The Advantages of Security as a Service versus On-Premise Security

Transcription

1 The Advantages of Security as a Service versus On-Premise Security ABSTRACT: This document explores the growing trend of hosted/managed security as a service and why the cloud is quickly becoming the preferred means of securing Internet use over traditional on-premise solutions such as software and appliances. In particular, this document looks into the considerable cost and time saving advantages that the cloud provides versus on-premise security solutions. Introduction and Web Security has become a mainstream component of modern business IT infrastructure, much like firewalls and anti-virus technology. The problems of spam, web-based malware, archiving, data loss and unfettered bandwidth consumption have driven the widespread adoption of anti-spam and URL filtering technologies. Traditionally, these technologies have been deployed in-house as software or hardware (appliance) solutions. Unfortunately, these on-premise solutions have created a different set of problems for IT Managers and Network Administrators. For many, and Web filters have become yet another time-consuming and convoluted system that has to be constantly managed and maintained. On-premise solutions require lengthy installation, configuration and frequent updates as well as dedicated personnel to administer them. They are difficult to scale and create a fixed platform that is not always able to grow with the changing needs of the organization, creating unbudgeted expenses to upgrade. They also become integrated with mission critical services (namely and Internet use) and often form a single point of failure that can interrupt these essential resources. Cloud & Web Security or Software as a Service is a rapidly growing alternative to on-premise security solutions. Within 5 years, many industry commentators predict that the cloud will be the most common means of deploying and Web security solutions. The reason that many are predicting this growth is thanks to the considerable advantages that the cloud offers companies over on-premise security. In this whitepaper, we will examine these advantages in detail and provide a case for why you should consider adopting managed or Web filtering services for your organization.

2 The Advantages of Cloud Security Cloud Security (or in the case of this white paper, Security as a Service) offers a one-to-many environment where anti-spam, and URL filtering capabilities along with encryption and archiving are provided to customers in the cloud. This one-to-many situation creates an economy of scale where collective users can support larger infrastructure and resources than could otherwise be afforded individually with on-premise systems. Cloud computing offers organizations a simple and easy way to attain best-of-breed and Web filtering without significant upfront costs, deployment time, ongoing administration or maintenance. This makes it ideal for small and medium size business. Yet, large enterprises are also turning to Security as Service, particularly in tough economic times. It allows IT departments with tight budgets and strained resources to make their dollars go further and frees up IT staff to focus on other, more productive tasks. The cloud also provides considerable security advantages. Primarily, threats are isolated to the cloud rather than entering the network to be scanned. This is especially important in the new Web 2.0 world where greater volumes of business transactions are done via the Web rather than inside the organization with traditional on-premise applications (e.g. Salesforce.com, Linkedin). Furthermore, The Cloud enables the provider to manage a broader spectrum of data for multiple users, enabling greater insights into threat outbreaks and faster responses to new threats or malicious activity. The Cloud provides a wide range of advantages; from security, to ease of management, and cost savings: Fast Deployment With Software as a Service, there is essentially no deployment you simply connect to the service and you re immediately up and running. For some environments, some integration is normally required for user authentication and directory support but this is minimal in comparison to deploying on-premise solutions. No Capital Costs There is no need to purchase hardware or manage servers with a cloud architecture. All of this is provided for you as part of the service. On-premise solutions such as appliances come with significant upfront costs. Ongoing Costs The Cloud provides a simple and easy subscription pricing format which provides flexibility as well as predictable fixed costs especially important for meeting budgets. On-Premise solutions not only require capital expenditure, but most have an ongoing subscription or maintenance costs. In additional to these costs, on-premise systems have a substantial, but often overlooked, personnel cost to administer.

3 Costs Per User: Appliances vs. Software vs. Cloud Appliance Software SaaS $0 $50 $100 Subscription Fee Hardware Costs Staff Costs Best of Breed Security With on-premise and Web security, smaller businesses are often limited by budget constraints and often cannot afford or look after best of breed security systems normally enjoyed by large enterprises. With the cloud even small organizations can benefit from best of breed security through economies of scale. Security Experts Working for You The Cloud provides customers with access to knowledgeable, experienced IT security professionals. In a constantly evolving threat environment and with Web 2.0 technologies driving rapid change in Web utilization, it can be very difficult for in-house staff to stay abreast of the latest changes and best practices. With the cloud, you don t need trained IT staff to defend against spam, malware and malicious Web content; this is done for you by the provider.

