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... use the same secure remote access software on OS X and Windows.

...get a commercially supported UNIX Secure Shell server.

...have secure terminal
emulation for my Mac OS X systems.

...replace nonsecure Telnet.

...replace nonsecure FTP.

...securely transfer files with simple drag and drop.

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Customer Success Story




Tucows. Inc.

  • Industry: Internet & e-Commerce
  • Company Size: 150 employees
  • Summary: SecureCRT® is used at Tucows Content Division for terminal emulation and for securing TCP/IP applications.

Organization

Many know Tucows as one of the net's largest software download sites, and the first to provide software on a freeware or shareware basis. Tucows is also the largest ICANN accredited wholesale domain registrar and a leading internet services company, providing back office solutions and wholesale internet services to a network of more than 6,000 web hosting companies, internet service providers (ISPs), and other service providers.

Challenge

Tucows distributes over 40,000 software titles and other digital content through its website, www.tucows.com, and its network of more than 1,000 partner sites. In a typical year, Tucows and its partners serve more than 800 million page views and facilitate more than 87 million digital content downloads.

"I access up to 7 e-mail accounts and with the Activator, I can run them all at once and keep windows I'm not using out of the way." "Brad Smith, Tucows Site Manager

Tucows' reputation and content business depend on the company's ability to protect its software library, web site, and backend systems. "Best practices require that you take certain necessary security precautions. Our reputation depends on it," said Greg Weir, Director of the Tucows Content Division.

As part of their security program, Tucows replaced nonsecure protocols such as Telnet and mandated the use of Secure Shell. On the domain side of the business, most developers work directly on Linux or Solaris servers. The Content Division, which manages the public component of the Tucows software library, needed an easy to use Secure Shell solution that would work well on their Windows workstations.

Solution

For the download site team at the Tucows Content Division, SecureCRT has become the de facto standard for terminal emulation and for securing TCP/IP applications.

"I've been using CRT™ since the mid-90s," said Weir. "When Tucows decided to implement policies to turn off Telnet, I moved to SecureCRT. Now, no machines are accessible using Telnet and everything is accessed with SSH."

The use of SSH and SecureCRT helps maintain the security needed to protect the Tucows library and to protect their web site from defacement. "Most people on the download site team use SecureCRT," said Weir. "Some use it to secure their e-mail. Others use it to access boxes to run Perl scripts locally. The heaviest use is among developers."

One of the benefits of SecureCRT is the range of features available to simplify session management. "SecureCRT has more features than any similar product I've used," said Weir. "A great example is the Activator tray utility." Weir also makes use of the Session Manager to organize sessions in nested folders using copy and paste or drag and drop. "I like to be able to save sessions and transfer them around as I need to."

Brad Smith, Tucows Site Manager, uses SecureCRT for accessing his Pine e-mail, connecting from the Flint, Michigan office to the company's e-mail server in Canada. "As Site Manager, I maintain all the content on our software libraries " upwards of 40,000 changing entries. I handle relationships with software developers, and maintain the Tucows Ratings Criteria they must meet to be listed within the library… I access up to 7 e-mail accounts and with the Activator, I can run them all at once and keep windows I'm not using out of the way."

For the high-volume environment at the Tucows Content Division, SecureCRT features like Activator have been invaluable for streamlining processes and enhancing productivity. "I have a list of like five applications I install after a format," said Smith. "To get on this list (remember I am a software reviewer who has reviewed over 40,000 titles) your program has to be one of the best out there. Hands down, SecureCRT makes this list…. It makes life easier, quicker " enough said."

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