Gordano's Messaging Suite offers a lot more than just e-mail anti-virus scanning. As a complete messaging system it can also offer anti-spam, Instant Messaging and Web Mail, all integrated with the basic mail server.
Although checking e-mail and Instant Messaging traffic for viruses is only one aspect of anti-virus protection, by carrying out the process at the mail server you can be sure that this particular source of infection will be covered no matter what is happening on the rest of the network. And since the anti-virus scanning software is implemented as a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) and runs as part of the multi-threaded server system, it cannot be disabled in the same way as a stand-alone scanner might be.
The system offers a number of possible reactions to a detected virus. The system's default action is to bounce the message back to the sender with a customised warning message. It can reject an infected message with the standard SMTP 500 return code. It can quarantine an infected attachment for later examination, it can redirect it to a specific account, or it can attempt to disinfect it. If it succeeds it can forward the disinfected message to the recipient and if it fails it will return the message to the sender and notify the system administrator of the situation. It can even deliver the message in the normal manner without taking any action. The process is automatic, but other alerts and messages can be generated and sent to specific users as required.
In order to test this, we sent a number of e-mails with attachments containing the EICAR file disguised in various ways. The system detected and disposed of them with no difficulty.
An additional layer of security is provided by authenticating users. By offering the chance to tie e-mail accounts to the user database the system can ensure that only genuine users can send or receive e-mail traffic, either from a desktop client or through the web mail facility. Microsoft's Active Directory can be used, as can Windows NT Security Accounts Manager (SAM), or any Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) system. The system also provides its own user authentication system, using either its own proprietary database management system or Microsoft's SQL Server.
User authentication affects the anti-virus scanning system too. It can be configured by domain, and each domain can have different scanning options associated with it. A trusted domain, for instance, can be excluded from the scanning process, while another may have specific options that override the default system-wide settings.
Finally, the system also provides a centralised administration and control point with comprehensive auditing and reporting facilities, which allows it to cope with large numbers of users and domains. A simple and logical interface gives access to all the major management options and facilities. Reports giving a detailed view of all activities are provided at both system level and domain level, so that a system administrator can get an accurate situation report at any time.
Overall Gordano Messaging Suite is a comprehensive product. The integrated anti-virus software combined with strong user authentication options provides effective protection to both local and remote users even if their local anti-virus software is ineffective. But you will need some form of network security to defend against internal threats.
Verdict
A very effective way of defending the network from a major source of infection
Microsoft Windows 2000 and above, Linux, Sun Solaris, AIX
