HyBlue - Proactive Network Management

Simply, HyBlue keeps computers up to date, healthy and secure. HyBlue is a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that can help you manage the increasing complexities of IT security and management. Whether you are managing a single laptop or an entire enterprise, HyBlue's products offer comprehensive scaleable protection.

Who benefits from HyBlue?

The HyBlue Network Management System was created especially for small and medium sized businesses. After servicing small and medium-sized organizations for years, the founders of HyBlue recognized that while all companies depend heavily on the performance of their computer networks, there were no appropriate tools available to help smaller businesses maintain their networks efficiently and proactively. So they created network management tools optimized for the unique needs of SMB companies. Easy to use, low cost, proactive services to help keep computers up to date, secure and healthy.

How are HyBlue's services sold?

HyBlue is sold via computer consulting companies and Value Added Resellers (VARs) only. If you are a computer consultant or VAR, HyBlue has an attractive partnership program that enables you to package HyBlue's services for your customers' and your benefit. The services are a great foundation for those VARs who already are or want to become Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Click here for more information.

Who fixes the problems that HyBlue identifies? Does HyBlue compete with IT technicians?

HyBlue does not repair computers. HyBlue allows IT technicians to provide a greater level of service to their end-customers.

What computers does HyBlue support?

HyBlue services were designed for servers, desktops, and laptops that use operating systems based on the Windows NT architecture specifically Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Small Business Server 2000 and 2003. We currently do not support Linux and Apple OS X computers but may in the future.

What other services will you offer?

We are always improving our services and will be adding new ones shortly. If there is a specific service that you like to see us provide, contact us anytime with suggestions.

Secure

What is Secure?

Secure is a new, managed way to ensure that Windows computers have complete, up to date virus, spyware and firewall protection as well as proactive patch management and operational monitoring.

Why do I need Secure?

Computer security is incredibly important in today’s world. Ensuring high quality security controls is a must for any network and firewalls are simply not enough anymore. With all of the threats currently active on the Internet, computer users can easily stumble into a situation where their computer is compromised and becomes a robot attacking other computers with spam or denial of service attacks. Secure maintains computers at a desired state of security, protecting them from existing and new threats.

What are the benefits of Secure?

Secure protects computers wherever a user takes them. Through comprehensive multilayered protection, Secure protects computers from viruses, spyware, hacker attacks, and even user error. With our Expert System managing the configuration, computers are kept up to date with patches and security signature files anywhere in the world. Your data is protected, users are more productive, and support costs are reduced.

What does Secure include?

Secure includes the following protection from Trend Micro:

Antivirus scanner
Spyware scanning, detection and removal
Intrusion Detection
Firewall
Patch Reporting and Deployment
Operational monitoring and proactive alerting

The scanners are running real-time, monitoring traffic in and out of the computer including Web, Email and general file access. In addition, Secure includes HyBlue’s Patch service so that patches are kept up to date and all internal functions of a computer are monitored real-time as well. Patch proactively sends a report indicating when a computer is not up to date with patches. You can then go to our Portal, quickly select and deploy patches. These patches silently install themselves, maintaining each computer at its desired state. Patch also includes monitoring for security or operational issues. If a condition indicates a potential problem, you are notified immediately with concise information on what happened, why it happened, and what to do to resolve the issue.

How does Secure do this?

Secure blends the power of HyBlue’s Expert System with the security technologies from Trend Micro. Trend’s OfficeScan client runs on each computer actively monitoring for virus, spyware or security issues. HyBlue’s Expert System actively manages the client, ensuring that signature files, application white lists and firewall rules are kept up to date.

Why did HyBlue choose Trend Micro?

Aside from the fact that Trend provides an industry-leading security solution, their technology integrates best with HyBlue’s Expert System. It is this integration and the control it offers that provides the real power of HyBlue Secure.

Can I just use HyBlue Secure on my laptop users?

Absolutely! Secure is perfect for the traveling computer, keeping it safe and secure no matter where in the world it is.

