To help small and medium-sized organizations more effectively secure their Microsoft Exchange implementations, Sunbelt Software developed VIPRE Email Security for Exchange (www.sunbeltsoftware.com). Sunbelt Software was founded in 1994 and is a leading provider of a complete product lineup of enterprise and desktop Windows security software, including antivirus, antispyware, email security, and malware analysis tools.

Multilayered Security

VIPRE for Exchange is a policy-based email security product offering several layers of protection against viruses, phishing, spam, and other similar messaging threats. By leveraging the scanning engines found within Sunbelt Software’s endpoint product lineup, VIPRE combines several threat detection capabilities into a distinct system capable of inspecting, cleansing, and managing Exchange email services.

According to Michelle Dillard, product manager for Sunbelt Software, VIPRE creates a significant product differentiator for the Clearwater, Fla.,-based technology company.

“We’ve taken the best of our Ninja Email Security product, revamped it, and added the VIPRE antivirus engine to create a comprehensive solution that minimizes impact on the Exchange server and reduces the administration effort by the IT staff,” says Dillard. “This combination of technologies ensures that our customers are fully protected with minimal impact on server resources.”

“There are a number of elements of VIPRE Email Security for Exchange that make it unique, including multiple scanning engines as well as close integration with Exchange Server,” adds Phil Owens, sales engineer for Sunbelt Software. “Because of the tight integration with Exchange, it also means that users do not need to leave Outlook to use our product (create allow or block lists or check their spam messages).”

For its antispam capabilities, VIPRE incorporates the Cloudmark antispam engine and Sunbelt’s own antispam engine. Support for RBLs (real-time blackhole lists) is also included. Administrators may supplement the embedded spam detection with a variety of rules created to flag a number of email message properties, such as body, sender IP, header, or subject. VIPRE can also be configured to strip out HTML coding prior to scanning and to look for words or phrases appearing multiple times within a single email.

SMART Technology

Unlike traditional messaging security solutions that filter at the gateway, VIPRE for Exchange instead utilizes a policy-based filter referred to by Sunbelt as SMART (Suspicious Mail Attachment Removal Technology).

“There are a number of email security solutions that work with Exchange, but VIPRE differs in that it doesn’t just sit on top of Exchange,” says Owens. “It is tightly integrated, which allows for more complete server-level inspection of both in- and outbound traffic. This is a significant advantage over gateway solutions that only have one shot at inspecting the traffic.”

Using SMART, all attachments are filtered based on the direction of the associated message—inbound, outbound, or internal within the organization. Rather than relying upon the file extensions, VIPRE analyzes attachments at the structure level in order to determine their true native identities. As a result, the security software is able to defend against zero-day exploits often seen with intentionally misnamed file types.

“Our approach and tight integration with Exchange’s message flow allows filtering between users and enables multiple opportunities for detection prior to network infection,” says Owens.

MX-Virtualization

MX-Virtualization, or MX-V, technology, which is integrated directly into VIPRE for Exchange, provides a compact and high-speed virtualized Windows environment for the rapid execution and analysis of potential malware. According to Owens, the MX-V technology used by VIPRE reduces reliance upon basic signatures in favor of a more thorough analysis of behavioral characteristics.

“This isn’t your father’s email solution,” says Owens. “Yesterday’s old signature-based email security solutions are not up to the challenge presented by today’s hackers and sophisticated cyber-criminals. Cyber attacks are ever-evolving, and so too should your protection.”

Dillard adds that the MX-V technology is one element of VIPRE that no other competing product on the market has yet to offer. “What is amazing is that the performance impact on the Exchange Server is virtually unnoticeable; MX-V uses so little computing power that the admin isn’t even aware it’s running,” Dillard says.

Set It & Forget It

Designed as a Microsoft MMC snap-in, VIPRE’s management console enables administrators to install, configure, and manage email security from one central location. Thanks to its policy-based methodology and integrated plug-in management, VIPRE lets administrators granularly configure security for individual users as well as for groups of users. Policy-level exceptions for outbound and inbound traffic can also be set as necessary. In addition, all processing occurs server side rather than at end users’ workstations. Because no client software is required, the typical administrative burdens associated with client-based installations are alleviated.

VIPRE’s reporting engine lets administrators generate reports at the system, group, and user levels. Reporting options include the number of mail scanned, the number of spam flagged or deleted, the number of intercepted viruses, and the number of triggered filters.

“We pride ourselves on the fact that Sunbelt’s VIPRE Email Security for Exchange has been designed with both users and administrators in mind,” says Dillard. “Data center staff, IT managers, and security staff need to know that email security doesn’t need to be hard to manage.”

As the saying goes, no news is sometimes good news. Such is the case when it comes to VIPRE administration. “It is a compliment to call on a customer and hear them say that they haven’t thought about us since they purchased the product,” says Dillard. “That means that our product is doing its job and allowing overburdened IT staff to do their job, too.”

by Joseph Pasquini