Information Security Recommendation Report

Transcription

1 Information Security Recommendation Report Prepared for Baker and Company Prepared by Alma Ruiz May 3, 2013

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3 Table of Contents ii Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Methods for Evaluation... 3 Results of the Evaluation... 5 Option 1: Symantec Endpoint Software... 7 Option 2: VIPRE Business Premium... 9 Option 3: Kaspersky Total Business Security Option 4: ESET Endpoint Security Overall Results Conclusion Recommendation... 19

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5 Introduction 1 Introduction The recommendation report will help Baker and Company to improve their information security in order to protect sensitive data. I list the most optimal information security software suited for a business setting and having a low cost. In order to implement these changes while maintaining a low cost, I give you these options below: 1. Symantec Endpoint Protection 2. VIPRE Business Premium 3. Kaspersky Total Business Security 4. ESET Endpoint Security In the report, I evaluate the four options on the following criteria: cost, features, software compatibility, support, and memory usage. In this report, I will give my conclusion based on the results of each software and give the recommendation on what is most optimal for Baker and Company. The report will help Baker and Company determine the ideal information security software by using the results from this report.

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7 Methods for Evaluation 3 Methods for Evaluation As mentioned in the Introduction, I give you these options and evaluate each of them in order to recommend the most optimal software. Here are the options: 1. Symantec Endpoint Protection 2. VIPRE Business Premium 3. Kaspersky Total Business Security 4. ESET Endpoint Security The reason I chose these options is because they re the most optimal software for a business setting while still achieving a cost-efficient license or subscription. Since the company needs 150 computers protected, the options provide a low cost for the quantity of computers. In order to gather information for the evaluation, I created a list of criteria and examined each criterion for each option. I evaluate each option using these criteria below: Cost of the software Features Software compatibility Support Memory Usage I will use a scale of 1 to 5 for each criterion with 1 meaning poor and 5 meaning great. Once I scored each criterion, I add up the total scores for each software option. After I add the total scores, I would recommend the option with the highest score. Cost of software: Any business would save money by spending on the least expensive, yet efficient software. I check the unit price of each quantity of computers. Usually, the unit price goes lower when the quantity of computers is higher. I calculate the total cost by multiplying the unit price to the quantity of computers. In order to simplify the matter, I calculate the costs for only 1-year subscription or license. Usually, the license or subscription includes support in their costs. Features: Each software contains its own special set of features. I list the features that each software contains. Usually most software contains features such as anti-virus, antispyware, firewall, monitoring, and data accessibility as they are the main components of information security. In the report, I focus on the software s key features that distinct them from other software. Software compatibility: When searching for reliable software, the company must check the system requirements. If a company were to purchase a software that is incompatible with the computers systems, the company would have wasted an average of $5,000. Software must be

8 4 Information Security Recommendation Report compatible with the computers system and servers. In this report, I use a table listing each operating systems and servers the software is able to run. Support: When opting for an information security software, the company should check the support services. A strong and reliable support service can help the company when it is dealing with technical difficulties. I evaluate what each support service offers, their hours of operation, and languages available. Memory Usage: Each software uses different amounts of memory and space. Companies prefer software that uses less memory and space as computers can slow down due to a lack of memory space. If the computer slows down due to the lack of memory and space, this can hurt the company. I examined the system requirements of each software and put down the memory the software uses.

9 Results of the Evaluation 5 Results of the Evaluation I evaluated the four options to determine which information security software is the most optimal for Baker and Company. I evaluated these options according to the criteria of cost, features, software compatibility, support, and memory usage. The next four pages give a detailed evaluation of each option based on the criteria. The fifth page gives a table showing the scores to each criterion and the overall score of each option.

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11 Results of the Evaluation 7 Option 1: Symantec Endpoint Software Cost: Since Baker and Company needs 150 computers protected from outside threats, Symantec charges $39.82 per unit for a quantity of 100 to 249 computers. The license includes a 1-year support as well. By calculating the total cost, I multiply $39.82 to 150 which equals to $5,973. Please note the license also includes support in their prices. Features: The software contains features such as: Antivirus/Antispyware Desktop Firewall/Intrusion Detection and Prevention Insight/SONAR identifies suspicious behavior and stops new threats Protection for Mac/Windows/Linux Device and application control Network access control Protection for servers, laptops, and desktops Monitoring and management APIs VMware vshield allows higher virtual machine density and reduces CPU usage Software compatibility: The table below gives the system server and hardware requirements needed for the software. Windows Operating Systems Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit) (SP2 or later) Windows XP Embedded (SP2 or later) Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2003 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2008 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2012 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Small Business Server 2011 (64-bit) Windows 7 Embedded Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (64-bit) Windows 8 (32-bit, 64-bit) Macintosh Operating Systems Mac OS X , 10.7, 10.8 Mac OS X Server 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 Linux Operating Systems (32-bit, 64-bit) Red Hat Enterprise Linux SuSE Linux Enterprise (server/desktop) Novell Open Enterprise Server Oracle Linux VMware ES Ubuntu Debian Fedora

12 8 Information Security Recommendation Report Shown in the table, Symantec Endpoint Software supports many operating systems and servers, including Macintosh and Linux. Support: The support services include 24/7 telephone access to support engineers. The support includes downloadable software upgrades, updates, and packages. With support, the company can access to the Support Knowledge Base and to the Symantec Connect Security Forum. Symantec offers non-technical support such as licensing and serialization questions related to the product. Support only offers one language available which is English. Memory Usage: Symantec Endpoint Software requires 850 MB of free space on the hard drive and 512 MB of memory.

