Content

IronMail 305

CipherTrust IronMail is a hardware appliance that offers anti-spam and email security. It provides secure delivery, basic certificate management, comprehensive policy management, and alerts you to suspicious behavior.

The base product has a secure platform, policy management and enforcement, and content filtering. Anti-spam is an extra-cost option, and includes an Anomaly Detection Engine (ADE), whitelisting, and Enterprise Spam Profiler (ESP).

The ESP has many features, including blacklists, reverse-DNS, system-defined header analysis and spam traps. Webmail protection and AV are additional options.

IronMail is a rack-mountable appliance running a version of its own operating system, IronOS, on an Intel-based PC which, on the model 305 tested, is actually an IBM x-Series server with a 2.4GHz processor, 1Gb RAM, dual-mirrored hard drives and two Ethernet ports. Installation and initial setup is easy using the web-based configuration and administration console. Optimal configuration takes a bit longer due to this appliance?s flexibility.

Anti-spam is based on a statistical lookup service, which lets the device check a database of spam signatures in realtime at CipherTrust's office. Bayesian filtering can also be trained in realtime using end-user actions in releasing quarantined mail and by end-users forwarding spam to a special account. Anti-spam features include reverse DNS, realtime blackhole lists (RBLs), header analysis and dictionary-based filtering. Custom dictionaries let you protect private information.

Secure delivery uses a choice of S/MIME, PGP, TLS, or secure web delivery to encrypt emails with only a web browser that supports SSL at the remote client. There are features to manage PGP keys and PKI certificates. Reporting is good, and shows realtime IronMail activity in graphs, including corporate-policy compliance.

Product title
IronMail 305
Product info
Name: IronMail 305 (Mail Security group test) Description: Price: $17,250 (+ $12,000 for anti-spam, + $5,000 for webmail protection + a variable charge for anti-virus)
Strength
Bayesian anti-spam filter training in realtime.
Weakness
: Relatively complex to set up due to its comprehensive features.
Verdict
: Provides excellent and comprehensive mail security features aimed at medium-to-large companies.

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