New Appliances Tackle Spam, Internet Filtering

BorderWare's new release guards e-mail systems against spam, viruses, trojans, worms, denial-of-service attacks and more. While MXtreme can limit spam on its own based on learning and tuning, it also can be used with Brightmail Anti-Spam 5.0. Brightmail improves accuracy to one in 1 million false positives, with no help from an IT staff.

MXtreme includes an unlimited-license version of Kaspersky antivirus and a built-in reporting system. It can support up to 250 users by processing 150,000 messages per hour. MXtreme supports POP3 and SMTP e-mail, and its Web-based interface makes management easy. Encryption can be added for tighter security.

MXtreme lets users manage their own antispam implementation or they can use the Brightmail service. Brightmail processes more than 400 million messages a month and generates rule sets that are downloaded to users every 5 or 10 minutes. The Brightmail server then filters mail according to the downloaded rule sets. A Spam Folder Agent automatically creates spam folders for users.

Mail is processed for spam if it arrives from an untrusted source. It is then compared to a local list and checked against a realtime black-hole list. Next, the message is filtered for content. Before delivering an e-mail, MXtreme will apply the locally specified virus checks on the contents and attachments of the message. A Report Module presents and archives system information in a variety of formats. It also records a searchable history of all messages sent through the system.

MXtreme is designed to sit between a mail server and the Internet so there is no direct SMTP connection between external and internal servers. Typically it would be installed within a DMZ or behind an existing firewall. In either case, SMTP traffic is redirected from the firewall to MXtreme and then, once processed, is sent to the internal mail server. MXtreme can also be configured to process messages sent inside the firewall for content and viruses. That can help prevent the spread of a virus in the event that one does get past the firewall.

Solution providers will need a monitor and keyboard for the initial setup. Default values can be used for disk space allocation for log file storage, mail storage, backup area and database area, or these settings can be changed manually. Once the file system is built, solution providers must enter the basic network configuration information and set the time zone. MXtreme then becomes the destination server for all e-mail in a corporate domain, so the DNS server must be updated accordingly.

As with spam, inappropriate Internet access also must be filtered. 8e6 Technologies' R3000 Enterprise Filter is a server appliance that prevents employees from visiting unauthorized Web sites, eliminates the risk of lawsuits by blocking inappropriate material and frees up IT resources for more important matters. The unit can filter traffic based on URL and IP addresses, file type, protocol and so on.

Most content-filtering solutions are based on pass-through technology whereby all packets must pass through the equipment for scrutiny. But the R3000 is a pass-by solution placed outside the flow of network traffic. The R3000 watches traffic rather than regulating it so there is no slowdown caused by the unit itself. Plus, there is no new point of failure introduced to the system, as the R3000 wouldn't affect traffic even if it did fail.

When a user sends an inappropriate request, the R3000 monitors the request as it passes through the hub or switch and looks for a match against its database. 8e6 Technologies' database of more than 75 categories contains several million Web sites from which the R3000 can filter. Collected using high-speed artificial intelligence, the information in the database has been manually verified for accuracy. If the requested Web site is listed in the database, a TCP reset is sent to the Web server and a block page is sent to the client.

The R3000 supports Windows NT and Windows Active Directory server authentication methods, and even with authentication enabled, it can support up to 30,000 user connections at a 30-connections-per-second build rate. Solution providers can install the R3000, reap the profits and then never have to worry about it again. But customers will benefit from the R3000 for the life of the unit.

CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>BORDERWARE TECHNOLOGIES MXTREME MX-200 MAIL FIREWALL APPLIANCE
PRICE: $6,995
MARGIN: 25 percent
WARRANTY: 1 year
DISTRIBUTORS: CPU Distributing, EMJ, Interwork Technologies
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: BorderWare Technologies, Ontario, provides varying levels of development assistance, marketing materials, spiffs and technical support based on a partner's sales volume. Several levels of sales and technical training are also provided.

>8E6 TECHNOLOGIES R3000 ENTERPRISE FILTER
PRICE: $10,995 (1,000-user license)
MARGIN: 30 percent
WARRANTY: 1 year
DISTRIBUTORS: Direct from vendor
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: 8e6 Technologies, Orange, Calif., revamped its channel program 10 months ago. The vendor's engineers and sales representatives participate in joint sales calls and marketing activities and assist in integrations. Technical and sales training are available online, along with dedicated phone-based technical support.

Note: Vendors can earn up to five stars for technical merit and five for their channel program. If the average of these two scores is four stars or greater, the product earns CRN Test Center Recommended status.