These add-ins, mostly for Microsoft Exchange Server, control the content of incoming and outgoing messages with a variety of techniques:
- Filtering attachments
- Filtering junk mail
- Filtering for objectionable content
Some are direct add-ins for Exchange Server; others operate externally on Internet mail going into and out of the server. Many combine content control with virus scanning, archiving and related functions.
The whole idea of monitoring e-mail for "objectionable" content makes me nervous. I think a clear, enforceable corporate e-mail policy and ongoing user education comprise the best approach to ensuring proper use of e-mail. However, the market apparently disagrees, or there wouldn't be such a growing number of products in this area. On the other hand, filtering for obvious spam and undesired attachment types (like the .vbs files propagated by the ILOVEYOU virus), is a feature that every organization can put to good use.
The tools listed below are server tools; for personal junk mail filtering and content control, see Rules to filter junk mail - Other Tools.
Microsoft released its Microsoft Exchange Intelligent Message Filter for Exchange 2003 in May of 2004. Several vendors are planning products to complement Microsoft's offering.
To add disclaimers to outgoing email, see Disclaimer and Signature Tools
More Information
- Anti-virus Tools -- Some of these also include attachment filtering.
- Automatic Messaging Processing Tools
- Compression Tools
- Mail Tools
- Quarantining Malicious Outlook Attachments -- procmail script fragment for blocking messages containing potentially dangerous attachments