Due to their size and complexity, it is difficult to completely secure a computer operating system, which leaves them vulnerable to attack. With the number of reported hackings, most might consider Microsoft Windows to be extremely vulnerable, but Windows actually ranked less vulnerable than Apple Mac OS X, Apple iOS, and Linux.
This ranking was made by GFI Software in 2014, which reviewed popular operating systems and the number and rating of reported vulnerabilities. GFI reported these top-5 results:
Apple Mac OS X – 147 vulnerabilities; 64 High, 64 Medium, and 16 Low
Apple iOS – 127 vulnerabilities; 32 High, 72 Medium, and 23 Low
Linux – 119 vulnerabilities; 24 High, 74 Medium, and 12 Low
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 – 38 vulnerabilities; 26 High and 12 Medium
Microsoft Windows 7 – 36 vulnerabilities; 25 High and 11 Medium
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, however, was ranked as the most-vulnerable application followed by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Flash Player, and Oracle’s Java.
https://www.bryley.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-340-300x79.png00Garin Livingstonehttps://www.bryley.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-340-300x79.pngGarin Livingstone2015-06-11 06:00:002015-06-11 06:00:00Bryley Basics: Microsoft Windows is not as vulnerable as Apple OS or Linux
This is a multi-part series on recommended IT practices for organizations and their end-users. Additional parts will be included in upcoming newsletters.
Microsoft software licenses can be categorized by their function:
User-oriented applications – Microsoft Office, Visio, Project, etc.
Operating systems – Windows, Windows Server, Windows Mobile, etc.
Server-based applications – Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint, etc.
Access to server-based apps – Client Access Licenses (CALs); user or device
Microsoft offers these methods for purchasing licenses from outside vendors, arrayed from least expensive to most expensive:
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
Open Volume Programs (OVPs)
Fully Packaged Product (FPP)
Original Equipment Manufacturer
OEM is sold preinstalled on a hardware device, like a PC or a server. It is a non-transferrable license that must be retired when decommissioning the hardware device. For example: Most Original Equipment Manufacturers (Dell, HP, etc.) provide OEM Windows 8.1 licensing with their new PCs; these licenses end when the PC is retired or no longer functional.
Open Volume Programs
OVPs are volume-purchase options for transferrable licenses that can be either perpetual or subscription-based. (A perpetual license lives forever, but does not include version upgrades; subscription-based licenses provide version upgrades, but require periodic payment.) Open Volume Programs include:
Open Business – For-profit, commercially oriented companies
Open Government – Local, state, and federal agencies
Open Charity – Non-profit, charitable organizations
Open Value – Subscription-based licensing
OVPs requires an initial, minimum purchase of five licenses to establish an Open Volume license agreement; these agreements have a two or a three year term. With a valid Open Volume license agreement, additional licenses may be purchased in any quantity during the agreement term.
Fully Packaged Product
FPP (also known as Retail) comes packaged with documentation and installation media and is transferrable. Many small organizations purchase FPP licenses at their local retailer or online to enable licensing for Microsoft Office and similar products.
Licensing rules
Basic rules-of-thumb:
Purchase one server and one server-application license for each server, whether virtual or physical.
Purchase one CAL for each user or device that accesses the corresponding server application. For example: Microsoft Exchange Server requires one Exchange Standard CAL for each user.
All new-installation licenses must be Full, rather than Upgrade, licenses; less-expensive Upgrade licenses can only be used to update existing Full
When transferring a FPP or OVP license, it must be first removed from the former platform before being installed onto the new platform.
Some exceptions to these rules:
One Windows Server Data Center edition license permits the licensing of unlimited, virtual Windows Servers on one physical host.
SQL Server Enterprise and SQL Server Standard can be licensed by processor core, rather than by CAL, for mission-critical applications.
One Exchange Enterprise Add-on CAL also requires one Exchange Standard CAL; however, not all users require an Exchange Enterprise Add-on CAL.
