EzGuardian Specification

• Hardened Firewall
• Email Spam Filter
• Email Double Anti-Virus Scanner
• Content Filter
• Web Cache
• Router
• DHCP Server
• 1 year RTB warranty
• Support and Management Portal
• Advert Deletion Filter
• Traffic Shaping
• SMTP Relay
• Extended Warranty
• Spyware Locator
• Peer to Peer Blocker

Hardened Firewall
A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls are used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet.

If you spend a lot of time on the internet and you are not behind a firewall, then you are living on borrowed time. An attacker can get through any type of modem - DSL, cable, 56K, 28.8, etc. If the device gets you on the internet, you are vulnerable.

For those with a DSL, ADSL, cable modem, satellite broadband (VSAT broadband) or other "always-on" connections, you MUST get a firewall. This is critical, as your machine is always live and it often has a fixed IP address. This makes it easier for your system to be "found" and attacked.

According to the latest data at the SANS Internet Storm Center, the average time it takes for an unprotected PC running Microsoft Windows (i.e. firewall off and missing critical security patches) to be compromised after being plugged into the Internet has more than doubled since September 2004. Trouble is, that time gap still isn't that large: An unguarded Windows computer can expect to be hacked within little more than 40 minutes of going online.

A EzGuardian includes a Hardware Firewall - and has the following advantages:

• Provides more complete protection than software firewalls
• Protects your entire network
• Does not effect system performance since it is an independent network device/gateway
• EzGuardian is independent of your operating system and applications
• Protects Windows, Windows XP, Linux, Mac & unix networks or any mixture
• No configuration necessary as it works straight out of the box

EzGuardian is also transparent to your users but gives them full protection. For more advanced users, we provide Port Forwarding facilities that are very simple to setup.

Email Spam Filter
Like EzGuardian POP3 Anti-virus system, EzGuardian Anti-Spam System works transparently and protects every POP3 email user on your network irrespective of their operating system.

EzGuardian inspects each and every inbound POP3 email and uses a multi-tiered evaluation method to examine the emails for spam characteristics and finger prints. When EzGuardian detects spam characteristics in an email, it marks the email with a spam warning, before sending it onto the original recipient. If an email contains very pornographic material, then the offending email is deleted on EzGuardian without troubling the user.

Individual email addresses or whole domains can be added to EzGuardian whitelist via EzGuardian Management and Support Portal (link here). This means that emails received from these individual addresses or domains are given special treatment so only if these emails are blatantly spam, will they be marked as such.

Trapping spam is a constant battle as the spammers, who make vast profits, continually find new ways to get round anti-spam defences. EzGuardian Support team are constantly adjusting EzGuardian anti-spam defences to keep ahead of the spammers.

Anti-spam updates are issued as and when required and as with all EzGuardian Security Updates, these are done automatically.

Email Double Anti-Virus Scanner
EzGuardian transparently intercepts all POP3 email that is collected via your broadband connection. EzGuardian uses two different types of anti-virus scanning engines and two different types of virus definitions or finger prints. Only if an email passes both checks will EzGuardian allow the email through into your network. If a virus is detected, then the offending email is instantly deleted on EzGuardian and an advisory email sent to the original recipient warning them that a virus was found.

EzGuardian will protect every user on your network that uses POP3 email, automatically and transparently. There are no options or special configurations needed by the client PC's and the double anti-virus scanning protects all computers such as Windows, Windows XP, Mac, Linux, Unix and any mixture of operating systems in a network.

As with all the other EzGuardian Security Systems, the updating of the Anti-Virus Systems is managed automatically. Each EzGuardian checks for anti-virus updates every 16 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You'll find details of the anti-virus updates in the News section or we can email you each time the anti-virus systems are updated - warning: this could be more frequent than you realise!

Content Filter
The web is a very fast changing place. This makes filtering by web addresses (URLs) difficult as sites change and new ones come up all the time. It is impossible to have comprehensive filtering using just URLs. What is needed is something to check every page that you, your children or your staff ever access for 'bad' subjects such as drugs, profanities, hate, pornography, etc. and disallow it if it's not suitable. This is called 'Content Filtering'.

• Can filter text and HTML pages for obscene (sexual, racial, violent, etc.) content.
• Uses an advanced phrase weighting system to reduce over or under blocking.
• Can filter sites using the PICS labeling system.
• Can filter according to MIME type and file extension.
• Can filter according to URLs including Regular Expression URLs.
• The URL filtering is able to filter https requests.
• Can work in a 'whitelist' mode where all sites except those listed are blocked.
• Can block all IP based URLs.
• Is able to block sites when users try using the IP address of the site instead.
• It has the ability to switch off filtering for specified sites, parts of sites or client IPs.
• Can block specified source IPs.
• Uses a very intelligent algorithm to match phrases in web pages mixed in with HTML code and white space.
• Supports compressed (Content-Encoding gzip and deflate) HTML.
• Can be made to only listen on 1 IP
• Can also be configured to block all sites except a selection of user editable work related sites.