4 Maintenance With the cloud, all maintenance tasks are performed as part of the service. With in-house solutions, maintenance is normally performed by IT staff. This is not only a significant drain on personnel time but creates an opportunity cost where staff are spending their time maintaining security rather than focusing on supporting the business. Maintenance of appliances and on-premise software can also be a frustrating and convoluted process that can disrupt normal business functions and often requires vendor support to implement correctly. With the cloud, these maintenance tasks are performed by the vendor and designed to minimize any disruption to your business. Greener Computing In a world which is becoming more environmentally conscious a cloud provides a more efficient and greener means of deploying security. Outsourcing your Internet security reduces the number of servers you are maintaining and minimizes power consumption. Cloud vs. On-Premise Security Comparison Cloud Security On-Premise Security DEPLOYMENT Fast, simple deployment. A cloud requires only a few details (such as your MX record or web proxy) to begin filtering your or Web traffic. Hardware must be accommodated, deployed, software installed and configured to work within your environment. CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ENTERPRISE SECURITY MOBILE USERS SCALABILITY No upfront capital expenditure. Best of Breed security through economies of scale. All customers, including small businesses, receive professional security services supported by expert technicians. Many providers can easily accommodate security for remote or mobile users. Flexible ability to add users when required. Capacity to support additional users is automatically provided by the provider. Considerable upfront costs to purchase licenses and hardware. Large organizations need experienced in-house staff to manage security systems and optimize them for best performance. Small businesses typically can t afford or don t have the resources to support enterprise level security. Most on-premise solutions cannot support security for mobile users or require expensive additional elements over and above normal costs. This introduces yet another IT component that needs to be supported and maintained. Scalability requires purchasing additional hardware and licensing. Some on-premise solutions don t support multiserver installations or additional costs are applied to support this capability. Requires that you guess your future needs rather than allowing you to grow and remain flexible.

5 Cloud Security On-Premise Security COST OF OWNERSHIP BANDWIDTH ADMINISTRATION SECURITY Fixed, low cost subscription that allows you to budget predictably. Spam and Web threats are blocked in the cloud, saving you bandwidth and server resources. Minimal daily administration requirements. Once tuned for your organization, daily administration and routine maintenance are performed by the provider. The service is constantly updated and controlled by the provider. With a larger pool of collective data and security intelligence the net benefit is a greater level of security. A threat targeted at one organization means that all organizations benefit from this protection. On top of hardware and license costs come ongoing administration costs for headcount, training staff, and the need to purchase additional hardware if your usage demands ever change. Some solutions block spam at the SMTP receiver level, resulting in partial bandwidth savings. But, most filter spam out at your gateway or download web content to scan and filter it providing little additional saving on bandwidth. Substantial daily administration, typically requiring dedicated IT resources. Servers must be monitored and managed. Updates downloaded and applied during carefully scheduled periods. All security functions must be supported and monitored internally. On-premise solutions must be frequently updated and upgraded to remain effective against the latest security threats. As is often the case, critical security measures are only implemented in reaction to a threat rather than proactively before the threat is encountered. Free Evaluation Spamina services can be easily and freely evaluated before committing to any subscription period. Just provide us with some simple details via an online sign-up form and we can have a free 15-day trial of any of the services up and running for you within 24 hours. Full reporting services are provided to help you learn what is going on with your and Web usage and understand all that Spamina has to offer. There is no obligation to subscribe and it is quick and easy to disconnect the service if you don t wish to continue. Request your evaluation at marketing@spamina.com

6 About Spamina Spamina is the first company to provide a proprietary, integrated Security as a Service solution for cloud-based Web and security featuring a common Web management and reporting console. Our mission is to provide clients with accessible, easy to understand security services that secure their Internet world and enable them to complete their business in safety and privacy whether their enterprise is large or small. Our security services utilize sophisticated, patented, real-time content analysis technologies developed and refined over the last 10 years to ensure maximum threat protection. Our approach to how we deliver this technology and enable clients to access, manage and report on their and Web usage is to provide simple, easy to use services. This is key to ensuring that our clients understand and receive the maximum returns and benefits of Spamina cloud. Contact Spamina For further information contact us at: marketing@spamina.com