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School District Gives Linux Security Technology High Grades: Page 4 of 4

Additionally, Astaro's own technology enables Pike Peak BOCES to filter and to block Email carrying attachments infected with file types known to carry viruses, such as executables and visual basic scripts. Astaro's anti-virus technology allows for scanning of infected content in Email, as well. Soon after installing the Astaro firewall, it was put to the test during an outbreak of the Klez virus. Pikes Peak BOCES blocked about 400 infected Email messages a day. The $3,500 yearly license fee for the Astaro software paid for itself based on this event alone. If the virus had infiltrated the Pikes Peak BOCES network, we would have been done for.

Conserving and allocating bandwidth has enabled Pike Peak BOCES to lower its own network costs and pass the savings onto the school districts. For example, Astaro's quality of service (QoS) feature prevents certain school districts from monopolizing the available bandwidth. This is how Pikes Peak BOCES controlled file-sharing programs such as Napster. It just configures them to make them too slow to use. Based on a cost justification for 2002, all of the features in the software security appliance helped to save some school districts more than $1,200 a month on Internet access, not including the content filtering or the firewall.

In addition to security features such as the firewall, a software security appliance needs to be reliable, easy to maintain, and always current. If the appliance server hardware fails, I can install the Astaro software on a similar server within 20 minutes. Since the software contains its own IP address, it functions as a self-contained entity capable of automatically making its own updates, such as patches and new virus signatures. I have set up the software to Email me a backup configuration file every night. This way I always have a backup CD of the latest version of the Astaro software ready if I need to re-install it. It puts my mind at ease and keeps me from worrying about my networks each night. What more can you ask for?