Secure Messaging

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Barracuda Networks Spam Firewall 400

Barracuda has seen good traction with the hosted messaging security form factor it added in 2010, which has allowed the company to grow its market share at the expense of some rivals, and its hosted email encryption service has also caught fire. (9/22/2011)

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Cisco IronPort C370

Cisco exploited multiple synergies in its security portfolio to deliver new email security innovations that protect against targeted attacks and provide greater control over messaging. (8/24/2011)

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Google Message Security

The new Google Message Continuity service, which enables Exchange users to synchronize their servers with Gmail to insure continuous email access, is seeing strong adoption, especially among medium-sized businesses. (8/24/2011)

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McAfee Email Gateway 7.0

McAfee Email Gateway 7.0 will finally deliver a consistent code base between the former Secure Computing IronMail product and McAfee’s own Email and Web Security Appliance on November 1, 2011 when it enters general availability. (10/13/2011)

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Proofpoint Enterprise Protection 6.3

Proofpoint’s Enterprise Protection continues to rack up solid growth in the mature secure messaging market, thanks to the company’s tight focus on anti-spam effectiveness in the face of increased spear phishing attacks. (9/7/2011)

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Symantec Brightmail Gateway 9.5

Symantec rebranded its messaging gateway, now called Symantec Messaging Gateway powered by Brightmail with the 9.5 release, which is now integrated with the Symantec Protection Console – Symantec’s late-to-market centralized management console. (10/13/2011)

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Trend Micro InterScan Messaging Security Suite

Trend Micro caught up with competitors in adding a hybrid cloud/on-premises option that provides pre-filtering in the cloud for its InterScan Messaging Security Suite, and the management interface sports a new widget-based dashboard. (12/5/2011)

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Top

• Current Analysis Perspective
• Product Strengths & Weaknesses
• Product Point and Counterpoint
• Product Buying Criteria
• Product Metrics

Secure Messaging Buying Criteria

• Anti-Spamming Functionality
• Method of scanning and content filtering, and anti-virus capabilities.
• Management Features
• Includes tools for helping administrators centrally manage all access points in the network; policy controls, Web-based management, message disposition, and end-user controls.
• Architecture
• Structure of the product, including integration and configuration, OS support, anti-spam performance, and authentication support.
• Vendor Support
• Support customers can expect to receive during and after set-up, in regard to routine spam and virus filter updates and emergency response.

Secure Messaging Product Metrics

• Anti-spam Performance
  • Claimed Effectiveness
  • Claimed Accuracy
  • Email Accounts/Volume Limits
• Messaging Security Functionality
  • Encryption
  • DoS Attack Detection and Prevention
  • DHA Attack Detection and Prevention
  • SMTP Connection Management
• Anti-spam Functionality
  • Header Analysis
  • "Reputation" Filters
  • Heuristics
  • URL Filters
  • Content Scanning
  • Real Time DNS Block List
  • Signatures
  • Custom Domain Safe/Block Lists
  • End User Safe and Block Lists
  • Keyword and Phrase Lexicon
  • Bulkmail Checking
  • Baysian Filtering
  • Tuning necessary
  • Block Non-English Spam
  • Languages supported
  • Blocks Phishing Messages
  • Realtime Look-up on Messages
  • Spam Filter Updates
  • Number of New Rules/Day
  • Outbound Anti-Spam
• Message Disposition Options
  • Message Disposition
  • Central/End-user Quarantine
  • Email Digest Sent to Users
  • Release Quarantine w/Email Digest
  • Configurable Scoring Sys for Spam
  • Configurable at Group/User Level
  • Disposition Configurable
• Anti-virus Filtering
  • Antivirus Signature Supplier(s)
  • Virus Protection
  • Virus Filter Updates
  • Mass-mailing Worm Auto Deletion
  • Virus Signature Updates
  • Attachment type Filter by Extension
  • Emerging Threat Detection
  • Message Content/Subject Filter
  • Outbound Anti-virus
• End User Controls
  • End User Access to Quarantine
  • End User Mgmt of Safe/Block List
  • End User Mgmt of Spam Policy
  • E-mail Aliases Supported
• Administration
  • Policy Control Levels
  • Event-driven Alerts
  • Multiple servers/Single Mgmt Console
  • GUI Web-based Mgmt Console
  • Multiple Administrator Roles
  • Directory Support
  • Automated/Manual Update Service
  • Failover across Multiple Servers
  • Proprietary MTA or 3rd Party
• Authentication Support
  • SPF Support
  • Sender ID Support
  • Domain Keys Support
  • Content Compliance
• Content Filtering
  • Customize Content Filters
  • E-mail Part Inspection
  • Attachment Filters (Content/File Type)
  • Dictionary Filters
  • Custom Disclaimers
  • Attachment Blocking
  • Archiving
  • Notifications
  • Outbound Content-Filtering
• Reports
  • Stored Reporting Data
  • Default Reports Available
  • Published/Emailed Reports
  • Database Type Supported
  • Single Database for Multi Servers
  • Report Aggregation (All Servers)
  • Automatic Report Generation
  • Support for Auto-export of Logs
• Product Delivery Model
  • Form Factor
  • Other Form Factor Availability
  • Appliance Models
  • Appliance Operating System
  • Hardware Manufacturer
  • Operating Systems on Software
• Pricing
  • Price of Update Service Included
  • Major Product Upgrades Included
  • 2-year List Price for 1,000 Users
  • Anti-virus Pricing for Above
  • 2-year List Price for 5,000 Users
  • Anti-virus Pricing for Above
  • Other Options Available
• Support & Maintenance
  • Length of Warranty/Maintenance
  • 24/7/365 Support
  • Response Centers Worldwide
• Infrastructure
  • Number of Honeypot Email Accounts
  • Total Messages Filtered per Month
  • Number of Operations Centers