Sybari Updates Antigen For Exchange Server

Sybari Microsoft

The East Northport, N.Y.-based security software vendor said new features in version 7 of Antigen include the ability to send outbound disclaimers with every message and file filtering based on the size of the message.

"You can block very large messages if you want, but we also recommend as a best practice to block files of less than 1 byte," said Tom Buoniello, vice president of product management at Sybari. Those seemingly "empty" messages can mask viruses or malformed or malicious messages, and Antigen 7's zero-byte file filter snuffs them out, he said.

The updated Antigen 7, available now, no longer requires Exchange Server per se; it can also run on Windows 2000 SMTP gateways, according to Buoniello. "We decoupled dependency on Exchange so you can install us on a stand-alone SMTP box," he said.

The software costs $5,750 for a two-year, 250-user license, with volume discounts available. Users of the previous 6.5 version can get the update free.

Sybari, which competes with Trend Micro on the Exchange product front, also makes versions of Antigen for Lotus Domino and Microsoft's SharePoint Portal Server. Last year, Sybari did between 20 percent and 25 percent of its business through the channel, Buoniello said. That percentage rose to nearly 80 percent this year, he added.

At the MEC 2002 conference, Microsoft is slated to outline plans for the next version of Exchange, code-named Titanium, and detail plans to improve Exchange's interoperation with other servers and applications. (See related story.)