Licensing validation
Some validation guidelines:
OEMs should affix both a Genuine Microsoft Label (with hologram) and a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) that identifies the product and its license number to each PC with Microsoft Windows and to each server with Microsoft Windows Server.
Valid OEM and FPP packages always ship with a Genuine Microsoft Label and a COA; valid media DVDs should have an identifying hologram.
Check licensing validity at Microsoft’s How to tell website.
Licensing recommendations
Our recommendations:
The licensing method selected should match the needs and financial requirements of the purchasing party. For details, see Microsoft’s Software Asset Management
Purchase Microsoft licenses only from a trusted, Microsoft Certified Partner.
Avoid any licensing deals that look too good to be true; they probably are.
https://www.bryley.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-340-300x79.png00Garin Livingstonehttps://www.bryley.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-340-300x79.pngGarin Livingstone2015-04-16 13:33:002018-12-04 09:24:37Recommended Practices: Licensing Microsoft professional software
Many Cloud-based services fall into one of these categories:
Productivity suites – Applications that help you be more productive
Storage – Storing, retrieving, and synchronizing files in the Cloud
Backup and Recovery – Backing-up data and being able to recover it
Prevention – Prevent malware, typically spam and related components
Each category is represented below in its own section.
1. Productivity suites
Productivity suites
Probably the segment with the heaviest hitters, Microsoft and Google are battling for supremacy; Microsoft was late to the Cloud, but is ramping up nicely with its Cloud-services sales exceeding $1B/year. However, Google still owns this segment with an estimated 33% to 50% of Cloud-based, productivity-suite users, mostly on the strength of its free Google Apps and Google Apps for Education, but also with paid subscriptions to Google Apps for Business and Google Apps for Government.
Microsoft built Office 365 on its popular, desktop-based, Microsoft Office suite which includes Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications. (The current versions are Office 2003, Office 2007, Office 2010, and Office 2013.) Microsoft Office users will find Office 365 familiar since most versions include the Microsoft Office suite, which can be downloaded to your PC and to other compatible devices.
Office 365 consists of these primary components:
Exchange Online – Email, calendar, contacts, and tasks
SharePoint Online – Document collaboration and management
Lync Online – Online meetings with instant messaging and desktop sharing
Office Web Apps – Cloud versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote
Most versions of Office 365 also include:
Office suite – Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
SkyDrive – Cloud storage of documents
Full-feature versions range from $96/user per year to $240/user per year. Microsoft now offers its E1 plan free to qualifying non-profit organizations.
Google Apps are, and always were, Cloud-based; they did not start as applications installed onto your computer. As such, they are easy to use and maintain and they work on a wide variety of devices, from PCs to tablets to smartphones. On the downside, due to this setup, they have some functionality and usage limitations when compared to Microsoft Office applications.
Google Apps for Business has a “one size fits all” approach; you get all the features at $50/user per year. Google Apps for Business includes:
Gmail – Email with Google-powered search
Calendar – Schedule meetings, share calendars, get reminders
Drive – Store files in the Cloud and send files to colleagues
Docs – Create, share, and work-on documents
Sheets – Manage spreadsheet data
Slides – Create presentations
Comparing Productivity Suites
Both Office 365 and Google Apps for Business provide desired applications that are somewhat easy to use; while Microsoft relies on its huge base of Office users to consider switching to Office 365, Google lures its users in with its free versions of Google Apps and Google Apps for Education and then provides a simple upgrade to the paid version of Google Apps for Business (or Google Apps for Government).
Basic reasons to choose Microsoft Office 365:
Users are familiar and comfortable with Microsoft Office interface
Multiple plan options exist to fit your needs and budget
Greater functionality within applications
Basic reasons to choose Google Apps for Business:
Relatively inexpensive with only one plan to select
Storage often comes in a free version with separate professional/business (paid) versions that includes advanced features. The basic premise is that your data is stored in the Cloud – hopefully in a secure manner with sufficient redundancy – is available from any location on any device, and is synchronized between devices.
