| The term managed IT services refers to numerous | | | | of common security attack patterns, the analysis of |
| computer safety measures offered by IT consulting | | | | abnormal activity and attack patterns and the tracking |
| companies to protect a client's computerized | | | | of user policy violations. |
| information system and secure the safety of its | | | | Firewall Management |
| proprietary data. Managed IT security services are | | | | Firewall management uses a collection of interrelated |
| conducted on either an in house basis or an | | | | security programs to protect a network's information |
| outsourced, web hosted basis. Due to the equipment | | | | from other networks. The programs, which are located |
| cost, software cost and the ongoing maintenance fees | | | | on a network's gateway server, can exhibit a variety |
| that come with an in house IT security system, many | | | | of network protective measures, all of which are |
| companies opt for hosted security services, while | | | | typically aimed at protecting a company's intranet from |
| other companies believe that an in house system is | | | | outsiders and/or limiting what a company's employees |
| safer than a hosted system. In either case, companies | | | | can access on the Internet. To accomplish its task, |
| can receive a tailored security approach that meets | | | | firewall management uses various screening methods, |
| their unique IT security needs. However, three security | | | | such as screening access requests to make sure that |
| features of IT management that almost all companies | | | | they come from an acceptable web domain and IP |
| receive are intrusion detection, firewall management | | | | address. Firewall management can accommodate |
| and virus protection, each of which we describe below. | | | | remote access to a company's intranet through the |
| Intrusion Detection Management | | | | provision of secure login procedures and authentication |
| Intrusion detection management is an IT security | | | | certificates. |
| feature that monitors a company's computers and | | | | Anti-Virus Software |
| networks to protect against security breaches, of | | | | Virus protection is accomplished through anti-virus |
| which there are two basic types: breaches that occur | | | | software, which searches a company's hard drives |
| from outside of a company, which are known as | | | | and diskettes to identify any known or potential |
| breaches of "intrusion", and breaches that occur from | | | | viruses. There are three basic types of computer |
| within a company, which are known as breaches of | | | | viruses: file infectors, which attach to program files; |
| "misuse". As it assess whether breaches have | | | | system or boot-record infectors, which attach to the |
| occurred, intrusion detection management relies on a | | | | master boot-record on hard disks and the boot sector |
| technology known as vulnerability assessment, which | | | | on diskettes; and macro viruses, which infect computer |
| assesses the security of computers and networks by | | | | applications and insert unwanted characters. Once |
| performing the following security functions: the | | | | viruses are identified, they can be eliminated by |
| monitoring of system and user activity, the recognition | | | | antivirus software. |