Comprehensive email filtering
Email has undoubtedly become a valued communication tool among organisations worldwide. However, it loses communication efficiency with frequent virus attacks and the alarming influx of spam.
Spam is digital junk mail which represents the vast majority of email traffic on the Internet. Therefore, it is no longer a simple annoyance – it is a significant security issue and a massive drain on financial resources. It is simply unacceptable.
It is time to protect yourself against dangerous emails and other online threats like viruses and malware.
Filtering email: advanced processes
Today, there are several solutions designed to help alleviate the problem of spam email. However, organisations should consider what they are after in an email filtering solution.
Barracuda Email Security Gateway is a user-friendly, affordable, enterprise-class hardware and software solution for businesses of all sizes. It comprehensively evaluates each email using two main classes of sophisticated algorithms and techniques:
- Connection management
- Mail scanning
Emails are filtered through five defence layers to verify the authenticity of enveloped information and any inappropriate incoming mail connections dropped before receiving the message. It happens during the connection management process.
Any emails that survive the connection verification process must undergo a thorough mail scanning process involving an additional seven defence layers of message analysis. In addition, the algorithms and techniques used by the Barracuda Email Security Gateway are continuously updated via the hourly Barracuda Energise Updates service to stay ahead of spam trends as they emerge.
That’s a whole lot of processes. Let’s break it down.
Connection management
The connection management process requires less processing time. As a result, more than half of the total email volume can be blocked through connection management techniques for SMEs.
On the other hand, extensive Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or small web hosts can observe block rates at the connection management layers exceeding 99% of total email volume while under attack.
Network Denial of Service (DoS) protection
The Barracuda Email Security Gateway receives an email on behalf of the organisation and insulates the organisation’s email server by receiving direct Internet connections and the associated threats.
Rate controls
Automated spam software sends large amounts of emails to a single email server which protects the email infrastructure from flood-based attacks. The Barracuda Email Security Gateway can count the number of incoming connections from a particular IP address and throttles the contacts when a specific threshold exceeds it.
Organisations that relay email through known servers or frequently communicate with known partners can add the IP addresses of those trusted email servers to the Rate Control exemption list.
Virus scanning
Virus scanning is a fundamental level of mail scanning. The Barracuda Email Security Gateway predicts, prevents, detects, and remediates even the latest cyber threats and uses three layers of virus scanning with automatic decompressed archives for comprehensive protection.
As a result, our customers receive the best and most comprehensive virus and malware protection, using well-respected and influential open source virus definition lists, as well as Barracuda Networks’ proprietary virus definitions.
Custom policy
Administrators can choose to define their policies for compliance or governance reasons. Through Barracuda Energise Updates, this can take precedence over spam blocking rules delivered to the system automatically.
The Barracuda Email Security Gateway enables administrators to set custom content based on the subject, message headers, message bodies, and attachment file type.
In short, administrators do not need to develop their filters to block spam as these forms of rules must be delivered to Barracuda Email Security Gateways automatically and directly through Barracuda Energise Updates.
Fingerprint analysis
Message fingerprints are profiles created from the unique form and characteristics of known spam. Providers use the spam to produce a message fingerprint which is then incorporated into the filtering system to detect messages with a similar profile accurately.
Therefore, fingerprint analysis is often a valuable mechanism to block future spam cases once an early outbreak is identified.
Engineers at Barracuda Labs work relentlessly to identify new spam fingerprints, which are then thoroughly updated on all Barracuda Email Security Gateways through hourly Barracuda Energise Updates.
Intent analysis
The intent behind spam messages is to get a user to reply, visit a website, or call a phone number. It involves researching email addresses, web links, and contact numbers embedded in email messages to determine whether they are associated with legitimate entities. It is also a defence layer that catches phishing attacks.
The Barracuda Email Security Gateway features multiple forms of Intent Analysis. Spoofing or Spoofing Attacks are when a person or program masquerades successfully as another by falsifying data, for instance, to forge sender email addresses. Sender Policy Framework is an extension to SMTP that helps prevent sender forgery. Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is a networking protocol for querying and modifying directory services running over TCP/IP.