Most free versions offer these minimum features:
At least 2Gb of storage with synchronization across multiple computers
Easy access from mobile devices and PCs via downloadable client software
Direct access to files through a web browser
File sharing with other users
However, you typically must upgrade to a paid version to receive these capabilities:
Access control – Define and control who can access what, where, and when
Additional storage – Purchase extra storage once your limit is exceeded
Auditing – Identify and record what files are stored where and by whom
Integration – Integrate with other platforms (i.e.: Active Directory)
Security – Enable advanced encryption and security techniques
Popular services (alphabetically) include:
Box – 10 Gb free storage with NetSkope’s second-highest rating
Dropbox – 2 Gb free storage with over 200 million subscribers
Google Drive – 15 Gb free storage shared with Gmail and Google+ Photo
SkyDrive – 7 Gb free storage and integrated within Microsoft Office apps
Box
Box (www.Box.com) is a Q3-2013 leader in Forrester’s “File Sync & Share Platforms”. It offers a free version, but is built for professional use with available integration to Active Directory and LDAP, security with rotating encryption keys, access control, and auditing.
According to Netskope’s review of Cloud-based applications, Box was the second highest-scoring Cloud application, coming in the number two spot on the NetSkope Q3-2013 Cloud Report. (Please visit Netskope’shttp://www.netskope.com/reports-infographics/netskope-cloud-report-q3-2013 for the complete report.)
My take: Box is the most-comprehensive offering, but a bit more complex due to its advanced features. It is a serious choice for those that value advanced features (access control, auditing, integration, etc.) and are willing to pay to get them.
Dropbox
With over 200 million users, Dropbox (www.Dropbox.com) claims market leadership. It is built upon Amazon’s S3 storage and is easy to use. The free version offers 2 Gb, but there is a professional (Dropbox Pro) version with greater functionality (and storage) and a business version (Dropbox for Business) that offers team collaboration. All three versions offer synchronization and file-sharing; the help screens are brief, useful, and entertaining.
My take: Dropbox is the easiest and most-fun to use, but it has the least amount of free storage and its paid plans are a bit more expensive than others.
Google Drive
Google offers Google Drive (www.GoogleDrive.com) as a stand-alone service or bundled within Google Apps. The free version offers 15 Gb with synchronization among devices and sharing among peers. It is a no-frills alternative with little glitz, just reliable storage at reasonable cost. It is the base of Google Apps.
My take: Google Drive has fewer doodads and the least amount of whimsy, but it is reliable and offers the greatest amount of free storage.
SkyDrive
Microsoft offers its free version of SkyDrive (www.SkyDrive.com) with seven Gb plus an additional three Gb for students. SkyDrive is an option in newer versions of Microsoft Office and integrates to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Bing. You can also “fetch” files from your base computer via web-browser on a remote computer.
My take: SkyDrive offers the most for the least, although there is some buzz about slow synchronization between devices. Its “fetch” feature is unique among these alternatives and its integration within Microsoft Office is a killer feature.
3. Backup and Recovery
Backup and Recovery automatically copies files and folders to an offsite location at periodic intervals. It is similar to Storage, but is unique in that these files are held separately, unchanged, for the purpose of restoration (recovery) if the original files become unavailable. Backups are typically encrypted and are somewhat resistant to malicious attacks; however, if the original files were infected before the backup process begins, the backup files will also be infected.
Recovery is the reason for backups. The most common recovery scenarios:
A user changes a document and then wishes to retrieve the previous version.
Changes are saved to a template document, rather than creating a new file.
An upgrade to an application fails and corrupts its data files.
Access is needed to a deleted file.
Popular, Cloud-based, Backup and Recovery services include (alphabetically):
Carbonite – Extremely popular; starts at $59.99/year per device
Mozy – Also well-known with prices starting at $5.99/month for up to 50Gb
SOS Online Backup – Starts at $9.99/month for 100Gb; unlimited devices
SugarSync – More synchronization than backup starting at $7.49/month
Carbonite
Carbonite is automated, encrypted, and easy to use. It is available for home users, but includes business-oriented plans. Home-user plans are per-device; each device is priced at $59.99/year with unlimited backup. Business plans start at $299.99/year with an unlimited number of devices.
