Minimum Standards

Minimum Standards

Establishing Minimum Standards for Technology and Infrastructure

Setting minimum standards is crucial to ensure the reliability, security, and alignment of your technology and infrastructure with your business requirements. Adhering to these standards serves as a safeguard against costly downtime and fortifies your defense against cybersecurity threats. Furthermore, a uniform technology environment spanning all devices and systems can enhance productivity, streamline support, and simplify technology resource management. These minimum standards form the foundation for your technology ecosystem, assuring that all equipment fulfills essential criteria in terms of performance, security, and compatibility.

Desktop PCs and Laptops

1. Mandatory use of genuine, licensed, and vendor-supported systems.
2. Operating systems must be Microsoft 64-bit, running Windows 10 Pro or a later version.
3. Equipped with an x64 compatible processor.
4. Ongoing installation of the latest critical updates for Microsoft operating systems.
5. Minimum configuration of 8GB RAM and 250GB storage.
6. Devices must not exceed 4 years in age.

Servers

1. Utilization of genuine, licensed, and vendor-supported software.
2. For Microsoft operating systems, running Windows Server 2016 or later.
3. Ongoing maintenance with the latest Microsoft service packs and critical updates.
4. A minimum of 25% free space on all currently installed and partitioned drives.
5. Covered by a manufacturer warranty or maintenance contract.
6. Provision of adequate battery backup/UPS support.
7. Servers should not surpass 6 years in age.

Infrastructure

1. All network equipment and firewalls must meet enterprise-grade standards and remain less than 5 years old.
2. Adequate battery backup/UPS support is a necessity.

General

1. A currently licensed, up-to-date, and vendor-supported endpoint protection solution must be deployed on all servers, desktops, and laptops.
2. Deployment of a currently licensed and vendor-supported anti-spam solution.
3. Usage of a currently licensed and vendor-supported server or network-based backup solution.
4. Implementation of a currently licensed and vendor-supported Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) or Unified Threat Management (UTM) firewall, safeguarding the internal network from the internet.
5. All wireless data traffic within the environment should be securely encrypted with WPA2 or stronger encryption.
6. Segmentation of wireless traffic into public and private networks.
7. Continuous active vendor support for all Line of Business applications and third-party hardware during business hours.
8. Internet connection should be based on a business plan and offer a static public IP with a minimum upload speed of 3Mbps.