Anti-virus and anti-spam solutions in the cloud

Spam needlessly clogs up corporate networks and mail servers. What’s more, inboxes are polluted. In order not to penalize employees and to ward off all computer threats, IT security vendors have created the outsourced anti-spam solution. Compared to other filters, it offers a high level of protection at a competitive price.

Introducing our outsourced anti-virus and anti-spam solution

The outsourced anti-spam solution protects users against cyber-attacks: viruses, relaying, scam, denial of service, phishing, etc. It’s a messaging gateway through which company e-mails pass. They will be processed before being re-routed to its mail server. By using this anti-spam solution, you can outsource all your e-mail security. This service is suitable for both small and medium-sized businesses, as well as for large corporations.

The technologies used by the outsourced security solution

The outsourced anti-spam solution protects users not only against the invasion of spam, but also against the threats that accompany it. The technologies used by IT security vendors are numerous. In addition to anti-virus and anti-spam, which are the most classic, there are also other complementary technologies such as heuristic analysis, blacklists, sender domain validation, collaborative spam databases, DNS registration, Bayesian filters, whitelisting, etc. These are just a few examples. DomainKeys Identified Mail or DKIMthe Sender Policy Framework or SPFteergrubing, greylisting, Turing test, etc.

The effectiveness of an outsourced anti-spam solution

As the user’s mail server is no longer visible on the Internet, it will be safe from computer threats. The outsourced anti-spam solution significantly reduces the false-positive rate and blocks spam at a very high rate. The availability of the mail server and the network is guaranteed. The strength of the outsourced solution lies in the fact that no architectural modifications are required when it goes live. Simply modify the DNS MX fields toactivate itquickly. It is also compatible with all mail servers.

How anti-spam software works in cloud computing

Operation of the outsourced anti-spam solution is simple. Installed upstream, the security vendor’s server will first receive all company e-mails. Once they have been processed, they are returned to the latter’s mail server. In the event of the user’s server being unavailable, it is possible for the editor to keep all his e-mails for a certain period of time, after which they will be returned as soon as it is restored.

Advantages and disadvantages of cloud-based anti-virus and anti-spam solutions

The strong point of the outsourced solution is undoubtedly the existence of a complete administration console where users can follow the processing of all their incoming e-mails step by step. Cost is also a plus for this filter, as no major investment is required. On the other hand, since filtering is carried out upstream, it reduces the customer’s traffic and secures his business.

Companies’ reluctance to use outsourced anti-spam solutions stems from data confidentiality concerns. In contrast to certain structures forced by the USA Patriot Act to disclose personal information, and conversely thanks to the much stricter CNIL (French Data Protection Authority) regarding personal data, the presence of processing centers in France ensures a certain confidentiality of personal information. It’s also important to ensure the reliability of the service provider in terms of security, to avoid any risks. The latter’s PCI DSS certification guarantees this effort to secure its infrastructures.