Microsoft decided to acquire FrontBridge, offering secure managed messaging services. And On August 31, 2005, Microsoft announced that acquisition of FrontBridge Technologies had completed. Now, FrontBridge is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft.
FrontBridge offers mail archiving, anti-spam and anti-virus capabilities, disaster recovery and e-mail encryption services. The setup of these are as easy as setting the MX record of the domain that you want to enable. To get an overview of services, this movie is a good starting point. If you like you can test these by yourself by filling up the evaluation form.
This service intercepts inbound & outbound communications and sends a copy of intercepted e-mail to the archiving service. The major reason here is to regulatory compliance and legal demands. There is also another use of this service. If the corporate e-mail system goes down, the service keeps the e-mail in the queue for a while, and when the system comes up delivers the e-mail. On a disaster case, this enables information workers' experience to be continuous. There is a video located here that shows how the service works.
FrontBridge offers both Spam Prevention and Spam Protection. Spam Prevention analysis the e-mail traffic incoming from the Internet, and detects real-time anomalies, checks originating IPs with known spammers and does SPF lookups to ensure e-mail is coming from a known sender as well as who it claims to be. Spam Protection, on the other hand analysis the messages received. To do this, FrontBridge, uses techniques including Fingerprinting, Rules-Based Scoring, and Custom Spam Filter Manager. FrontBridge's fingerprinting technology, compares the messages with known profiles of spam messages, and if found flags the messages as spam. Incoming messages are also scored against FrontBridge's proprietary database of spam rules (with over 20000 uniqe characteristics), and when a defined threshold is achieved, message is flagged as spam. Moreover, customers can also activate Custom Spam Filter Manager to flag messages containing for example JavaScript.
FrontBridge offers both Spam Prevention and Spam Protection. Spam Prevention analysis the e-mail traffic incoming from the Internet, and detects real-time anomalies, checks originating IPs with known spammers and does SPF lookups to ensure e-mail is coming from a known sender as well as who it claims to be.
Spam Protection, on the other hand analysis the messages received. To do this, FrontBridge, uses techniques including Fingerprinting, Rules-Based Scoring, and Custom Spam Filter Manager. FrontBridge's fingerprinting technology, compares the messages with known profiles of spam messages, and if found flags the messages as spam. Incoming messages are also scored against FrontBridge's proprietary database of spam rules (with over 20000 uniqe characteristics), and when a defined threshold is achieved, message is flagged as spam. Moreover, customers can also activate Custom Spam Filter Manager to flag messages containing for example JavaScript.
Incoming messages are scanned with multiple commercial grade anti-virus engines such as Kaspersky, Sophos and Symantec, integrated in the API level. FrontBridge ueses at least two different engines but with the ability to immediately engage additional engines in case of acute threats. FrontBridge also, provides updates to virus definitions and signatures every 10 minutes 25x7. Implementing policies on the FrontBridge service, customers can also set specific rules on executable attachments and define e-mail delivery rules. You can watch spam and virus filtering video here.
Incoming messages are scanned with multiple commercial grade anti-virus engines such as Kaspersky, Sophos and Symantec, integrated in the API level. FrontBridge ueses at least two different engines but with the ability to immediately engage additional engines in case of acute threats. FrontBridge also, provides updates to virus definitions and signatures every 10 minutes 25x7. Implementing policies on the FrontBridge service, customers can also set specific rules on executable attachments and define e-mail delivery rules.
You can watch spam and virus filtering video here.
E-mail messaging became a critical component of our lives on the last few years, and e-mail system's continuity is crucial. On a failure at the customer's e-mail servers, FrontBridge provides help and queues all incoming e-mails. Also if needed a webmail interface is provided or incoming messages can be re-routed to a different server.
FrontBridge also enables end users to send encrypted e-mails. Recipient users can read and reply (encrypted) e-mails from a secure web site.
More Information:
Check http://www.microsoft.com/securemessaging for more information regarding enhancing the security of mission critical system of our lives. There is also a whitepaper detailing secure e-mail solutions with FrontBridge, Internet Security & Acceleration Server and Sybari Antigen.
For a broader view of e-mail security; you can watch Security360 with Mike Nash: Building a Multi-layered Approach to E-mail Security
FrontBridge Whitepapers:
FrontBridge Email Protection ServicesFrontBridge offers fully managed services that provide email protection and message management to enterprises worldwide. By deploying multiple layers of technology between the Internet and corporate networks, FrontBridge manages the inbound and outbound flow of email passing through mail gateways, guarding networks and corporate email systems against attacks by viruses, spam, and other malicious content. The Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on Data Retention by Osterman ResearchThis white paper discusses some of the key provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley, the advantages and disadvantages of key data retention strategies and the approach that FrontBridge Technologies takes in helping organizations comply with Sarbanes-Oxley. Critical Decision Factors for Messaging Management by Osterman ResearchDiscover how business trends in compliance, security and business continuity are altering the messaging landscape. Read how companies failing to address messaging convergence expose their organizations to significant risk. Email and IM Archiving: Proven Strategies for the EnterpriseThis white paper explores business drivers and regulatory needs for archiving all electronic messages. Discover how to implement an effective archiving solution. FrontBridge Secure Email: Technology OverviewThis white paper describes how groundbreaking new technology, Identity Based Encryption (IBE), enables ubiquitous secure business communication, without the shortcomings of methods such as PKI Enterprise Message Security: In-House vs. Fully-Managed SolutionsThis white paper examines the building blocks required for implementing an effective enterprise message security solution and focuses on evaluating strengths and weaknesses associated with the two approaches companies can use to reach that goal