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Phishing, viruses, bot-nets and more: How to prevent the “Perfect Storm” from devastating your email system
Best Practices for Establishing and Enforcing a Security Policy in Your Business
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1. Commentary
- New Spam-Filtering Options
2. Peer to Peer - Featured Item: Chat About the Security Event Log
- Outlook Tip: Including an Attachments Line in an HTML Format Message Printout
3. New and Improved
- Manage Exchange from a Mobile Device
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http://www.windowsitpro.com/whitepapers/postini/phishing/index.cfm?code=e&otop_428
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Editor's note: Share Your Exchange Discoveries and Get $100
Share your Exchange Server and Outlook discoveries, comments, or problems and solutions for use in the Exchange & Outlook Administrator print newsletter's Reader to Reader column. Email your contributions (500 words or less) to [email protected] We edit submissions for style, grammar, and length. If we print your submission, you'll get $100.
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==== 1. Commentary: New Spam-Filtering Options ====
by Paul Robichaux, Exchange Editor, [email protected]
One of the most galling things about spam is that it costs money. If you don't filter it, spam consumes bandwidth, storage, and time--but to prevent that, you might have to pay for filtering software or services. This adds insult to injury: If spammers didn't spam you, you wouldn't have to pay to keep from being spammed! Fortunately, free and low-cost filtering solutions do exist.
In the UNIX world, SpamAssassin (see the first URL below), which runs on Linux, has long been the king of free spam filters and has been widely adopted as a no-purchase-cost solution. However, SpamAssassin requires a certain amount of Linux expertise to set up and run. You can find free and commercial tools that incorporate SpamAssassin filtering for Windows clients and Exchange Server systems; I haven't tested any of those tools yet, but when I do, I’ll tell you about them in this column.
Microsoft Exchange Intelligent Message Filter (IMF--see the second URL below), combined with Microsoft Office Outlook 2003's built-in Junk E-Mail Filter, is providing yeoman service at many sites. I use it at home and at work and have been pleased with its filtering efficiency, especially given its cost (free, assuming you already have Outlook 2003). However, IMF requires Exchange Server 2003, so sites that haven't upgraded yet can't take advantage of it without installing an Exchange 2003 SMTP bridgehead.
The RegEx Filter (the more familiar name for Doug Swallow’s Mail Server Content Filter, which I’ve written about before--see the third and fourth URLs below) remains a worthy spam filter--if you can figure out how to install and manage it. The RegEx Filter doesn't seem to have been updated in a while, though, and it requires you to manually tweak the filters, a task that’s somewhat akin to cleaning out your own sewer pipes.
At the moment, my favorite free filtering solution is the “lite” version of the brand-new Singlefin Enterprise Email Filter (see fifth URL below), which offers a subset of the company’s regular product. Singlefin’s products provide a well-regarded hosted filtering service; the lite version is free and the regular version is free for your first 10 mailboxes. Of course, this is a savvy marketing move on Singlefin's part. There are so many antispam products and services on the market that it's difficult for one vendor to stand out. An offer like this is an effective way to get some attention and add new customers.
Singlefin’s offering is an attractive proposition for a number of reasons. First, the product works with any version of Exchange; you simply point your DNS MX record at Singlefin's server for filtering. Second, because this is a hosted solution, there's very little administrative overhead. Third, because the filtering happens at Singlefin's site, your bandwidth isn't wasted by taking aboard spam that you later have to dump. Of course, if you have more than 10 mailboxes, you'll want to explore other free solutions or switch over to a commercial product. If you do qualify for Singlefin's offer and decide to try it, I'd love to hear from you after you've used the service for a bit.
