Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some questions you may have.
Q: Do I need internet connectivity?
A: Today's marketplace is becoming increasingly dependant upon being "connected." From simple web pages to advanced database driven "shopping cart" ordering.
From simple POP email to advanced email and collaboration services. With Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 and an internet connection you can have a full suite of internet services to enable your workers to not only use the internet for information and email but also for remaining connected with the office while they are in the field.
Q: What is Microsoft Small Business
Server 2003?
A: SBS-2003 is much more than a file server. In addition to
providing one central place to store your business information
SBS-2003 also allows the sharing of resources and equipment, the
ability to work from virtually anywhere and to run your business
applications of choice. SBS-2003 also provides email and
collaboration services with Exchange 2003, database storage with
SQL-Express or SQL-2005, a complete virtual web host with IIS-6
complete with web based productivity applications built-in. VPN and
SSL services and in the premium version ISA-2004 firewall and the
full version of SQL-2005.
Q: What is Remote Web Workplace?
A: Remote Web Workplace is a completely secure portal into your
systems from the internet with any modern browser. Once you are
authenticated in RWW you can access your email with OWA or you can
even take control of your PC at work with Remote Desktop. RWW
contains a complete help section with instructions on using the
features of your system. All data including your authentication is
transferred with SSL encryption.
Q: What is Outlook Web Access?
A: Outlook Web Access is a complete email and collaboration
application based solely on .aspx web pages. It has many of the
features of Outlook 2003 such as email, calendar, contacts, public
folders, etc...
OWA requires no installation on the PC to be able to use it other
than .NET 1.1. The full suite of OWA features are accessible from
IE6 and most of it's features are accessible with modern
non-Microsoft browsers. You can access OWA from any internet
connected PC.
Q: What is VPN?
A: VPN is Virtual Private Network. It is a catch-all term for a set of
protocols and services which enable you to transfer data and files
securely across the internet as if your PC were directly connected
to your companies network.
Q: What does a firewall do? What is SPI?
A: A firewall is either a device or software which works to block
certain types of access from the "anything goes" internet to your
sensitive intranet where your PC's and Servers are housed. Simple
firewalls only block traffic on certain ports but modern firewalls
also use Stateful Packet Inspection or SPI. Not only are
unused ports blocked but all traffic is examined to determine if it
is actually what it purports to be. Some firewalls can even examine
packets for malicious content such as Virii, Worms and Trojans.
Modern firewalls also enable NAT internet connection sharing. NAT is
Network Address Translation. With NAT an outgoing request packet is
stored and it's originating IP address is translated to the IP of
the firewall's internet connection. When a response packet is
received it is matched with the request to determine which intranet
IP is should go to then it's destination IP is translated so that it
gets to the PC which sent the original request. In this way many
PC's on the company intranet can share a single broadband internet
connection.
Q: What is ISA and
how is it different from an ordinary firewall?
A: Internet Security and Acceleration ISA is a software service
which provides both incoming and outgoing SPI firewall, VPN, SSL,
HTML caching Proxy Server and the routing of protocol services to
other machines behind your firewall. It is recommended that both a
hardware firewall and ISA be used to protect your systems.
Q: What is SQL?
A: Structured Query Language SQL is an industry standard for
accessing relational databases. Microsoft Small Business Server now
includes SQL-Express which is a limited use version of SQL-2005 or the full SQL-2005 product in the Premium version of
SBS-2003 R2.
Q: What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
(SOX)?
A: SOX was enacted in the United States in response to various corporate
scandals. From an IT and internal control perspective, the most prominent
part of SOX is Section 404. This section of the act requires publicly
traded companies to assess the effectiveness of their internal
controls for financial reporting in annual reports they submit at the
end of each fiscal year. Section 404 also requires publicly traded
companies to engage independent auditors who must attest to, and report
on, the validity of their assessments. The U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission is the regulatory agency responsible for enforcing SOX.
Q: What is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
(GLBA)?
A: GLBA, also know as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999,
protects the privacy and security of private financial information that
financial institutions collect, hold, and process. The privacy component
of this act requires financial institutions to provide customers with an
annual notice of their privacy practices, and to give them the option to
direct financial institutions not to share such information. The safeguards
component of the regulation requires financial institutions to establish a
comprehensive security program to protect the confidentiality and integrity
of the private financial information in their records. A number of U.S.
federal agencies, including the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and the
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), enforce GLBA.
Q: What is the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA)?
A: HIPAA includes among its components privacy and security rules. These
rules focus on Protected Health Information (PHI) and Electronic PHI (ePHI)
that result from efforts to streamline the health care system in the United
States, and mandate the standardization of electronic transactions, code
sets, and identifiers. The privacy and security rules for this act are
detailed and prescriptive. Although the regulation focuses on companies
in the U.S. health care industry, it can extend to other companies if they
engage in certain activities, such as managing employee group health plans,
or providing services to companies that this regulation directly affects.
Sub departments of the U.S. Health and Human Services department (HHS)
enforce HIPAA regulations.