Xamine now available in SA

Holton & Associates today announced that it had secured the distribution rights for the Xamine Mail Gateway from International PLD-Software.

Preventing viruses penetrating a system starts with the effective protection of e-mails and their attachments, together with malicious programs and Trojans, getting into and emanating from a network and its associated users. We are already at the point where serious consideration of adequate protection is required.

No longer rely on your users to decide which e-mail to open or not open!

Since Linux/Unix is now the preferred operating system used by the majority of the ISPs in SA for the processing of their customers` e-mails, a suitable Linux-based protection product is a fundamental and vital requirement for them, as they increasingly pose the biggest threat of transporting both known and unknown viruses into a system.

An efficient mail management system provides:

* Anti-virus software to stop known viruses,

* Anti-virus software with superior heuristic analysis to look for unknown viruses,

* Content scanning that can set groups whereby certain groups can be blocked and other groups not blocked in order to provide a more efficient flow of mail;

* Content scanning software to block program attachments (EXE etc) and refer them to the network manager for scrutiny; and

* Content management software that blocks e-mail and attachments with specified text that is applicable to new viruses and Trojans.

With the sudden changes in our exchange rates, the costs of controlling mail management systems not using Linux have now escalated to a situation where users are faced with horrendous costs, and now need to look for more affordable systems. Xamime provides this solution for mail gateway management and control at a significantly lower cost, together with end-user desktop protection for a token amount.

Xamime offers corporates a low-cost solution that is efficient, cost-effective, easy to use and designed for users who do not need an in-depth technical knowledge of Linux.

Xamime incorporates both an anti-virus and content control system, designed to run on Linux and Unix, and solves problems of controlling the contents of e-mails flowing in and out of an e-mail server or firewall. The preferred Anti-Virus System to run with Xamime is Command F-Prot for Linux with includes `Holo-Check`, the heuristic scanner capabilities to find new unknown viruses.

* Xamime makes the task of controlling content easier by offering all its services through an effective Internet/www-based administration interface.

* Xamime works by forming a "wrapper" around an existing e-mail server, and any e-mail going in or out of the server must pass through the Xamime filtering wrapping.

* Xamime has the ability to set up groups in which differing rules are applied. This therefore introduces flexibility for organisations to control mail and attachments, and, for instance, instead of having a `blanket block` on all mail, certain groups may be set to receive some attachments and not others, as the company policy applies.

* Rules are set in Xamime as to who can send/receive and their content. Xamime will then check the contents of the e-mail and apply the agreed rules. A "notification" of any blocked transmission is sent to the sender, receiver and/or administrator.

* One of the obvious rules is to check for viruses, and all e-mail is passed though the Command F-Prot Linux Antivirus Engine which is a purchasable plug-in. It is possible to have more than one anti-virus engine for additional protection.

* Xamime is proving to be an invaluable addition to an e-mail server, saving end-users from the curse of e-mail borne viruses, reducing their running costs in terms of line charges and minimising end user support calls.

The other major area of concern is to ensure protection against virus and malicious software being downloaded from:

CDs: These are introduced from software companies, which offer free trials of their products in magazines, are given to users by friends and associates to try; or by home users who work at home and bring them into work, and thus introduce CDs from many other sources. There have been countless incidents where CDs have been infected with viruses. Virus-infected CDs are very dangerous, as the virus cannot be removed as the majority in use are "write-only CDs".

Stiffy disks: This is another example of the above, but on a different media.

Browsing and downloading files: Browsing and downloading files are the prime sources of virus infections. As files downloaded directly from the Internet do not go through Xamime, which is purely a mail gateway, or any other protection product, and thus a virus can easily be downloaded onto the user`s computer.

These are just a few examples but emphasise how important it is for any user to have desktop anti-virus protection. An up-to-date and reliable anti-virus product will proactively protect the user from allowing viruses onto their computer and also prevents the user from spreading the virus to other users.

Each user should have an anti-virus system on the desktop as well as having proper anti-virus protection for their e-mails.

For further information, please contact Grayford Holton at telephone (011) 789-4585; fax (011) 781-1462; mobile 083 941 3603; e-mail holton@compumail.co.za.