TRAC Report

Where are the skeletons in your infrastructure closet?

Chances are, you don't know. For instance, you might not know if there are security issues with your infrastructure. Or if the drives storing all your client files are ready for the long haul. You might not have any idea what PCI compliance is, or how is affects your business.

It's our business to know these things, and as part of our Client Discovery process, we will develop a comprehensive plan to address any and all facets of your infrastructure - ensuring your IT foundation is rock solid.

Our authoritative evaluation will document:

Your Business

We’ve been here for over thirty years, and we plan on being here for a long, long time, so we'll be here when you need us. When we enter into an engagement with you, we come ready to do whatever it takes to retain you as a customer for the lifetime of your business. We want you to see success, to grow your business, to go places you’ve never gone before. We can’t help you achieve those things without a solid understanding of what makes you tick. So, we always start by understanding your business. We document your core competencies, your current products and services, your strengths and weaknesses, and your expectation of the future of your business.

Network Infrastructure

We document the entire network infrastructure. All devices that are accessible to us and are plugged into the network get documented. This includes: data and connectivity lines, firewalls, routers (name your brand/technology: Cisco, Juniper, IPTables, ip filter), switches, wireless routers and access points, printers, servers, workstations, and phone systems. We’ll evaluate each device’s placement in the network, its use, and the IP address.

Network and Infrastructure Security

What’s your risk position? We will compare your infrastructure against industry best practices and provide recommendations on shoring up potential security vulnerabilities. This would include, but would not be limited to, recommendations on infrastructure topology and design, segregation of critical services, VPN and remote connectivity policies, authentication factors, wireless security, audit-ability of device and resource access, data retention, point to point communication, web server configuration, firewall rule sets, and many other factors that influence your technology risk position.

Servers

We’ll document the hardware configuration, IP address, and physical location of each server in your network. We’ll then detail the server’s primary function and role. Is the server running Linux and Apache serving your website to the Internet, and if so, is it placed on a DMZ? Is it an E-Mail Server? Perhaps it’s an Open Directory or Active Directory system; if so, how is configured? Maybe it’s a MySQL server; and if so, is it tuned properly for the volume and type of data stored in the database? We’ll provide specific recommendations on enhancing the placement of these devices in the network, maximizing performance, and ensuring effective security and update polices are in place to keep the servers humming along for years to come.

Workstations and Software

We will document all workstations within the organization. We will notate each system's IP address, its physical location, its current hardware and software configuration, how the workstation integrates with the network and its security requirements, and the principal user of the workstation, as well as any operating issues the user is experiencing. We will provide recommendations on addressing any performance, security, or usage shortfalls.

Groupware (Email, Collaboration & CRM)

If you use Groupware software, which you should be, we’ll document your current use of the software, its ability to integrate with other elements of your technology infrastructure, its security position within the corporation (who has access/when/why/from where), and the systems it runs on. We’ll make specific recommendations on improving your use of these tools.

File/Document Management

Your central file server (if you have one) is probably tasked with storing critical business or client data (E.G. projects, financial information, information on staff, and HR data). We’ll identify your current and future file storage requirements, whether or not you have access controls in place to secure intra-company confidential information, and where on the network the server is placed. If you provide access to the files stored for remote offices and mobile users, we’ll make sure critical files are being securely transmitted back and forth. Lastly, we’ll make sure your critical data is included in your nightly backup plan.

Disaster Recovery Planning

Many companies think they have a disaster recovery plan in place, but is it really disaster proof? We’ll document your current plan, and make sure it’s up to snuff. We’ll provide recommendations on backup rotations and retention strategies, such as the Grandfather, Father, and Son backup, and evaluate your offsite backup policy. We’ve partnered with industry standard offsite backup providers such as Iron Mountain, and so can provide you an end-to-end backup and retention strategy.

Additional Information

We understand that every business is unique. We’ll look at the entire picture, and if you utilize specialized technology and have special recommendations we have not listed, never fear, there is a high probability we can support you in the operation of any processes and technologies that are unique to your business. We are highly creative, and very adaptive.

Critical, Short Term, & Long Term Recommendations

Once we've documented and analyzed your network, we'll provide detailed recommendations in three categories:

Are you currently making the most of your IT systems?

Business has this odd relationship with technology. Often a businesses technology needs grow over time, but a poorly maintained technology infrastructure can actually inhibit business. You can grow your own problem without proper guidance.

Of course, technology is nothing without people. Our Field Service Engineers spend time on-site talking to your users and your employees about workflow and process management. Because of the close relationship between business and technology, the best way for us to form recommendations about your systems is to understand how you use them.

With this complete picture of your systems and usage patterns, we develop a comprehensive document describing any number of changes to best utilize and improve your network. From logistics and reorganization to bug fixes and complete backup system plans, we'll give you all the information and recommendations you need to build a complete, streamlined, dependable IT backbone.

Call us at 1-866-448-1415, tell us about your situation, or download our free example Network Discovery report today.