"I prefer having a dedicated appliance with fewer risks and vulnerabilities."
The Office of the State Treasurer is a government department that manages the cash and investment for the State of Georgia. Chief Information Security Officer Bill Wyatt had decided to upgrade to cloud-based networking – but that left him with a problem on what to do for DHCP. Despite the relatively small size of its office network, with 35 users and a dozen VLAN links, Bill still needed a reliable, on-site DHCP solution to ensure a latency-free and secure network.
The department was relying on its existing Windows Server for DHCP, but the ongoing license costs had become too expensive to maintain for such a small service. In addition, Bill was increasingly concerned about the safety of his network, as Windows Servers in general have a broader attack surface and require extensive maintenance to protect against threats:
"I was trying to get away from Windows due to the numerous patching and security risks. I prefer having a dedicated appliance with fewer risks and vulnerabilities.”
A dedicated server would meet the need for local network connectivity and, because it is configured with only the necessary DHCP functionality, require fewer patch updates with less risk than a full-featured Windows Server.
Bill reached out to ApplianSys for more information on the DNSBOX solution, and upon closer inspection found it to be the perfect fit for his needs:
- A dedicated appliance, with a hardened operating system making it inherently secure
- A single intuitive user interface for straightforward DHCP management
- Purpose-built devices mean lower cost and lower admin overhead – you don't have to pay for or maintain features you don't need
"DHCP is much easier to manage on DNSBOX! The interface is good and user-friendly once you are shown how to use it. It's well-structured and organised in a logical way."
Bill has deployed a pair of DNSBOX200 devices as an on-site DHCP solution configured for high availability. This adds an extra layer of redundancy to their network – ensuring maximum service uptime.
