[61010] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Email virus protection
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (chuck goolsbee)
Wed Aug 20 20:49:53 2003
In-Reply-To: <002a01c36743$9b2c7e40$1809d440@cpq>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 17:49:07 -0700
To: nanog@merit.edu
From: chuck goolsbee <chucklist@forest.net>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
To answer the original question asked...
At 10:50 -0700 8/20/03, Christopher J. Wolff wrote:
>What is the most common method for providing virus protection for your
>hosted email customers? Thank you in advance.
We use a layered approach, with Postini being the front line ...they
do an *excellent* job, and we - and our clients - love them.
<http://www.postini.com>
We forced all the (mail) domains we host to use Postini about a year
ago when our mail servers came under some serious directory harvest
attacks. We allow clients to opt-out of the spam filtering if they
want, but still run the mail through Postini's system anyway to stop
directory harvest and virus attacks. Postini can be set to filter,
but not quarantine, which looks to our opt-out clients like no
filtering but still saves our mailservers from most assaults.
Second layer is some nice configuration options on our
customer-facing mail servers, which run CommunigatePro from Stalker.
<http://www.stalker.com>
CGP is as full featured as Exchange, but without the BS. Plus it has
the added benefit of actually working as advertised, and can be run
on virtually *any* platform. The suits like the buzzword-compliance
and the fact that it is commercially supported (excellent support too
I'll add.) The geeks like it because it *works*... and on any
platform they choose.
The last layer is of course the hardest to control, as it is out of
our hands and in the client's, but we strongly suggest that they use
a mail client that doesn't auto-execute code.
Myself, I use Eudora on my PowerBook running OS X. I know that
doesn't make me somehow immune to everything... just the vast
majority. My nanog list mail account got joejobbed by the
"Netscalibur" user, both as sender and receiver (supposedly from
Valdis Kletnieks, and somebody at NetSol.) and I've never seen what
an Outlook mail client looks like. =)
I have to agree with Mr. Donelan who said here:
"(Microsoft) Outlook, the exploding Pinto on the information superhighway."
Regards,
--
Chuck Goolsbee V.P. Technical Operations
_________________________________________________________________
digital.forest Phone: +1-877-720-0483, x2001
where Internet solutions grow Int'l: +1-425-483-0483
19515 North Creek Parkway Fax: +1-425-482-6871
Suite 208 http://www.forest.net
Bothell, WA 98011 email: cg@forest.net
