WORKSMART.NET - More Secure, Scalable and Reliable

At WorkSmart.net, we understand that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our customers’ information are vital to their business operations and our own success. We use a multi-layered approach to protect that key information, constantly monitoring and improving our application, systems, and processes to meet the growing demands and challenges of security.

1. Secure Data Centers

The WorkSmart.net service is hosted in dedicated spaces at top-tier SAS 70 certified data centers, which provide the physical environment necessary to keep our service continually up and running 24-7.

These facilities are custom-designed with redundant HVAC temperature control systems, multiple uninterruptible power supplies - with lightning protection and back-up generators, as well as multiple connections to the Internet. They offer the widest range of physical security measures, including state-of-the-art fire suppression and water detection systems, motion sensors, as well as 24 hour security guards, proximity reader access, CCTV camera surveillance and security breach alarms.

2. Application Security

The WorkSmart.net application incorporates multiple security levels which adhere to globally accepted standards:

a. User Authentication

Every user is provided with a unique, confidential username and password to access their system protected by 128-bit SSL encryption.

b. Secure Data Access

WorkSmart.net uses secure directory access protocol, which maps users to their registered information held on the system and only then allows them to access their data.

WorkSmart.net also provides customizable role-based security and item-level access controls ensuring that only the right people get access to the right information.

c. SSL Data Encryption

128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology is available as an option, if you need to encrypt your data as it passes through the Internet.

3. Data Storage, Backup and Disaster Recovery

All customer data is stored at the primary data center on RAID configured database servers that are clustered with backup servers. All customer data is replicated on backup servers in real-time, which insulates us from any hardware failure.

For further safety, all customer data is backed up using Continuous Data Protection (CDP) in near real-time to a secondary data centre via a secure SSH tunnel. Hence, we always have a backup copy for handling any emergencies, if arises.

In addition to all these safeguards, WorkSmart.net also provides customers the option for off-site backup at their premises or at another data centre of their choice.

In an event of a catastrophic hardware failure, natural disaster or other event that renders the primary hosting facility inoperable, DesignLinks has set up procedures to bring the system back online at the secondary data centre with minimal time/data loss. We regularly test to check our disaster recovery procedures and the integrity of the customer data.

4. Network Security & Availability

WorkSmart.net utilizes a number of safeguards to maximize network security and availability.

a. Firewalls

The DesignLinks uses multiple fault-tolerant firewalls. Each firewall employs both static and dynamic access-lists, configured to permit only necessary traffic. Abusive or malicious traffic is dynamically denied per dynamic access lists on the firewalls.

b. Security Patches and Critical Updates

All WorkSmart.net servers are audited regularly for security patch and critical update levels. Patches and updates are first deployed to a test environment to assure compatibility, then to the live environment.

c. Multiple Tier-1 ISPs

WorkSmart.net uses three Tier-1 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with BGP4 protocol, which offers high level of redundancy, so if one line should fail the other automatically takes over without the customer ever knowing there was a problem. BGP4 also improves the speed of connection to our servers for the end user, as it can calculate the best and fastest route to its destination and take that specific route.

5. Security Monitoring

Our Information Security department monitors notification from various sources and alerts from internal systems to identify and manage threats.