CONNECT INTERNET SOLUTIONS LIMITED

Web Application Managed Hosting with Optional Offsite Disaster Recovery Service

Scalable, fully managed web application hosting. Cyber Essentials certified, ISO27001 & ISO9001 accredited. Solutions for virtual and physical servers with optional Disaster Recovery. Entirely UK based. Hosting is quickly mobilised and scalable (up or down). Tailor-made solutions from single server to private cloud. Windows, IIS, .NET, Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP.

Features

• Scalable from single virtual server to multiple clustered physical servers
• Hosting from entirely UK-based data centres
• Hosting is ISO9001 and ISO27001 accredited.
• Connect holds Cyber Essentials certification.
• Shared environment, dedicated server and custom cloud options
• Optional offsite DR provision offering enhanced Recovery Time Objective
• Optional rapid response 24/7 on call
• Linux, Apache, MySQL (Galera/MariaDB), PHP
• Windows, MSSQL, .NET, IIS
• Experienced hosting helpdesk with expert support available

Benefits

• 24/7/365 monitoring systems in place
• Option to use physical/bare metal for best performance
• Rapid ramp up with delivery to tight deadlines
• Provides redundancy with dual internet connections
• Achieve high availability with dual firewalls
• Set up multiple servers in high availability cluster
• Set up multiple SANs in high availability cluster
• Low Contention: VMs are not over provisioned
• Robustly monitors and supports systems
• Host's systems entirely within the UK

£209 a virtual machine a month

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at tenders@connectinternetsolutions.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

983624575713084

Contact

Sam Mooney
+44 (0) 1512824321
tenders@connectinternetsolutions.com

Service scope

• Service constraints: We endeavour to maintain a reliable and secure environment, 24 x 7. To do so requires us to perform regular maintenance on both our hosting infrastructure and your website.; ; Maintenance normally takes place 4pm – 6 pm on the third Tuesday of every month.; ; Occasionally, maintenance may need to be scheduled at alternative times, you will be notified in advance.; ; Critical security-related software updates normally take place within 48 hours of release.; ; Scheduled maintenance is outwith any SLA that may be in place. ; ; Expected data transfer 1mbps per transfer. A Fair Usage Policy applies.; ; Minimum contract period is twelve months.
• System requirements: Buyer can use own existing licences or we supply licences.

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Target response times for HOSTING support: 30 mins for Priority 1 – emergency; 1 hr for Priority 2 – urgent; 2 hrs for Priority 3 – non-critical; and 4 hrs for Requests for Change. ; (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm excluding bank holidays); 24x7 on call support available – additional charge applies
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Support for hosting issues such as site or CMS unavailable is inclusive with Connect-hosted services except where the issue has arisen as a result of action or omission by the customer, their users or a third party. ; Elective hosting support requests are chargeable.; Systems are monitored 24x7. ; Support available via email, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). ; 24x7 on call support available – additional charge applies.; Hosting support managed by in-house Operations team.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Support manual is provided. Custom support and training is available.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: When off-boarding, the client can be supplied with an export (image) of the Virtual Machine. Images can be supplied in qcow or raw format. Other formats can be supplied on request. All consumer generated data will be returned during the off-boarding process. Flexible options are available for handing over the export to the client, dependent upon client preferences (Client transfers via SFTP, Connect transfers via SFTP on client’s behalf, physical transfer via appropriate medium/channel).
• End-of-contract process: Off-boarding options chargeable. Single copy of VM provided in raw format. Data wipe/disposal. Options for liaison with new supplier, transfer of data by non-electronic means.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: No
• API: No
• Command line interface: No

Scaling

• Scaling available: No
• Independence of resources: Systems are monitored continually. Systems are not over-provisioned. Throttling can be applied.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting: Email

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • HTTP request and response status
  • Memory
  • Network
• Reporting types: Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Supplier-defined controls
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with another standard
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
  • Hardware containing data is completely destroyed
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Backup and recovery

• Backup and recovery: Yes
• What’s backed up:
  • Files
  • Databases
  • Configuration
  • Logs
• Backup controls: Different schedule on request.
• Datacentre setup:
  • Single datacentre with multiple copies
  • Single datacentre
• Scheduling backups: Supplier controls the whole backup schedule
• Backup recovery: Users contact the support team

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
• Data protection within supplier network: Other
• Other protection within supplier network: Systems are managed using Secure Shell. Where web interfaces are used for management, this is provided over HTTPS/SSL. Management interfaces are separately firewalled from the other networks.

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Availability – 99.9% In any calendar month in which we have unscheduled down time that causes the service level to drop below agreed performance level, the basic monthly charge is reduced by 10% for every 1% below agreed level, up to a maximum credit in that month of 100%.
• Approach to resilience: Available on request.
• Outage reporting: Email alerts.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google apps)
  • Limited access network (for example PSN)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Management interfaces are available to Connect Internet Solutions Ltd staff only. Roles and responsibilities are defined at project initiation and access to support channel granted to named contacts.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Devices users manage the service through: Any device but through a bastion host (a bastion host is a server that provides access to a private network from an external network such as the internet)

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Alcumus ISOQAR
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 19/07/2023
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: The scope of our ISO27001 certification covers web hosting only.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: ISO27001 accredited: ; All new starters undergo security clearances. Security Manager reports to Board. Policies linked to contracts of employment. Internal audits carried out annually. External audits by ISOQAR carried out annually.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Connect’s change management process ensures that no change is made to the operating environment without the necessary authority and ensures that a log of any changes made is completed. A Request for Change Form is completed when a change is deemed necessary. This is signed by all relevant parties before the change can take place. Areas under change control usually include: ; • New hardware installations ; • Software changes for the operating system / software ; • Network upgrades for any change in hardware, upgrades to equipment, changes in topology/protocols/addresses. ; ; Changes assessed for potential security impact as part of our ISO27001 processes.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: We monitor potential threats from a variety of sources including CERT, supplier notifications and industry updates. ; ; Potential threats are assessed by technical team. Critical patches are deployed as soon as possible. Non-critical patches are applied on a weekly basis.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: We identify potential compromises using log analysis and host intrusion detection system. Compromised system is isolated, treated, brought back into service. Response is immediate.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Processes for incident management are defined within ISO27001. Incidents can be reported by end user, staff or other channel. Incident reports detail whether confidentiality, integrity or availability has been compromised. Incident reports are provided in document format.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Separation between users

• Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart: Yes
• Who implements virtualisation: Supplier
• Virtualisation technologies used: KVM hypervisor
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Restriction of root level/administrator access;; Separation of network traffic using VLANs; ; Separate firewall zones; ; Separate iSCSI luns

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Connect works to reduce energy consumption in its data centre by:; * Using shared monitors to access servers ; * Using virtual machines in preference to physical servers ; * Keeping servers at optimum temperature for efficiency

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  Fighting climate change

  Fighting climate change

  Connect promotes the use of virtual servers lessening resource usage to provide a more environmentally-friendly solution.

Pricing

• Price: £209 a virtual machine a month
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Available for shared hosting only. Limited time period applies.

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at tenders@connectinternetsolutions.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.