Also, EzGuardian Content Filter uses a traditional commercially managed URL blacklist service. The managed part of the service provides:

• Each EzGuardian updates it's blacklist automatically once a day so the content filtering is as up to date as practical.
• The blacklist that EzGuardian uses is considerably larger than most unmaintained blacklists (over half a million entries)
• Human verified user submissions
• A maintained 'remove' list which avoids common accidentally listed sites such as msn.com
• A maintained 'add' list which ensures common 'bad' sites are always included

The combination of these two system provide a very viable Content Filtering system. If you would like EzGuardian Content Filter installed on your EzGuardian contact the support team on support@aclasstechnology.com This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it.

Disclaimer: Aclass can not be held responsible for the sites or URLs listed in the blacklist. The vast size of the internet makes it impossible for us to be aware of every single site. However we will do our best to improve list via the submissions facility. Please email the details of any site you wish checked to blacklist@aclasstechnology.com. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it.

Web Cache
EzGuardian has a built in web cache; this allows for a faster browsing experience and an average bandwidth saving of 30% on http traffic.

Web caching is the temporary storage of web objects (such as HTML documents) for later retrieval. There are several significant advantages to using web caching:

• Reduced bandwidth consumption
• Reduced latency or delay in displaying the requested web page
• Easier bandwidth sharing & management

Because the page is stored locally on EzGuardian web cache(after it has been viewed initally), the page is delivered to the next request at local network speeds ie 100Mb/s rather than 512 kbp/s. EzGuardian web cache also stores all of the images and sub-files for the visited pages, so if the user jumps to a new page within the same site that uses, for example, the same images, EzGuardian has them already stored and can load them into the user's browser much quicker than having to retrieve them from the Web site server's remote site.

If you are on a good, low latency broadband connection, this may not seem to be a big issue but if you are using Satellite Broadband or have a large number of users sharing your connection, then every bit of bandwidth is precious. When EzGuardian Web Cache is used in conjunction with EzGuardian Advert Deletion Filter then the speed increase becomes even more apparent, and that's not all...

Over a period of approx 14 days, EzGuardian web cache learns which web sites your connection is used to visit most often. EzGuardian will then check these favourite sites automatically for changes and update itself. This means that your EzGuardian web cache will always have your favourite web page available at local network speeds!

Router
A router is the device that controls the data flow on a network. It looks at each packet sent by all the devices on the network and checks its destination. If the destination is a local device then it sends that data over the network to that specific device; alternatively if the destination is an external device, then the data will be sent out onto the Internet.

The router on EzGuardian does exactly this: controlling the data flow. However sometimes, if the data is of a specific type, then the router may redirect the request to one of the onboard features of EzGuardian to take control of the data. For example, when a call for a web page is sent, EzGuardian router redirects the call to the web cache, which will feed the page directly so saving bandwidth and reducing latency. This transparent data redirection allows EzGuardian to manage the connection and network automatically, with minimal user intervention and configuration.

DHCP Server
A DHCP server allows devices to be connected to the network with no prior IP address configuration. This makes adding devices to the network far easier, especially on large networks. The DHCP server also allows for devices to be attached with a fixed IP address should the facility be required.

The range of IP addresses issued by EzGuardian is fully configurable by the system administrator allowing changes to be made across the network with extreme ease.

The EzGuardian is very good at allowing mixed networks to function ie Mac with Windows & XP.

1 year RTB warranty
EzGuardian comes as standard with a years return to base warranty. Should the worst happen, and a hardware failure occurs or a fault that is unable to be fixed remotely, EzGuardian can be sent back for a repair/replacement.

Support and Management Portal
EzGuardian Support & Management Portal has been designed to give EzGuardian owners visibility, information and control over their broadband connection (be that ADSL, satellite, cable or leased line).

EzGuardian Support & Management Portal is accessible from any browser from anywhere in the world. We employ high levels of security and encryption on the Portal so your Web Usage Statistics etc are only visible to authorised users.

Reports Available Include:

• Top domains visited
• Activity by computer on your network (shows the heaviest browser)
• Weekly bandwidth consumed

Advert Deletion Filter
EzGuardian Advert Deletion Filter(ADF) is a free service that is available to all EzGuardian users and is completely transparent to your users.

Advert Deletion will speed up your Web surfing capability by eliminating banner ads and other slow-loading or intrusive content.

Not only will your browsing speed up but the bandwidth savings will enhance your connection. If you are on a good, high speed broadband connection, this may not seem to be a big issue but if you are using VSAT broadband or have a large number of users sharing your connection, then every bit of bandwidth is precious.

Images and graphics take time to download. Unwanted graphics like ads slow down web browsing and add to the traffic passing over your connection. EzGuardian Ad Blocking Service helps you surf faster by blocking unwanted graphics so they are never downloaded. This makes the pages you view load faster.

Many ad companies record where you surf whenever you view one of their ads, even if the page you really want to view has nothing what so ever to do with the advert. By blocking adverts and associated data transmission , we help protect your privacy whilst enhancing your broadband connection.

