Considering SBS and need spam solution
JM
considering MS SBS.
One of our primary problems is spam. We have a domain that is hosted by a
CLEC (phone company) in our area. We all use Outlook (some 2000, XP, and a
couple 2003 versions) configured for POP3/SMTP for their servers. The
service has been excellent, but lately the spam has increased dramatically.
I have been reading that Exchange SP2 provides more sophisticated, effective
(?) anti-spam tools. Do the users of this product here agree with that?
Also, what tools have you found for fighting spam without bringing your
email in house? While I personally like the idea of running Exchange, one
of our principles in the company is very concerned about the cost of
maintaining a mail server, especially since we don't have in-house IT
personnel, and, quite frankly, the local techs we've used have not impressed
us.
Input greatly appreciated.
wjm
Russ - SBITS.Biz (MCP SBS)
Via WSUS.
and setting up Open Relay Blocking is a Very good Basic Solution. (Yes I'm
talking SBS2003)
I'm sorry that you are running into less than preferable Technicians.
(Unfortunately that is more the norm, than I care to mention.)
Especially if you plan to have SBS Installed, and working Correctly.
To Find a Qualified SBS Specialist you can go to Microsoft's Website.
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/partner/vendorsearch.mspx
Then Visit their website, and call them
Ask them if they know who Harry Brelsford is or Charlie Russel.
(Known Guru's of SBS) If they don't know who they are don't use them as a
SBS Installer.
Keep Going down the list until you find one that knows who they are.
and IMO you will be happy.
A lot of Clients Combined the Features of SBS's Filters with Trend Micro
Products.
And despite what others tell you Administration of SBS is easy.
And no full time IT Department is needed.
With R2 your patches will be auto installed and you will be more secure with
less headaches than you have now.
In addition with a Server side Spam/Virus Installed, you will make sure all
PC's are updated.
(This will Actually LOWER the amount of Tech time your company needs.)
This along with Automatic updates, Backup of users My Document Folder,
remote access to email from anywhere in the world, with VPN Remote Desktop
(Like PC Anywhere) and Document Control through SharePoint Services.
I could go on and on, but please don't just think if SBS as a Email Server
it is Ton's more.
(And don't get a tech to install it that thinks SBS is just a Cheap File
server.)
SBS is the BEST investment a small business can do.
Yes, I'm Biased, but once you have it, you will love it.
(I just wish Microsoft would advertise this fact more.)
Russ
--
Russell Grover
Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist.
MCP, MCPS, MCNPS, (MCP-SBS)
Remote Support Available
MSN Messenger
Support @ SBITS.Biz
http://www.SBITS.Biz
Search for SBS2003 answer on Google:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs?lnk=lr&hl=en
"JM" <j...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:IbzZg.16738$Cq3....@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
Jim Behning
spam. I have no experience with any but this guy Vlad runs a service
ExchangeDefender.com. He is a SBS fan so he can't be all that bad. ;-)
Others are out there who use many layers to prevent spam. That means
the first server may use one spam and AV product. The next server uses
a different product and then the mail goes to a third server. That is
one method of getting stuff clean. They may use other tehniques.
Gregg Hill
Mail Essentials for antispam. It seems to be one of the best ones out there
for Exchange.
Gregg Hill
"JM" <j...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:IbzZg.16738$Cq3....@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
Covad
(i.e. those with a 'proven' track record for spam) it was best to go with
the POP connector and to use Trend's SMB-Messaging/Server product. The
Trend product has a slighly complicated admin system that's a bit daunting
to the inexperienced but they also have a spyware component; in addition it
will automatically generate install scripts for a variety of situations and
it has an easy to read montior (crucial for internally administered setups).
(If the client is new of changing over to an entirely new domain name
scheme- especially if the domain name is a virgin- we tend to go with the
SMB SBS2003 rated product from Symantec).
We recently rolled out an SBS03 like this for a firm that had one account
(the owner) receiving 60-100 spam per day; and this was WITH his hosting
providers anti-spam solution in place. Their previous internal anti-spam
solution, an Outlook API called In-Boxer, was parsing about 75% into holding
pen folders. We dumped both the provider and In-Boxer and installed Trend.
As of today, I-day +10, the Trend product has caught 98.8% of spam with 0
(zero) false positives.
Taking into account that this is an internal administered setup, I'd stick
with the POP connector and an externally hosted domain regardless of the
solution you eventually use.
--
John H
Teambgroup, Chicago
Ping me for email
Don't be fooled by imatations... insist on 100% natural Spam... promotes
network decay and server malnutrition
Steve
"Gregg Hill" <bo...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:%23z8jKLy...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
Les Connor [SBS Community Member - SBS MVP]
Antispam and Antispyware. Add this to the built-in Exchange filtering
capabilities, you can have 3 decent layers of anti-spam filtering. IMHO,
they're all useful, and needed - the day where a single layer could give you
adequete protection is gone. Even so, you're most likely going to have to
live with some spam. If you can keep the inbox down to 5-10 a day, I'd say
your protection is pretty good.
The filtering I'm using presently:
a) /RBL (Spamhaus) at the Connection level - configured in ESM.
b) IMF - also configured in ESM.
c) Trend Anti-Spam (comes with the security suite).
You might also have some success with Trend Anti-Spam content filtering, but
the best spammers are such a moving target I doubt this is worth much after
the previous 3 filters.
JMF in Outlook won't accomplish anything at this point either - if the other
filters are working.
All of my customers are complaining about the increase in spam lately (the
5-10 per day). Once they find out how many hundreds or thousands per day are
actually filtered out, they generally take a different view ;-).
I saw a demo of Antigen, it had 5 or more anti-virus engines, but I don't
recall what kind of anti-spam capabilities it had. Overall, it reminded me a
lot of Trend CSM ;-).
--
Les Connor [SBS Community Member - SBS MVP]
-----------------------------------------------------------
SBS Rocks !
----------------------
"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll
understand." - Confucius
"Covad" <Don't You Wish> wrote in message
news:e0f50$4536e386$44a6fcd6$14...@msgid.meganewsservers.com...
Jp
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm
I have installled it at about 7 sites and it has made a huge
difference, users who were getting anywhere between 20 and 250 spam
emails a day has seen it change to about 1 or two a week!
Set it up with RBL's, to use the just the Cloudmark engine and anti
spoofing measures.
Phil
Shield". I like Spam Soap the best. This type of spam outsourcing almost
completely eliminates your IT requirements, keeps the spam off your network
and is very inexpensive compared to hosting your own spam solution. A lot of
spam products look reasonably priced at first but once you add in yearly
subscriptions and pay a consultant to do upgrades etc. it's not even close.
To use these your DNS provider must allow your MX record to be redirected. In
this configuration all of exchanges features are available and no external
pop3 is used. It great!
I hear Symantec is now offering a simular service using its BrightMail
product. I used BrightMail internally for years and it's awesome but pricey.
Good Luck.