How do I know if a computer is having a problem?

Secure and the HyBlue Expert System monitor computers wherever they are connected in the world and sends alerts if there is a problem. For example, if a virus definition file cannot be updated for more than 7 days, we will alert you. If a virus or worm cannot be disinfected, quarantined or renamed we will alert you. If a security situation is occurring that needs a response, we will alert you.

What kind of alerts will I receive?

HyBlue believes alerts should only be sent when there is an issue that requires the attention of a technician. Our Expert System automatically suppresses informational alerts and prioritizes other alerts as critical, important and minor. With Secure, we only send alerts when the system cannot resolve the issue. You will also receive regular reports on Patch status allowing you to quickly verify what is required to maintain your computers patch level.

Is spam filtering included?

Spam filtering is currently not part of the HyBlue Secure offering.

Does Secure work with other security products like anti-virus or spyware programs?

No, HyBlue Secure replaces the collection of software that have typically been patched together to protect computers with an integrated solution. It will not install if other anti-virus, spyware or firewall products are installed. HyBlue’s comprehensive solution is easier to manage and is more effective than other multi vendor solutions.

What if I already have an anti-virus solution?

HyBlue Secure offers significant advantages to existing virus protection schemes. Centralized control, update checks every 10 minutes, fastest response to new viruses available, alerts when there is an update failure or a virus cleaning failure are just the beginning. Secure also protects computers from spyware, hackers, worms and other dangers that exist, both known and unknown. With the multilayered protection of Secure, computers are protected from virtually any threats that exist or may be developed. And to top it off, Secure maintains your computers’ patch level.

How does HyBlue Secure compare to other vendor’s offerings?

Click here to see how Secure compares with other offerings.

How do I manage users?

HyBlue Secure installs with a set of best practices settings which are good starting points for any network. For most users, our system will simply manage their computers using our default settings. We also offer a full range of controls of everything from application white or black listing of a complete customer to permitting specific ports to be opened on a single workstation. For basic settings, simply log in to the HyBlue Portal, select Secure Settings in the menu bar, and click on the settings you want to change. For more advanced settings, contact us at support@hyblue.com or call support at 206 838 7238.

How do I protect laptop users on the road?

One of the great strengths of HyBlue Secure is that computers are uniformly protected anywhere in the world. If a computer is connected to the Internet, it is secure and continuously updated. If a computer is not connected, all the protections are still in force, with the settings that the computer most recently received from the Expert System.

Can users disable HyBlue Secure?

HyBlue Secure’s settings are determined by your needs. You can choose to completely disable local access to Secure’s controls, keeping users from disabling or removing Secure. You can also provide flexibility for administrative users. It’s your choice.

What is the memory overhead of Secure?

The Secure client utilizes a number of small modules to protect all the mechanisms of the computer. These modules typically occupy 55MB or less in their running state.

Is a lot of configuration required?

In normal operation, no configuration is required. Customization of the rules is available and is done centrally, so the entire office can be completely configured in a few clicks. Secure can be customized to the individual computer level if required.

How do I buy HyBlue Secure?

We let you start a free trial of our services before we start billing you. Click here to start the short registration and download process.

If you’d like to be contacted by one of our sales representatives click here. Our sales person will be available to answer any questions you might have and help you get up and running.

How do I install HyBlue Secure?

For a free trial, click here. If you are already a HyBlue customer, go to the HyBlue Portal and simply select Setup Secure. The quick four step process gathers information about the company installing the software and the technical contact to be alerted if there are issues. Once this information is in our system, you can download the setup program, and install. It installs quickly on each computer and the setup program that you download can be used for any computer associated in your company.

Can I install it on one machine?

HyBlue Secure is designed to be equally effective on one computer, a small department or an entire enterprise. Each computer gets the same protection, monitoring, management and escalation if a problem occurs.

Do I have to run the Secure installation on every computer?