Mozy is a subsidiary of EMC, a Fortune 500 company in Hopkinton, MA. Like Carbonite, they offer both home and business packages.
There is a free version, but most MozyHome plans start at $5.99/month per device with up to 50Gb. The business option, MozyPro, starts at $19.99/month for unlimited devices up to 50Gb; $26.98/month with servers.
Plans from SOS Online Backup do not restrict the number of devices, but their base plan is restricted to a single user starting at $9.99/month. Plans that include unlimited devices and unlimited users start at $99.99/month and include monitoring, password encryption, and phone support.
SugarSync is more of a folder-synchronization service than a backup service; it synchronizes a folder across multiple devices. SugarSync is user-based with plans starting at $7.49/month per user; multi-user plans start at $55/month.
My take: Of these four options, we hear more about Carbonite and Mozy than SOS Online Backup or SugarSync. Although SugarSync is popular, it is not as good a backup and restore solution as the other three.
Mozy has the deepest pockets with a large corporate partner, but Carbonite has, at this time, greater momentum. The monitoring and telephone support included with SOS Online Backup makes it attractive.
Bryley Systems offers our Backup/Disaster Recovery (BU/DR) service for servers; it is a monitored, secure, service hosted within our data-center in Hudson, MA with onsite appliance included. Please visit www.Bryley.com for details.
4. Prevention
Prevention is a necessary evil; it can slow end-point performance (since these tools are using computing resources to constantly scan for problems), but it is critical in keeping end-users safe from external threats like spam, malware, and viruses. Cloud-oriented Prevention includes:
Email protection – Control spam plus encrypt and archive emails
End-point security – Secure end-user computers against attacks
Web filtering – Prevent unauthorized access to undesired websites
Email protection is wholly Cloud-based, but end-point security tools usually deploy an application onto the end-user computer while web filtering requires at least an adjustment to (ie: setup a proxy server), or an application installed on, the end-user computer. We’ll cover only Cloud-based, email protection in this article.
Key issues for email-protection options include:
Administration – Easy setup and enforcement
Effectiveness – Works reliably and consistently
End-user interface – Intuitive, secure, and easy-to-use
Granularity – Allows multi-level policies and permissions
GMS was one of the best products at an excellent price of $12/user per year. In 2013, Google discontinued GMS as a stand-alone service and bundled it within Google Apps. Former GMS clients will retain the $12 pricing for a period of time, but will eventually pay the Google Apps for Business price of $50/user per year.
Visit http://www.google.com/postini/ for details on this transition.
McAfee SaaS Email Prevention and Continuity (MEPC)
Intel is currently rebranding McAfee within Intel Security; no timeframe on the conversion, but the McAfee logo (a red “M” on a shield) will remain associated with these services.
MEPC prevents spam, but also includes Continuity, which allows end-users to retrieve and send email even if their email service is unavailable; once the email service becomes available, all emails received and sent via MEPC are then resynchronized with the email service. The price is $27/user per year.
Microsoft provides email protection and archiving within its Office 365 suite, but also offers it as a stand–alone service under EOP, although it is directed solely at Exchange-based email. In addition to spam and malware prevention, you can establish content and policy-based filtering to ensure outbound emails do not violate company standards. Price is $12/user per year.
Proofpoint Essentials Business is a comprehensive offering that classifies security threats and then manages against their intrusion. Outbound filtering, content filtering, and 14-day spooling are included; archiving is also available. Proofpoint Essentials Business starts at $26.40/user per year.
Symantec recently acquired MessageLabs spam filter and rebranded it within their Symantec.cloud services under Email Security.cloud. It protects against targeted attacks, malware, spam, and the like using proprietary Skeptic™ technologies. Content filtering is included; email encryption is available.
Gavin Livingstone, President of Bryley Systems, talks to Channel Pro Networkabout Microsoft’s Surface tablet. Read the full article System Builders Await Surface’s Impact
