Secure Computing Solutions | Blade Workstations | Thin Clients | Government Computing Solutions

Best Practices in Secure Computing

With the cost of a data breach at $200 per record and the mean number of records per internal security breach approaching 380,000, organizations that are not taking steps to fortify their computing infrastructure are setting themselves up for a very expensive experience. On average, an internal data breach will cost an organization $75 million.

With almost 70% of computer security breaches originating from internal sources, there are several simple steps to take to eliminate the risk of a security breach within your computing environment.

1. Move the PC from the end-user desk to the data center
Centralizing your computing infrastructure in a secure data center is the single best step you can take to eliminate the risk of an internally sourced data breach. In addition to fortifying your computing infrastructure, you'll realize the added benefits of greater computer reliability, manageability, energy efficiency and workspace ergonomics. Replacing PCs in the work environment with ClearCube user ports also eliminates 94% of the heat generation from the PCs in the work environment thus reducing HVAC costs and eliminating the threat of computer failure due to temperature.

“ClearCube delivered security, manageability and space savings at the desk. This is an optimized solution for us.”

— Roger Chilcott, Senior Engineer,
SENTEL, OFP CTF, Eglin AFB

2. Eliminate the ability to connect unauthorized removable media to the computing environment
In December 2008 the US Department of Defense placed a ban on the use of USB storage devices and removable flash media with government computers. This move was a result of worm that had infected some DOD computers via a USB removable drive. Without aggressive end-point control your computing infrastructure will always be vulnerable. That's why we designed a mass storage lockout (MSL) feature into the ClearCube blade workstation motherboards. ClearCube MSL provides unprecedented end-point control at the physical layer and eliminates the risk of unauthorized removable media from connecting to your computing environment.

3. Utilize fiber optic networks and connectivity for high security environment
If information security is of utmost importance in your environment then we recommend utilizing fiber connections. While fiber certainly is not impenetrable and fiber hacks and taps are a threat, it is more challenging to sniff and do so undetected than on copper networks. ClearCube enables the use of fiber in your computing environment by providing the only fully fiber centralized computing solution. ClearCube User Ports can be connected to fiber optic networks connecting to the data center and the ClearCube Blade Workstations.

4. Centralized management that governs the physical, transport and application layers
Centralized computing provides inherent physical security benefits however, there are also advantages at the transport and application layers including the ability to centrally manage all blade PCs through a single interface. ClearCube Blade Workstations come equipped with Sentral software that provides comprehensive connection brokering, device monitoring and control scripts. Processes and Applications can be white listed to ensure that only approved applications are running on the workstations and unauthorized applications are shut down.

ClearCube currently houses and separates multiple networks in a single rack to ensure TEMPEST security compliance.

Also, ClearCube Blade PCs and Workstations currently operate on highly secure government networks including SIPRNet, RELCAN, JWICS and others.

Learn more about ClearCube Secure Blade Workstations and PCs and receive a white paper on mass storage lockout: