Virus, Spam, and Content Control

What scares users more than the boss? Viruses, junk mail, and outgoing messages containing confidential information! These products let you catch mail-borne viruses, spam messages, and messages with sensitive content in their natural habitat: your Exchange server. They automatically download and install virus updates. Most also scan for viruses in real time as messages pass through your Exchange server and can perform scheduled and on-demand scans of information stores for viruses.

• Forefront Security for Exchange Server Forefront Security for Exchange Server (formerly Sybari Antigen) does real-time virus scans and repairs of inbound and outbound messages. It also does scheduled scans and fixes. Antigen supports third-party virus-scan engines for better virus coverage, especially with new viruses. Contact: Microsoft Corporation (www.microsoft.com/forefront)

• Clearswift MIMESweeper MIMESweeper is a suite of content security products that integrate with Exchange. MIMESweeper has been used since the Exchange 5.5 version of the product and continues to be reliable. Contact: Clearswift Ltd. (www.clearswift.com)

• iHateSpam Server Edition iHateSpam is server-based anti-spam software. It allows for extensive customization according to individual user needs. This overcomes one of the real weaknesses of server-based anti-spam solutions. There is a desktop version of iHateSpam that is not integrated with the server version. Contact: Sunbelt Software (www.sunbelt-software.com)

• Mail Essentials for Exchange/SMTP Mail Essentials for Exchange/SMTP is a multifeatured package that does spam control with keyword and black and white lists, addition of disclaimers to outgoing messages, mail archiving, mail monitoring, and automatic replies. It also can download mail from POP3 mailboxes into Exchange mailboxes. Contact: GFI (www.gfi.com)

• Mail Security for Exchange/SMTP Mail Security for Exchange/SMTP is a comprehensive virus-control package that supports multiple virus-scanning engines. It also does content checking and HTML script checking and blocking. Contact: GFI (www.gfi.com)

• Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange provides full-service virus scanning and cleaning. It also includes spam control features. Contact: Symantec Corporation (www.symantec.com)

• MailWise MailWise isn't a product that's installed on servers or workstations. Rather, it's a third-party service set up to receive mail destined for an SMTP server and quarantine it if it contains viruses or spam. Administrators can then either delete quarantined mail or send it along to its recipient. Contact: MailWise (www.mailwise.com)

• MessageScreen MessageScreen supports virus and spam control as well as detection and prevention of information leaks. Contact: Intellireach Corp. (www.intellireach.com)

• Panda Anti-Virus for Exchange Server Panda Anti-Virus for Exchange Server does most of the Exchange Server-based virus scanning and cleaning tricks performed by its competitors. Contact: Panda Software (www.pandasoftware.com)

• Power Tools for Exchange Power Tools monitors messages and attachments for violations of corporate policy, offensive language, viruses, and spam content. The product also adds signatures to outgoing Internet messages, enabling the insertion of corporate disclaimers in all messages. Contact: NEMX Software (www.nemx.com)

• Praetor for Microsoft Exchange Server Praetor for Microsoft Exchange Server includes both antivirus and anti-spam functions. The product includes proprietary technology developed through the analysis of techniques used by spammers. Contact: Computer Mail Services, Inc. (www.cmsconnect.com)

• ScanMail Trend ScanMail looks for viruses on an Exchange server, even in encoded and compressed items. The product also does limited spam control. Contact: Trend Micro Inc. (www.antivirus.com)

• SecurExchange Anti-Virus SecurExchange Anti-Virus, like most of its competitors, scans e-mail and attachments, including zipped files on an Exchange server, for viruses. Contact: Nemx Software (www.nemx.com)

• SurfControl E-Mail Filter for SMTP SurfControl E-Mail Filter for SMTP is a comprehensive package that includes multi-engine virus scanning, high-powered anti-spam control, and very sophisticated content-checking functionality. At press time, SurfControl is the only product that can check images for textual and other indicators of spam. Contact: SurfControl (www.surfcontrol.com)