BCISGnet is hosted on co-located Servers, which affords all the benefits of a data centre found in 'commercial solutions' (Very high speed Internet access, network resiliency, power backups, trained staff, secured access, just to name a few). However there the similarity stops and the 'big' differences to the standard co-location packages begin.
The servers are handed over to BCISGNet as bare boned [
Slackware] or [
Ubuntu] Linux Servers (Slackware is well known for stability and security, Ubuntu is well known for strong support community). From there BCISGNet takes over and retains the complete management of the server. We add the software (including the kernel) required to provide the BCISGNet
TLS/SSL Secured Internet, Web Hosting, and Email Services. The BCISGNet selected open source programs, modules, and libraries will have been integrated and tested on live beta test platforms prior to being released on a production server.
Please feel free to peruse our [
History & Vision] section to see how BCISGNet developed, and where BCISGNet is being led.
Security
The BCISGNet Open Source based
TLS/SSL Secured Internet Hosting Service is designed to meet the needs of the Christian Church, Mission, and Ministry, such as 'pastoral confidentiality', and address the requirements of even a 'potentially hostile' mission field. We have done a lot to ensure the security and integrity of our servers and services.
- We have secured the client/server email transmission path with the IMAPs, POPs, and SMTPs protocols, which not only serves to protect the sensitive login details, but also secures the entire transmission session (including the content). Using these protocols ensures end-to-end security of all mail traffic within a hosted domain, and also between domains hosted by BCISGNet. Please see our [FAQs & Howto's], [Howto's (setting stuff up)] section for common email client configuration details.
- Added server based [clamAV] antivirus, [MIMEDefang] malware detection and removal, and [SpamAssassin] spam detection and classification (Mail & Spam can be pre-sorted to separate folders on the server if the IMAPs mail retrieval protocol is used, POPs does not provide the required functionality).
- Provided an HTTPs secured control panel based on [UserMin] enables account holders to set their personal account settings such as the anti spam white & blacklists, vacation, and forwarding (with in the hosted domain).
- Provided an HTTPs secured [SquirrelMail] based WebMail client which doesn't just use HTTPs to sign in, it keeps the entire session in HTTPs. BCISGNet WebMail is ideal for accessing email 'out of office', in the 'field' on a mobile Internet enabled PDA, or anywhere with a web browser supporting HTTPs and an Internet connection.
- In our [Downloads] section we have made the free open source based OpenPGP compliant GnuPGP and related plugins and tools available for the major email clients on the major platforms. Providing seamless PGP email integration. For security and accountability BISGNet recommends the usage of [PGP digital signatures] as a standard of practice.
- Site access is secured using the SFTP/SCP protocols provided by the [OpenSSH] library. BCISGNet does not provide Shell Accounts with SSH as they are required for normal hosting operations. All relevant directories (folders) and files are accessed using SFTP/SCP. See our [Downloads] section for free open source based SFTP/SCP clients for the major platforms. All functionality for user administration for its' [TLS/SSL Secured Email services] is
provided by the web based [BCISGNet UserMin] control interface.
- Our servers feature state of the art intrusion detection using [Snort] and [Snare]. System monitoring is provided by the [Heartbeat] and [Mon] & [keepalive] tools and managed with [OpenNMS] in conjunction with [Nagios] for network and service status monitoring, .
Note: A nice 'feature' of the BCISGNet supported [
Joomla] CMS when used with the secure
HTTPs protocol is a very convenient non-email based, secure, internal messaging facility.
One Stop secure Internet, web hosting and email services BCISGNet provides everything needed for effective secure Internet, web hosting and email services. - no need for the 'purchase a cheap domain and redirect the web and email services to limited unsecured ISP web and email' and similar solutions. Excluding 3rd parties excludes potential [datamining], uncontrolled and 'potentialy embarrassing' advert insertion, and other potentialy embarrassing weaknesses of unsecured Internet and 3rd party encumbered Internet hosting.