SpamAssassin
http://wiki.apache.org/spamassassin/FrontPage
IMF
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C1B08F7B-8CAF-4147-B074-8C9C8F277071&displaylang=en
RegEx Filter
http://www.2150.com/regexfilter http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/articleid/43725/43725.html
SingleFin Enterprise Email Filter
http://www.singlefin.net/email_filter_solutions.php
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==== Events and Resources ====
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )
Protect the Rest of Your Exchange Infrastructure
There is more to data protection for Exchange than protecting mail and mail servers. In this free Web seminar, you’ll learn some methods for anticipating, avoiding, and overcoming technical problems that can affect your Exchange environment, including corruption or errors in Active Directory, DNS problems, configuration errors, service pack installation, and more. Register now!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/seminars/ExchangeInfrastructure/index.cfm?code=0427emailannc
Get Ready for SQL Server 2005 Roadshow in a City Near You
Get the facts about migrating to SQL Server 2005. SQL Server experts will present real-world information about administration, development, and business intelligence to help you implement a best-practices migration to SQL Server 2005 and improve your database computing environment. Attend and receive a 1-year membership to PASS and 1-year subscription to SQL Server Magazine. Register now!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/roadshows/sqlserverusa/index.cfm?code=0425emailanncs
Ensure SQL Server High Availability
In this free Web seminar, discover how to maintain business continuity of your IT systems during routine maintenance and unplanned disasters. Learn critical factors for establishing a secure and highly available environment for SQL Server including overcoming the technology barriers that affect SQL Server high availability and Microsoft's out-of-the-box high-availability technologies such as clustering, log shipping, and replication. Register now!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/seminars/SQLHighAvailability/index.cfm?code=0427emailannc
Configuring Blade Servers for Your Application Needs
Blade servers pack a lot of function into a small space, conserve power, and are flexible. In this free, on-demand Web seminar, industry guru David Chernicoff details the best use of 1P, 2P, and 4P configurations using single and multiple enclosures; integrating with NAS and SAN; and managing the entire enterprise from a single console. Register now and take advantage of blade servers’ power and flexibility.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/seminars/bladeservers2/index.cfm?code=0427emailannc
IM Security Webcast: Real Solutions for Real-time Threats
Join IMlogic and Sybari Software to learn about the top IM threats targeting business today - and how to address these security risks with real-time threat detection technologies and compliance efforts. Register to view the recorded Webcast at
http://www.sybari.com/imwebcast
==== Featured White Paper ====
(from Windows IT Pro and its partners)
Get Rapid and Reliable Data and System Recovery
Even under the best circumstances, performing a bare metal recovery from tape is tedious and unreliable. In this free white paper, learn how you can achieve unprecedented speed and reliability in recovering systems and data.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/whitepapers/symantec/livestaterecovery/index.cfm?code=0427emailannc
==== 2. Peer to Peer ====
Featured Item: Chat About the Security Event Log
Join “Windows IT Pro” author Randy Franklin Smith and find out what lies behind the Security log’s mysterious event IDs. The chat takes place Wednesday, May 4, 2005. For more information, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx#05_0504_TN_SEUG
Outlook Tip: Including an Attachments Line in an HTML Format Message Printout
by Sue Mosher, [email protected]
Q: When I print an HTML-format message from Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 in memo style, can I direct Outlook to include in the printout an Attachments line that's similar to the To, From, and Subject lines?
Find the answer (and links to more great tips) at
http://www.windowsitpro.com/MicrosoftExchangeOutlook/Article/ArticleID/43905/43905.html
==== Hot Release ====
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==== Announcements ====
(from Windows IT Pro and its partners)
Check Out the New Windows IT Security Newsletter!
Security Administrator is now Windows IT Security. We've expanded our content to include even more fundamentals on building and maintaining a secure enterprise. Each issue also features product coverage of the best security tools available and expert advice on the best way to implement various security components. Plus, paid subscribers get online access to our entire security article database! Click here to try a sample issue today:
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==== 3. New and Improved ====
by Angie Brew, [email protected]
Manage Exchange from a Mobile Device
iAdmin Mobile released the final release candidate 2 (RC2) for its Microsoft Exchange Server Mobile Management Pack, which lets iAdmin Mobile users manage multiple aspects of their Exchange Server 2003 infrastructure. The product lets users manage Exchange configuration, message tracking, queues, and links and monitor servers, connectors, and logons from a mobile device. iAdmin Mobile supports Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs and Windows Mobile-based Smartphones, Palm OS, Research In Motion's (RIM's) BlackBerry, and other mobile platforms. Contact iAdmin Mobile at 402-617-0493.
http://www.iadminmobile.com
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Best Practices for Establishing and Enforcing a Security Policy in Your Business
Is your company prepared to fend off threats? Download this free white paper!
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===============
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