13 Results of the Evaluation 9 Option 2: VIPRE Business Premium Cost: VIPRE Business Premium charges on a cost-efficient per computer and per year subscription basis. Since Baker and Company needs about 150 computers protected, VIPRE charges $13.40 for a quantity of computers without support included. The overall cost without support included becomes $2,010 if you multiply the unit price with the number of computers. Support costs $2.68 for a quantity of computers. The price includes support outside of normal business hours. By multiplying $2.68 to 150, the total cost for support becomes $402. With support added to the cost, it equals to $2,412. Features: Small-footprint anti-malware agent Patch management Mobile Device Management Mac desktop and laptop security protection for PCs Bad website blocking Anti-phishing Advanced threat monitoring Real-time threat detection Removable device scanning Unprotected computer identification Software Compatibility: The table below shows the system requirements for VIPRE Business Premium. Windows Operating Systems Windows XP Professional SP3 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2003 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2008 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2012 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 8 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Small Business Server 2003, 2008, 2011 Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (64-bit) Macintosh Operating Systems Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) As shown in the table, VIPRE Business Premium supports Windows Operating Systems and Macintosh Operating Systems.

14 10 Information Security Recommendation Report Support: Unlike the other options, VIPRE excludes support in the 1-year subscription. You must purchase the support separately, and it costs $2.68 per unit. Support includes free upgrades to their customers with no need for a new license key. Support offers access to their knowledge base which contains articles to help solve your problem. VIPRE offers 24/7 support. Memory Usage: To run VIPRE Business Premium, the computers must have 300 MB of free space on the hard drive and 512 MB of memory.

15 Results of the Evaluation 11 Option 3: Kaspersky Total Business Security Cost: Kaspersky Total Business Security charges $43.08 per unit for a quantity of 150. By multiplying the cost and the quantity, the total cost becomes $6,462. The license includes support as part of the cost. Unlike the other options where you can purchase their products through their main website, the company must purchase the software through an authorized reseller. Features: Kaspersky Total Business Security contains features such as: Anti-Malware for Workstations Anti-Malware for File Servers Systems Management Encryption Mobile Security Mobile Device Management Controls (Application, Device, Web) Security for Mail Security for Internet Gateways Security for Collaboration Unified Management Console Software Compatibility: The table below shows the system requirements for Kaspersky Total Business Security. Windows Operating Systems Windows XP (SP2 and above) Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (SP2 and above) Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 8 (32-bit, 64-bit) Macintosh Operating Systems Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Mac OS X Server 10.6 Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Linux Operating Systems Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 Desktop Fedora 13 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP1 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 SP3 CentOS-5.5 opensuse Linux 11.3 Debian GNU/Linux Ubuntu LTS Desktop Edition As shown, the software supports Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

16 12 Information Security Recommendation Report Support: Support includes help with errors concerning product functionality, false detections from the product, and the recovery of lost or damaged license information. Support provides hours of 10:00AM to 6:00PM only during the weekdays. Support services include languages in English, French, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, and other languages. Memory Usage: Kaspersky Total Business Security requires 2 GB of free space on the hard drive and 512 MB of memory.

17 Results of the Evaluation 13 Option 4: ESET Endpoint Security Cost: ESET Endpoint Security charges $24.69 on a 1-year license for a quantity of computers. The license includes technical support. By multiplying the cost to the quantity, the total cost equals to $ Features: Antivirus/antispyware Host-based Intrusion Prevention System Antispam Virtual environments support Device control and removable media scanning Web control Trusted network detection Two-way firewall Microsoft NAP and Cisco NAC support Remote Administrator Remote module switch Device control reports Software Compatibility: The table below shows ESET Endpoint Security Windows Operating System Windows 2000 Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows 8 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2003 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2008 (32-bit, 64-bit) Windows Server 2012 (32-bit, 64-bit) As you can see in the table, ESET only supports Windows operating systems and servers. Support: ESET offers consulting services for incident response, threat mitigation, technical audits, and administrative scripting. Support includes onsite or remote engineer assistance when implementing ESET security products. Support offers malware identification and removal services. Support also includes recommendations to the computer environment running ESET products. Memory usage: To run ESET Endpoint Security, the computers must have 2 GB of free space on the hard drive and 1 GB of memory.

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19 Results 15 Overall Results The table below shows the scores for each criterion and the total scores for each option. The most optimal option has the highest score. Cost Features Software Support Memory Total Compatibility Usage Score Symantec VIPRE Kaspersky ESET poor; 2 fair; 3 average, 4 good; 5 best

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21 Conclusion 17 Conclusion Option 1 (Symantec Endpoint Software) charges an above-average price, contains the most optimal features, and uses little memory and space. However, Symantec has average support due to the only having one language (English) available. Option 2 (VIPRE Business Premium) charges a low cost and uses the least memory and space. VIPRE offers decent features and can only run in Windows and Macintosh operating systems. VIPRE offers mediocre support compared to other options. Option 3 (Kaspersky Total Business Security) charges the highest cost out of the four options and uses the most memory and space. Kaspersky offers decent features and can run in Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems. Kaspersky offers decent support, but has limited hours of operation. Option 4 (ESET Endpoint Security) charges a low cost, contains decent features, and offers great support. However, ESET uses the most memory and can only run in Windows operating system.

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23 Recommendation 19 Recommendation After evaluating each option based on the criteria I provided, I recommend Option 1 (Symantec Endpoint Security). While Symantec charges an above-average price, the software contains the most optimal features and uses the least memory out of the four options. In addition, Symantec can run in Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems and servers.