- DNS Services: BCISGNet runs it's own Domain Name Server (DNS) for domains hosted by BCISGnet. Domains in the .UK top level domain (eg .co.uk, .org.uk) and the international domains (eg .com, .org, .net) are currently registered by our sponsors [XSystems Consultants Ltd]. If an existing domains is to be used in conjunction with BCISGNet provided services we strongly advise the domain be TAG transferred to the XSYSTEMS tag, so that the Domain can be hosted on the BCISGNet DNS in order to exclude 3rd party dependencies. There are no charges for hosting your domain, however there are costs levied by external registration bodies which will have to met by the registrant (£10/2years in the .uk top-level domain, and £15/year for domains in the international top level domains, and any tag transfer costs raised by the original tag holder).
- Email Services: BCISGNet uses the TLS/SSL secured IMAPs, POPs, and SMTPs protocols with [Sendmail] and [WU-MAP], with server based [ClamAV] anti virus, [MIMEDefang] malware detection and removal, and [SpamAssassin] spam detection with per user Whitelist/Blacklists. See the above 'security' descriptions. BCISGNet provides HTTP] secured access to the [SquirrelMail] based WebMail client, the [UserMin] based user control panel, and the [MailMan] based Email Lists. Note: The BCISGNet Newsletter is provided using [MailMan] (click on the [Newsletter] link under 'Site Services' from our Support and Services Portal to subscribe).
- WWW Services: BCISGNet Web hosting services are provided with the [Apache] web server, with support for PHP, PERL, Python, and Ruby scripting languages with CGI access and the mcrypt, mhash, mm, mcal, wv2, libwmf, gd, imagemagick, netpbm.support libraries. There is also access to a [MySQL] based Database. BCISGNet Web hosting implements the 'LAMP' or Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP Platform. Note: There is no provision for the 'Microsoft Frontpage extensions' as the protocols used are not secured. This does not mean that sites authored by 'MS Front Page' can not be hosted, they will work fine and just have to be transferred to your site using an [SFTP/SCP] client. See our [Downloads] section for free open source based SFTP/SCP clients for the major platforms.
- CMS Services: BCISGNet supports Content Management System (CMS) hosting with [Joomla] (with a 1300+ free themes and a selection of integrated extensions). We actively support the hosted [Joomla] Content Management Systems, though other LAMP based CMS packages such as [XOOPS] or [Typo3] should present no problems. The BCISGNet Support & Services portal was built using [Joomla].
- PKS Services: BCISGNet provides a [Public Key Server] (PKS) using [openPKS] to provide access to public keys in use within the BCISGNet hosted community Note: this service is current being beta tested 'by invite only' and will be made generally available as soon as possible.
- CA Services: BCISGNet maintains it's own [Certificate Authority] (CA) and [Public Key Infrastructure] (PKI) using [openCA] to ensure the maintenance of the [Security Certificates] used by the BCISGNet TLS/SSL secured services.
- Advanced Hosting Services: BCISGNet can arrange advanced hosting with support for free open source Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning (CRM / ERP) Packages and Virtual Private Networks (VPN) suitable for large organisations with high traffic demands can be arranged with support on managed dedicated hosts, with support & management contracts negotiable through our sponsor [XSystems] and [XSecHosting] please do not hesitate to [Contact Us] and communicate your interest in advanced hosting.
We have the expertise to meet the hosting needs of the smallest 'grass roots' kindergarten ministry up to multi-national mission organisations and charities. Coupled with our expertise in Open Source Multimedia (Photo, Audio and Video) Technologies and Linux Desktop office and productivity tools, BCISGNet is working to provide a centre of focus, and a voice in advocacy for the adoption of Open Source Software and the need for secure Internet Hosting in the Christian Church, Mission, Ministry, and Charity community.
Contact Us If your a bonafide Christian Church, Mission, Ministry, Charity interested in the Services provided by BCISGNet please feel free to contact us with the forms provided in our [
Contact Us] section. Please use '
New Services' request type for the provisioning of new services, or use '
Existing Services' for queries regarding an existing service. Any comments may be sent use with the '
Comments' request type.
For Commercial and Private TLS/SSL Secured Internet Hosting Services may we recommend our sponsors XSecHosting and XSystems Consultants UK Ltd for Network/Service Architecture & Design Services. Using these service providers for Hosting, Network/Service Design & Architecture provides the resources and funding that makes BCISNet possible.
