Email filtering solution

[Sheridan]

We currently have an external cloud based email filtering solution provided by the LEA - this is coming to an end and I'm looking around at replacements to provide a protection layer for our Exchange 2003 server.

Is anyone using a solution like this - or have a system in place that they would recommend?

I basically want email content/spam filtering at the edge - I could put the Sophos Purefilter on our server but I'd rather the filtering/protection was done before the emails get to the server. Besides the Exhange server here isn't exactly a powerhouse either and it could be a big overhead on 2000 or so mailboxes!

[gl3nnym]

We currently use ESVA Global-Domination.org - ESVA - It's a separate Linux server with it's own external IP. We forward mail to this server which is a spam/content/virus filter which then forwards on to our Exchange 2003 server. It takes a little getting used to with setting up but once it's going you don't really need to touch it. We don't really get false positives and rarely let spam through.

Plus it's free ;-)

[Sheridan]

Unfortunately I've just found out our LEA won't allow anything other that completely external solutions - i.e external to our/their network entirely!

[glennda]

Unfortunately I've just found out our LEA won't allow anything other that completely external solutions - i.e external to our/their network entirely!

That seems a bit silly to me. What was the reasoning behind such a decision?

We use our Smoothie for Anti-malware and spam filtering and its excellent.

[Sheridan]

Their policy dictates no email will enter their (and therefore our) network unless filtered externally.

We're a bit stuck as we have to fit in with that

[plexer]

Oh dear, can't see that mail in transit particularly presents a risk suprised they let you have an exchange server.

Ben

[GrumbleDook]

In-house exchange boxes with a restricted transit route are not that uncommon ... a few RBCs work that way
@Sheridan When you say it is coming to an end do you mean that there will be a replacement which you don't want to buy into or are you going off net completely and you want to set something up before you go?

[CPLTD]

I have PM'd.


Chris

[Sheridan]

Our current provision comes to end of contract (and end of life!) and the LEA will not allow us to participate in their replacement - so we have to go external and independent.

[winng]

What about Google Apps or Live@Edu both free of charge for Education and sit outside of the LA?

[Sheridan]

We're considering those in the future as part of a cloud solution, but the school still seems keen on retaining it own email systems.

[jamesbmarshall]

You could use Forefront Online Protection for Exchange?

It's free for education. (It's also part of Live@edu and Office 365 for education)

Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for Exchange

01-2012 : New offerings for Lync Online Plan 1, Forefront Online Protection for Exchange, Product Changes & Miscellaneous

[GrumbleDook]

Our current provision comes to end of contract (and end of life!) and the LEA will not allow us to participate in their replacement - so we have to go external and independent.

If this is the case then surely there would be no restriction on the transit route and so you don't have to worry about that side of things and you can use a hosted filter (hosted options such as WebRoot, MailMarshal, messageLabs, etc) or if you are sticking with them on connectivity (I am not clear whether you are just talking about the email or the whole connection which you cannot be part of) then the transit route can simply be to route via the provide SMTP store and forward (which the MX records would presumably point to) and then have it forwarded to an in house filter such as MailMarshal which then passes onto your mail server or even directly hooked into Exchange (other filtering options which hook into Exchange are available).

[Soulfish]

You could use Forefront Online Protection for Exchange?

It's free for education. (It's also part of Live@edu and Office 365 for education)

Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for Exchange

01-2012 : New offerings for Lync Online Plan 1, Forefront Online Protection for Exchange, Product Changes & Miscellaneous

Ohh I hadn't realised that FOPE was free for all education now as well as those with Enterprise CAL suite subscriptions!

[sidewinder]

We use Inty MailDefender here, works very well