Like any computer level security solution, HyBlue Secure must be installed on every machine that it protects. We have options for scripting installation. These are available on our Support site.

Patch

What is Patch?

HyBlue's Patch is an entirely new way of managing computer networks for small and medium sized companies. Patch is a proactive patch management system that puts you in control of your computers patch compliance. In addition, Patch takes the guesswork out of running a network by identifying possible breakdowns before they occur and giving actionable information to resolve problems.

What are the benefits of Patch?

Patch enables IT support professionals to have constant knowledge of the state of their computer networks. A well-run management system can save time and money by identifying issues while they are small and assisting in their resolution before they cause a major failure. With our proactive patch reporting, we tell you when computers need to be updated and we provide suggested updates. We do NOT apply patches, we let you control that.

You know more, you have more control, Patch saves you tremendous time while maintaining your network at a desired state.

How does HyBlue's Patch work?

A complete description of Patch’s operation is here.

How often are alerts sent out?

There is a lot going on in a computer. The trick is to find the important information, translate it into useable form and communicate it appropriately. HyBlue's proprietary Expert System does exactly this. Rather than sending constant alerts containing large amounts of useless data, the Expert System processes that data into meaningful messages to provide valuable information each time an alert is sent. It knows when to send a low priority summary email about minor issues and when to send a high priority alert to a cell phone about a critical event in the system. When everything is operating normally, alerts will be sent out infrequently. Patch reports are sent out every couple of weeks with information regarding patch status, compliance and recommended updates.

How does Patch affect security?

Patch does not require any changes to network security. Our Sensor software uses XML technology over Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to push data to the Expert System. Thus, to a firewall, HyBlue's network traffic looks like an order being placed at an Internet retailer.

How does Patch compare with more traditional systems that are in the market?

Traditional network monitoring systems were designed for large networks managed by staffs of highly trained technicians. These types of systems don't work without a large staff to support them and cannot easily scale down to be used for smaller networks. HyBlue optimized its Patch service for small networks yet it provides information sophisticated enough for a large enterprise.

Compare HyBlue to more traditional network management systems:

Issue	Traditional Network Management	HYBLUE Remote Monitoring
Software Cost	Expensive to buy	Zero
Ongoing Cost of Operation	Required dedicated network staff, expensive software upgrades	Low monthly subscription cost per server and workstation
Installation and Configuration	Expensive, time consuming and prone to failure	Simple 5 minute software installation
Data Output of Management System	Tremendous amount of data, small percentage of actionable information	Expert System filters information, then sends alerts via email or pager depending on severity
Clarity of Information	Clear only to dedicated network management staff	Information written to be quickly understood by technicians
Usefulness of Information	Data output typically arcane error messages	Expert system output includes both supporting descriptions and links to aid in problem resolution
Historical Information	Graphs and charts showing network performance information	Graphs and charts are organized into useful sets of information
Availability	Depends on system	Password protected customer portal available 24 x 7 on the Web

What kinds of operational issues does HyBlue identify?

There is a tremendous amount of information contained in the event logs from every Windows system, but HyBlue distills this data to send alerts identifying only those issues that are useful for managing the system. Examples include minor errors that can be early indicators of more significant issues, warnings that an error occurred, or evidence of potential hacking. Patch also transmits performance information to the Expert System on a regular basis to be examined for indications of problems such as intrusion attempts, overloaded servers, or a pegged CPU.

How does HyBlue assign different priorities to information received from a computer?

The HyBlue Expert System was designed to minimize the amount of information that is communicated but maximize the value of that information. Any time a monitored computer succeeds in a normal operation (successfully printing a document for example) HyBlue's Sensor ignores it. It's simply noise. However, if there is an error in the operation of a computer that will not immediately impact the customer's work or only have a minor impact, then a low priority email message is sent to you.

