Managed Content Delivery Services
Challenge
Today's enterprise often has no clear boundaries. Employees are distributed across various branch offices and are typically connected via the corporate WAN, but remote/mobile Internet access is also a necessity. In addition, customers, partners, and suppliers can all leverage the Internet for authorized, "on-demand" access to the enterprise - regardless of their physical location.
Within this "boundaryless" enterprise (or any type distributed organization), applications are hosted in the main corporate data center(s) or, increasingly, applications are hosted by 3rd party organizations outside the company.
Collectively, this creates three distinct challenges for IT organizations:
- Security - IT must make the Web safe for business, blocking Internet security threats and inappropriate content, while granting authorized users access to necessary applications and content.
- Performance - IT must strive to optimize performance of critical business applications - such as e-mail, file systems, multimedia applications, and Web applications (including encrypted SSL applications) being delivered to remote users in branch offices, as well as mobile users.
- Control - To address the requirements above, IT must have granular visibility and policy-based control capabilities to ensure that the business is providing superior security and performance for all users and critical applications.
Solution
The earthwave Managed Content Delivery Services (CDS) delivers a scalable proxy platform architecture to secure Web communications and accelerate delivery of business applications.
Based on a custom, object-based operating system with integrated caching and compression, these proxy appliances leverage existing authentication systems to enable flexible policy enforcement on content, users, applications and protocols.
The CDS appliances are typically deployed:
- At the Internet gateway (forward proxy) to protect internal users and networks from spyware, phishing attacks, inappropriate web usage, and potential legal liability - while actually improving web performance.
- At the edge of an organisation's application delivery infrastructure for controlled acceleration of key business applications, including file services, rich media applications, and e-mail.
- In the DMZ (reverse proxy) to securely isolate web servers from direct Internet access and accelerate web-based applications and public websites.
Each service provides sophisticated policies based on a wide range of attributes to provide unmatched visibility, flexibility, and control.
Each implementation of this service includes:
- full system administration
- system management
- security policy management
- software upgrades
- 24x7 monitoring and alarm management
- a service level agreement with guaranteed service levels
And remember, subscribing to Managed Content Delivery Services does not require purchase of hardware or software, study of technical manuals or constant updating of your systems.
System administration and management
Earthwave can deliver the management and administration of the content delivery solution without any on-site assistance from the customer. A key element of the service is the quality assurance and reliability we build in as standard. By using a rigorous process to test software patches and major releases, we ensure system integrity before rolling-out the whole system in the production environment.
Our aim is to keep the system up-to-date and implement the latest fixes and patches as they become available from the vendors. However, this is only done once we are sure that nothing else will be affected.
Security policy management
Earthwave security engineers will manage and maintain the content delivery solution to ensure a robust security policy is maintained and will make changes to the policy based on appropriate requests from customers.
Change requests
Designated contacts within an organisation are used for authorising all policy changes. This can be initiated from the portal. Alternatively a fax plus authorised signature or encrypted e-mail procedure may be used.
Change control
All changes are managed through a change control procedure, and all changes are 'vetted' to ensure the overall security of the content delivery solution is not compromised by an inappropriate request. Additionally, all changes are logged and recorded, with the option to quickly roll back the security policy if necessary.
Management reports
Online content delivery solution reports are included within CDS. The content delivery appliance log files are either directly accessed by our reporting servers or in the case of more sophisticated network designs the log files are automatically stored on the Security Devise Agent (SDA) and a management summary sent through an encrypted connection back to the SOCs. Here, they are processed and the contents used to create on-line graphical reports containing information such as security risks, legal liability, productivity loss, network bandwidth loss, and business usage risk classes. These reports are updated regularly and can be accessed via Earthport - MSS Client Portal.
Vendor neutral
Supports solutions from leading providers such as Cisco, BlueCoat and 24x7 monitoring and support - earthwave's state-of-the-art Security Operations Center (SOC) maintains constant vigilance for your perimeter security
Tiered Service Levels
Earthwave offers three Service Level options with distinct, quantifiable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to best meet customer needs and address support level preferences. These unique tiers provide different levels of response time, report content and frequencies, and data storage. Our Standard package offers excellent service tailored for less complex infrastructures that require basic support. The earthwave Enhanced package is a mid-level offering that provides extra features and faster response times for customers with more complex needs. And, the earthwave Premium package gives customers with complex and stringent requirements a host of customisations, extra features and extra functionality.
