Included in this document :
1. The SysAdmin Group
2. Services for Clients of All Shapes and Sizes
3. Internet Security Services
4. Systemic Developments

The SysAdmin Group is a professional consulting organisation highly focused on the provision of services to assist corporations with the operational management of their mission-critical IT environments.

It is our mission to be Australia's leading provider of systems management expertise, to reduce the cost and complexity of systems and network administration, and to quantitatively improve our customer's measures of Reliability, Availibility, and Serviceability (RAS).

SysAdmin provides services, products, methodologies and technology to address the needs of IT managers, systems and network administrators and all IT support personnel.

Services for Clients of All Shapes and Sizes

System administration is a profession which stretches across all industries and markets. SysAdmin supports customers of all sizes and all levels of expertise.

	Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) can look to SysAdmin for the provision of on-demand system administration expertise and services through our Operational Support Contract. A large investment in full-time support staff and/or contractors is no longer required, and you gain access to state-of-the-art practices and technology for a lower annual investment. SysAdmin will tailor its level of involovement to suit your requirements, and will continue to support you as your needs grow and change.
	Large Corporations can gain the advantages of SysAdmin's Enterprise Consulting Programme. We offer a range of audits and services which allow you to assess your exisiting position; plan, build and implement improvement programmes; and train your staff in state-of-the-art practices and techniques.
	Software Development Houses and Independent Software Vendors can provide more effective, comprehensive, and higher quality services to your customer base through partnership with SysAdmin. SysAdmin will provide the horizontal skills required for system administration, leaving you to better maintain your focus on the vertical skills you have, the markets you understand so well, and services you provide best. SysAdmin will keep you regularly updated on progress of all open issues and opportunities that arise.

The SysAdmin Group provides the in-depth knowledge to help you improve the effectiveness of your IT organisation and maximise the return on the IT investment of your organisation.

Corporate and Internet Security Expertise

Our Internet Security Services business unit specialises in corporate and Internet related security - the full definition of the word - which encompasses Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (known as the CIA of security).

We specialise in the creation of formal methodologies and supporting checklists and tools which ensure the completeness of an audit, and known methodologies for consolidation practices to improve the security of a site.

Many of the largest ISPs in Australia are customers of SysAdmin, including; connect.com.au, Telstra Interactive Broadband Services, Vicnet, Hotkey Internet Services and Quantum Springs Internet Services. This is in addition to our corporate customers which include companies such as Ericsson Data Australia.

Our audits are comprehensive technical audits of the domain under scrutiny, not just cursory audits based upon interviews. Although interviews form a integral part of an audit, much of our information is sourced from detailed system inspections and, where requested, active probes of the network using specialist tools to uncover weaknesses.

Internet Firewalls

The SysAdmin Group, through our Internet Security Services business unit, provide corporations with a range of services relating to Internet firewalls. We can help you assess your corporations needs, design a suitable firewall architecture, evaluate and implement firewall products, train your staff, assist you with the creation of firewall management procedures, and provide ongoing management expertise. We also provide independent audits of existing firewalls and security architectures to ensure that they are meeting your corporate policy.

Formal Security Model

Our extensive work in the field of computer security includes the definition of a formal security model for distributed computing, known as Host Rings. (A paper on this was presented at the SAGE-AU'96 conference in Brisbane.)

This model introduces the notion of formally evaluating each service to determine appropriate CIA ratings. This helps us to identify (a) the relative security, and hence partitioning requirements of applications, and then (b) the underlying hardware and software requirements to support those ratings (e.g. disk mirroring).

The Host Rings model has been successfully implemented at a number of companies.

Security - The Whole Picture

The security of a site is far more than just locking down the Internet gateway or a couple of hosts. It means more than just installing a product. Addressing corporate security means policies, processes, standards, technology, user education and staff training. What's the point of an Internet firewall, when there are uncontrolled modems on everybody's desks?

The SysAdmin Group can assess your corporation's security needs. Security is almost always a direct trade-off against convenience. Making something more secure usually involves making it more controlled, which implies more steps in the process. This equates to reduced convenience. (If it is still as convenient for the user, you can bet it isn't as convenient for the administrator!)

In order to arrive at an appropriate security policy, we must perform a methodical, orderly assessment of all potential risks, and set policy accordingly. SysAdmin can assist your corporation in performing a formal risk analysis, and preparation of strategies and processes for mitigating these risks.

Generic Frameworks and Specialised Tools

Our Systemic Developments company is focussed on the development of frameworks and tools to assist the systems administration marketplace.

Our principle product at this time is GHOST, an advanced framework for structured system administration of distributed computing environments.

Systemic Developments also develops custom software solutions for specific market segments, such as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) community.

Contact SysAdmin about your unique requirements to see how we may be able to assist you in the successful implementation of a solution.