If something occurs that is a definite precursor of a major problem or impacts some operation, the Expert System sends a high priority email alert. If there is an imminent failure or an error indicating that there is a significant impact on normal work, HyBlue sends a critical text message alert to your mobile phone in addition to an email alert, if you choose.

What kind of information is provided when HyBlue emails an alert?

The HyBlue Expert System provides valuable information to assist you in resolving issues as efficiently as possible. Most of the time fixing a computer problem is spent figuring out what went wrong. HyBlue sheds light on this issue through alerts and our Portal, shortening the time to repair.

For example, if Exchange shut down improperly, the Expert System might send the following email:

From: HyBlue Monitor
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 12:00 PM
To: {Technical Contact}
Subject: Important Alert: {Computer} @ {Company}

An important condition has occurred on the computer {Computer} @ {Company}. This alert was not sent to the customer.

***************************************

** Important Alert **
Event ID: 50
Source: TermDD
Time: 11:37 AM

Error Message from the Computer:
The RDP protocol component X.224 detected an error in the protocol stream and has disconnected the client.

Additional Notes from HyBlue:
This problem is typically seen with Terminal Services when there is discrepancy between host and client regarding security levels. It can also be seen when a client disconnects normally if not running the latest service pack.

For further information, please see the following links: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q257894
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q232514
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q312313
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q311371
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q323497
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q329896

How is information communicated when there is a critical issue?

For a more critical event, such as a disk error, HyBlue would send the following via SMS to your cell phone:

In addition to the SMS alert, HyBlue will also send you an email regarding the issue. That email would look like this:

From: HyBlue Monitor
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 12:04 PM
To: {Technical Contact}
Subject: Critical Alert: {Computer} @ {Company}

The following information was sent via text message to {Technical Contact}:
There is a problem with IDE drivers on {Computer}@{Company}
***************************************
Questions about this event should be directed to your technical contact, {Technical Contact}, at {Phone Number}.
Powered By HyBlue
***************************************
*** Critical Alert ***
Event ID: 26
Source: Atapi
Time: 4:08 PM

Error Message from the Computer:
The driver has detected that device \Device\Ide\IdePort0 has old or out-of-date firmware.
Reduced performance may result.

Additional Notes from HyBlue:
If you see this on a system that you have recently added something to the IDE chain, check to make sure that you have up to date firmware, drivers for that device.
If you see this on a system that has been in service with no changes for a while, it may indicate corrupted IDE drivers. You may want to update the drivers for the IDE chain.
With NT4.0, there is a registry hack to correct this error, see the first link below.
For further information, please see the following links:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q168483

Does HyBlue keep performance history for each computer?

Yes, HyBlue keeps a running log of all information that has been processed for each computer. You can log in to the Portal to get a quick look at system performance or more detailed graphs analyzing historical operating performance.

What performance information does HyBlue collect?

Patch collects critical information regarding the level of activity in a computer's processor, memory, network card and hard disks. The information collected has been chosen as an effective set of tools for gauging whether a computer is working too hard or within its proper parameters.

The performance information is sorted into logical groupings and shown over time to allow you to see trends. These trends may indicate action steps for you to take to ensure continued quality operation. For example, it may be time to upgrade RAM on a server if the computer is running low on disk space or upgrade a server if the CPU usage is consistently high.

How is Patch installed and set up?

Installation takes just a few minutes and the system will be functioning without any additional configuration. The installation routine automatically connects the computer to HyBlue's Expert System and starts monitoring right away.

What happens if a computer that is being monitored fails or the Internet connection goes down?

A typical management system that relies on information being sent from a server would assume that "no news is good news." That is, the absence of a transmission would mean that there is nothing wrong. With Patch, all servers are connecting to our Expert Sytem at a regular interval with a "heartbeat". If the Expert System doesn't receive a communication from a server over a 10 minute period, the Expert System assumes that there is a critical error and you are notified immediately via mobile phone.

Obviously, workstations get turned off all the time in normal use. HyBlue knows the difference between a workstation and a server and does not send "down" alerts for workstations