Government Technology - September 2007 - (Page I2)

Government agencies face mounting danger from Internet attacks, and they have shrinking budgets with which to ﬁght them. Therefore, remote management tools — which allow IT professionals to control, manage and update thousands of PCs remotely — are a key weapon against this growing threat. These tools accelerate deployment of security upgrades and software patches, safeguarding critical resources and increasing end-user productivity. Intel’s ﬁrst-to-market remote management processor technology combined with operating systems with enhanced security, such as Windows Vista and XP, give governments powerful and ﬂexible remote management tools to meet security and budget challenges. “With Intel vPro processor technology, a single authorized IT administrator is able to wake up every single machine, deploy a systemwide patch or even migrate the OS and then shut them all down, without leaving his or her desk.” — Nigel Ballard, government marketing manager, Intel Together, Intel remote management processor technologies and Windows Vista help government agencies avoid cyberattacks on desktop computing resources, and react more quickly and costeffectively to security threats. Easy Patch Management Manually deploying software patches is a slow and cumbersome process. Some studies show it can take nearly a week for patches and updates to reasonably saturate a network — much too slow to stop fast-moving viruses. Most remote deployment solutions also require employees to log on to the network for changes to download to their PCs. Intel vPro processor technology lets administrators wake up PCs and install security updates remotely, which eliminates the cost and headache associated with desk-to-desk installation and ensures timely patch distribution. Even if the IT department already has a policy of keeping machines powered during nonworking hours so patches can be pushed out to users, some users will inevitably turn their PCs off anyway. The technology saves IT technicians from chasing down noncompliant PCs — and ﬁxing the costly repercussions. Furthermore, if a critical security patch is released at 4 a.m., one IT technician can drive to the ofﬁce and use the Intel vPro processor technology to wake up all machines and issue the patch. The process is complete before end-users arrive at work. In the past, many organizations resisted the ability to wake up PCs remotely, due to concern over potential security holes it could open in the infrastructure. The Intel technology eliminates that risk with mutual PC-to-server authentication, as well as encrypting commands between them. “Many IT departments require employees to leave computers running when they leave work at night to permit critical patch deployment. This approach not only gives rise to security concerns but is also troubling from an energy-cost perspective,” said Nigel Ballard, government marketing manager for Intel. “But with Intel vPro processor technology, a single authorized IT administrator is able to wake up every single machine, deploy a systemwide patch or even migrate the OS and then shut them all down, without leaving his or her desk. That’s truly compelling, and it keeps the network control where it needs to be, ﬁrmly in the hands of IT.” Intel® vPro™ processor technology offers hardware-based security and remote management features that allow IT staff to centrally manage security for all PCs on the network. Furthermore, the technology helps government organizations avoid productivity losses and expensive desk-side tech support by enabling remote troubleshooting even if a PC is powered off or nonfunctional. And Intel® Centrino™ Pro processor technology offers the same efﬁciencies and cost-saving beneﬁts to notebooks on the network. Microsoft’s newest Windows operating system, Windows Vista, provides improved OS-based security features, such as bidirectional ﬁrewall, full disk encryption, user account protection, improved Web security and “hardened” Windows servicing. Windows Vista also provides a stable reliable platform that enables organizations to maximize user productivity and avoid costly downtime. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - September 2007

Contents Point of View Big Picture ESRI Insert The Last Mile GT Spectrum Profile Nuclear Revival Way Back Machine Intel Insert Tale of TIERS Joining Forces Saving Seniors Site Seeing Quarter Miles Two Cents Products Signal: Noise Digital Communities Contents Our Road Ahead Course of Action Shared Interests Special Report: Foundation for the Future Using Wireless to Save Lives Smart Grids for Energy Conservation Community Governing and Wizards

Government Technology - September 2007

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