EzGuardian ADF is, like all the other EzGuardian Services, updated automatically so you can benefit from the service without having to do anything and it protects all the computers on your network.

Traffic Shaping

For every web page or element in a web page that you receive, your browser has to send an acknowledgement to the originating web server on the Internet to indicate that it has successfully received that element. This is the signal for the origination web server to send the next component. But if these acknowledgements are unable to get out because of congestion on your upload then your download or browsing will slow right down to match the congested speed of your upload. On broadband connections that are heavily used or shared by more than 3 users and especially on VSAT (satellite broadband), EzGuardian Upload Traffic Shaping makes a significant difference to the overall quality of the broadband connection speed for all of the users and the best thing is that all of this happens automatically and dynamically depending on the users' load pattern.

Uplink Traffic Shaping provides these improvements:

• Smooth surfing / Web-site loading
• Allows web surfing at reasonable speeds while uploading / downloading
• Low latency for interactive traffic (and pings) at all times
• Make sure uploads don't hurt downloads
• Make sure downloads don't hurt uploads
• Reduces the impact of P2P file sharing on your connection
• Enhances priority services such as VOIP and remote connections
• Low ping times during upload, download, and while file-sharing
• Gaming connections remain responsive even during simultaneous data transfer
• Better line quality for Voice-over-IP (VoIP)

It does this by:

• Limiting upload speed slightly, to eliminate queues
• Limiting download speed, while allowing bursts, to eliminate queues
• Allowing Interactive traffic to skip the queue
• Allowing acknowledgements (for browsing etc.) and tiny packets to skip the queue

In order for this new feature to work correctly, we must know, very accurately, the type of connection that you are using and what the 'real' upload speed. Once your EzGuardian has been fully optimised for the Upload Traffic Shaping, then the auto calibration will take over and make the adjustments seamlessly.

If you have any questions, please contact our technical support team who will he happy to explain the facility in more depth.

SMTP Relay
Every EzGuardian can have an onboard outbound email relay that is fully transparent to all the users on your network and can be changed via EzGuardian Management and Support Portal.

There are several key benefits of this feature:

• It prevents email from flooding your uplink or inroute.
• In the event that your broadband connection goes down for any reason, the outbound emails are queued, nothing is lost, until the broadband or satellite broadband connection becomes available again. The queued emails will then be sent one at a time so preserving the quality of the connection in conjunction with the EzGuardian Traffic Shaping Facility.
• If a user is sending an email with a large attachment, the email will be spooled at EzGuardian, rather then the User's PC, so allowing the user to work normally. The large email will then be trickled out so as to preserve the quality of the connection in conjunction with EzGuardian Traffic Shaping Facility.
• As EzGuardian Outbound Email Relay is fully transparent and automatic, even if a User or a visitor has the wrong SMTP settings, for example in Outlook, their email will still work.

The Outbound Email Relay can be preset or it can be changed via the EzGuardian Support and Management Portal to any SMTP Relay you choose.

Extended Warranty
If EzGuardian Standard warranty is not long enough for you, we do offer the option of an extended warranty service. The level of the extension is decided by the user, it can be for a longer time period, a next working day replacement, or an engineer onsite within 24hrs.

Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Spyware Locator
EzGuardian can be equipped with a Spyware Locator as a premium feature. This enables EzGuardian to detect and report spyware activity generated by individual devices on the network. Depending on the structure of your network, EzGuardian can provide a list of internal IP addresses that have been compromised and the details of each threat on each IP address. This then allows the network manager or system administrator to focus on the compromised machines straight away without having to waste time by scanning every machine on the network. Even on a small network of computers, the time required to scan each machine can be considerable, rather like looking for a needle in a haystack. EzGuardian eliminates all of this wasted time by giving a detailed report of the threat on each machine. This report can be generated weekly or monthly or, if the infestation is severe, daily.

EzGuardian team is constantly monitoring the internet for new threats and like all the other EzGuardian internet security systems, EzGuardian Spyware Locator is updated automatically so you can be sure that your internet security is always up todate.

For further details of this feature, or to have a scan done on your network, please contact EzGuardian Support Team.

Peer to Peer Blocker
As an optional feature and security defence, EzGuardian can block peer to peer file sharing applications such as Kazza, E Donkey, emule etc.

Peer to Peer file sharing is mostly illegal and if uncontrolled, consumes large amounts of bandwidth, reducing your broadband connection or satellite (VSAT) to a crawl.

By their very nature, peer to peer file sharing applications are very good at finding ways around your defenses so we have developed a very secure and reliable way to block this type of traffic transparently

As a network administrator or manager, checking every machine in your network for the presence and use of peer to peer file sharing applications can be very time consuming and therefore expensive.

If you decide to enable EzGuardian Peer to Peer Blocking for your entire network, it is simply a matter of enabling the feature via EzGuardian Support and Management Portal.

Remember that peer to peer file sharing is notorious for infecting machines with ad ware, spyware and viruses so it really is a good idea to secure your network against this threat.