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Blue Coat Spyware Blocker
City of Keizer Picks
Blue Coat Spyware Blockers
to Battle Against Spyware City Government Finds Ideal Solution to Block Spyware With its fast growth, the city of Keizer, Oregon, has had to build an infrastructure capable of handling the demands of its citizens. As it has added employees and services to meet these demands, Keizer has tried to be forward looking in how it has leveraged technology. Bill Hopkins, the city's network administrator, has been tasked with deploying and maintaining the computing infrastructure and responding to the technical needs of all 100 employees. Hopkins had been aware of the growing threat posed by viruses and spyware, understanding how they could cripple the fast-growing city's network as well as individual PCs. “Previously, I had not been able to implement a solution that prevented spyware from entering systems, but simply attacked the problem on a ‘case-by-case' basis,” said Hopkins. “When a problem manifested itself, such as if somebody had a problem printing, I would clean the system, reinstall the print drivers, and then install some protective software. However, it was not an enterprisewide solution.” Unfortunately, the spyware problem seemed to be growing. Hopkins estimated that “approximately one-third” of the systems were infected with spyware, though the full scope of the problem was hard to quantify. Plus, once spyware hit the network, “It affected everything—network performance, printing, inability to open files, etc. There was a whole range of problems.” Hopkins considered personal firewalls, but he said, “Personal firewalls have to be installed, maintained and re-licensed. That makes them both expensive and painful.” As he began looking for a more robust solution, Hopkins read an article in Computer World that mentioned Blue Coat's Spyware InterceptorTM, and decided it might be exactly what he was looking for in the battle against spyware.
Blue Coat Spyware Blockers
Delivers Protection and Ease of Use Soon after he read about Spyware Interceptor, Hopkins contacted Blue Coat and in June of 2005 installed the appliance. “It was quite simple to install. It took 10 to 15 minutes to for the whole process,” said Hopkins. He had researched other similar devices, but did not find them suitable to his network's needs, or to his budget. “At the time, the only other solution I found that competed with Blue Coat was not as impressive technologically, and it was more expensive. So my choice was easy.”
City Gains Control and Flexibility Immediately, Hopkins began seeing the benefits of Blue Coat Spyware Blockers like Spyware Interceptor. “Right away, I knew that installing the appliance was the right decision. Just reviewing the reports, I saw that within one hour I had blocked at least 1,000 spyware cookies and dozens of phone home requests. I had no idea how bad the problem was on our network—it was astounding. I'm sure other larger networks would find even more.” Hopkins likes that a Blue Coat Spyware Blocker like Interceptor is flexible in that it blocks sites that do not fully meet certain criteria, but that particular sites employees need for work can be added to an access list for employees. “If I determine a Web site is alright, I enable access. If there's a site I discover that is not approved, I put it on the block list and block it. It's very simple.” Hopkins said that he usually spends about 10 to 15 minutes a week reviewing the reports generated by Spyware Interceptor, though the administration really has not been very taxing. “There have been weeks that I haven't even touched the system. It can be as easy or complex as one wants it to be,” said Hopkins. “Because I am the only person handling technology and computer help requests, I am now freed up to do other things because I don't have to spend as much time fighting spyware or monitoring systems.” According to Hopkins, the financial impact of Blue Coat Spyware blockers like Spyware Interceptor has been significant. “I'm sure the appliance paid for itself within 30-60 days, but the effect has been much more than monetary. It's peace of mind. I know I'm secure.” Hopkins concluded, “Every company that has employees accessing the Internet should install Spyware Interceptor. The ‘bang for the buck' of this product is definitely quite high.” About City of Keizer Located near Salem and nestled in the center of the Williamette River, the city of Keizer is the 14th largest city in Oregon with a population of 35,000. Though it is one of the fastest growing cities in the state, Keizer continues to preserve its small town pride through festivals, community events, schools and sports. The city of Keizer employs approximately 100 people, including police and various municipal departments. |
