Anti-virus, firewall, and user tracking/filtering -- all for $12 a month? Say it ain’t so!
Traditionally, edge security (firewall), secure remote access (virtual private network or VPN), user filtering (white- or blacklisting), and user tracking (logging and filtering) have been independent services that cost a lot to implement, support, and maintain. Heavyweights such as Microsoft (with SBS) and Cisco (with PIX/AIS) have sought to combine these services in a single box -- the Holy Grail, as it were.
Licensing and hardware (always a consideration) proved costly and hard to maintain with Microsoft and Cisco’s products. I can say this with confidence, having sold both solutions in the enterprise market and the high end of the midsized business market. When correctly implemented, these solutions would work well, providing management with user tracking to ensure productivity and/or compliance (with things like HIPAA or FDIC rules). However, to make these products work correctly and seamlessly, the company needed a lead IT guy, if not a highly certified Microsoft or Cisco person.
Over the past year, as I’ve worked with not-for-profits, I have been searching for a low-cost, low-maintenance user tracking/filtering solution that will help church and community center members surf the Web safely and securely. This solution must also filter Web content for safety and content. After months of testing and implementing, I have finally found a solution.
The Linux-based Untangle meets all my requirements and exceeds my expectations. All you need is a low-cost or repurposed computer with two network interface cards (NICs) and some basic networking skills. The installation is quick and easy. The software is accessible; an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) replaces the command line interface (CLI) usually associated with Linux. And it’s easy to purchase and maintain with little or possibly no monthly costs. Best of all, the solution scales to an environment of less than 10 users -- an ideal size for the smallest SMBs.
In the implementations I am supporting, we are running the Lite version, with two licensing add-ons. Each environment fits the fewer-than-10-concurrent-users model quite nicely. Policy Manager (which costs $5 a month) and Directory Connector (for $7 a month) provide the needed functionality to track and report on specific users and set up multiple policies or classes of users.
What does this do for the small business or, in this case, not-for-profit? Simply stated, it enables user tracking and reporting, as well as filtering of specific services, at the discretion of management. Want to limit Facebook use to lunchtime only? Untangle handles this with a few mouse clicks. Want to deny viewing of specific types of Web content (gambling, violence, or pornography, for example)? No problem. Want to add wireless access for office visitors without giving them access to sensitive files or resources? Again, no problem. Untangle does it.
Perhaps the software’s most impressive capability is its antivirus wall. In the community center environment, users often are not too careful when it comes to pressing “OK” to an ad or popup query. I have seen one infection during the four months of testing Untangle. In that case, the virus was presented on a dongle hidden in a picture file and did not come from the Web. A combination of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSSEC) and Untangle effectively locked out all the viral problems in this traditionally volatile environment with a varied user base averaging 100 logins a day across four computers.
After four months of testing, I can say confidently that this solution is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It scales to a much larger user base, but unlike most competitive solutions, Untangle works in the small-business sector -- and it works well.
Have you used Untangle? Are you interested in learning more? If so, please leave a comment or email me at michael.starnes@gmail.com.
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