is identified as spam, with some companies receiving as much as 80%.
Has the ratio of spam to legitimate email been increasing?
Yes. Ferrum reported a 150% increase in the amount of spam email sent to our customers in 2002 - and corporate spam traffic is still growing in 2003.
What type of spam or junk email is sent to Ferrum's customers?
64.3% are special offers or promotions, 21.2% bulk mail, 7.9% "get rich quick" offers, and 6.6% contain sexually explicit content.
Why has the spam volume been increasing for companies?
The dramatic growth of spam has been fueled by the use of a sophisticated email address collection technique called a Directory Harvest Attack (DHA). Spammers use DHAs to collect thousands of valid email addresses from unprotected mail servers. They also have become more advanced in the use of graphics, HTML, and techniques that introduce minor differences into each spam message. This technique is used to defeat the simple signature-based or reference database anti-spam methodologies (that depend upon large volumes of identical message being sent in order to identify junk email). Ferrum's experience is that 90% of spam messages are unique - so these types of filtering technologies are often ineffective.
What is a Directory Harvest Attack?
Directory Harvest Attacks (DHAs) are a sophisticated technique that spammers use to bypass typical email server checking mechanisms in order to access directories and receive a list of valid email addresses. During a DHA, spammers attempt to deliver messages to multiple addresses, such as johndoe@yourcompany.com, jdoe@yourcompany.com, and john@yourcompany.com. Addresses that are not rejected by the receiving mail server are determined as valid. These addresses are compiled and sold to other spammers worldwide. This is why a brand new email box can be full of unsolicited, junk email just hours after it has been set-up.
What is the relationship between a Directory Harvest Attack and spam?
DHAs are used to "harvest" valid email addresses, which are then sold to spammers who use the addresses to launch massive spam attacks, typically within 36 hours.
How do companies protect themselves from DHAs?
Since DHAs exploit standard SMTP behavior, the only solution is to protect the SMTP connection. At this time, Ferrum's email security service is the only solution that provides security for both email content and the SMTP connection, blocking DHAs before they reach the mail server.
Isn't spamming illegal? How are spammers able to get away with it?
There are approximately six bills that have been introduced at the Federal level, but no legislation has been enacted at this time. 15 states have anti-spam laws, which mostly carry fines, but they only effect spammers who live in the state with the legislation and who spam email users in that state. Spammers avoid getting caught by changing their own email address frequently, making it hard to track them down. They also use resources in other countries to send out their email blasts. In fact, 50% of all spam sent to U.S. email-users originates outside of the country. Spammers usually send their blasts from countries without anti-spam legislation, but even European and Canadian anti-spam laws do not cover inter-country activity.
If laws and regulations don't work, does that mean we have to live with spam?
While it still helps to regulate the Internet and "police" junk emailers, most industry analysts advise companies that the best defense is to deploy anti-spam technology, with a focus on perimeter or gateway protection solutions. They also encourage companies to make sure that the solution they select is updated frequently to address evolving spammer tactics.
In addition to spam, viruses, and Directory Harvest Attacks, what other types of email-borne attacks are problematic for companies?
There are a number of SMTP connection and content threats that can adversely affect the unprotected email server. Denial of service attacks, long standing open SMTP connections, email bombs, and even chain letters can overrun server transaction capacity or message store space. Ferrum provides a protective umbrella for all SMTP connections and content types being delivered to your server. If we detect an attack, Ferrum can kill the connection and deal with the threat in real-time.
What are the platforms and applications for which support is provided under your services?
On desktops, the Ferrum Managed Services is available for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista and commonly used desktop applications such as Internet Explorer, Outlook, Word, and Excel. On servers, we have expertise on the entire Microsoft "stack" such as Exchange, SQL Server, Sharepoint, as well as packages such as Veritas BackupEXEC, ARCServer, Citrix Metaframe, Symantec, Oracle and Linux.
What hardware do you support?
We will support any hardware on a limited basis. By this we mean that we do not do hardware repairs. We will, however, diagnose hardware problems and work with the hardware manufacturer on your behalf in the case of warranty repairs. In the case that a piece of hardware is not under warranty we will assist you with purchasing new hardware or in having a hardware repaired by a Ferrum partner.
Explain the Remote Control service — Is my information safe?
It's very safe. We use remote control software allowing us to take control of your computer as if we were sitting right at your desk. This allows us to do most of our work over the Internet and enables us to offer you the lowest price possible. In order to use the software on your computer, we must get your permission each and every time. We cannot connect to your computer unless you accept a link we send you each time you want support. That way you can feel safe that we can't do anything to your computer when you aren't watching our every move.
What is meant by Antivirus management?
Under antivirus management, Ferrum performs a daily antivirus check to insure the antivirus has the latest signature files, the antivirus is healthy and not corrupt, the antivirus is installed and has a valid license. This also covers virus removal on a best effort basis should an end user machine be affected by a virus, as well as rollout of our antivirus software.
What are the security and control measures taken to minimize the risk of data theft, loss or breach or privacy?
Ferrum has built many controls into its software as well as employing security review processes with its NOC based on industry best practices (we use CoBIT guidelines). Some (not all) of the security measures and features are as follows:
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Our members define the level of access given to Ferrum on their machines.
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Every logon/logoff activity to the member's network is audited by the Ferrum system and reviewed by operations staff in the NOC against the reason given by the engineer and is available for review by our teams real time.
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Communication of passwords via the Password Vault technology.
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Screen capture of maintenace activities done.
Why should I use this service over a traditional hourly consulting service?
Hourly consulting is reactive in nature and expensive. Ferrum combines the best IT management tools and practices with the highest level of customer service. We proactively monitor and manage the health of your network, solving problems before they have an impact on your business – and do it on a very affordable flat fee basis.
How will Ferrum help my business and employees perform better?
Many small businesses and nonprofit organizations don’t have reliable technology help or avoid using it for fear they are running up an expensive tab. Others have nowhere to turn when they need support. Ferrum allows your employees to get support and training when they need it for an affordable monthly fee.
How does Ferrum’s service differ from my in-house IT support or a traditional hourly consulting service?
Ferrum combines the best IT management tools and practices with the highest levels of customer service backed by the resources of a complete IT team. Whether Ferrum is a complement to your existing IT support or your dedicated IT department, Ferrum will proactively monitor and manage the health of your network, solving problems before they have an impact on your business.
Why shouldn't I just call the manufacturer of my computer for help?
That does seem to make sense, doesn't it? However, most people who have tried this just get very frustrated. Long hold times, passing the buck to another manufacturer, being charged $35 for every call it’s enough to drive you crazy. Ferrum will solve any problem with your computer immediately over the Internet or phone. If we can't, we are local, so we can send one of our technicians over at your earliest convenience to take care of it in person.
Is Ferrum equipped to handle the unique needs of nonprofits?
Ferrum’s objective is to build long-term relationships and trust by aligning our goals with that of our clients. We have worked with many nonprofit organizations to ensure they are maximizing technology to benefit their organization; we would be happy for you to speak with them to learn more about our services.
Our organization has individuals with varying degrees of technology experience, how is Ferrum equipped to handle this?
Ferrum can most aptly be described as a “People business first and technology company second”. Ferrum has assembled a technology team comprised of not only bright, but friendly technicians whose primary focus is customer service and issue resolution. When speaking with a Ferrum technician, all questions are good questions. |
