Unsolicited e-mail to people on your network has become the modern day technological plague. It’s mainly a nuisance, but also a security risk that creates an entry point for viruses on your network. Not only does it consume bandwidth and server space, but it also decreases productivity due to required, daily user maintenance. The result: lost time and money.
Controlling spam is a growing task for many organizations. To minimize man hours and lower your risk of a virus attack, spam should be blocked before it even hits your network.
What are your options to protect your network?
Hosted or managed services
Incoming e-mail is routed through the vendor’s network and filtered before being delivered to your network.
Pros: Eliminates the hassle of additional hardware or software installation on your network.
Cons: Privacy issues.
Dedicated security appliances
In this case, the appliance is deployed just behind your network firewall. Incoming e-mail is filtered before it reaches your mail server.
Pros: Provides virtually immediate protection with minimal setup on your network.
Cons: Support, redundancy and backup may be required, but not included in original cost.
Software.
There are several products available that filter spam at the mail server or client level. Filters are set by the network administrator or user.
Pros: May be more cost effective.
Cons: Spam has already entered the network before it is filtered.
Which option is best to protect the security of your network?
In the end, it is a matter of personal preference and deciding which solution best fits the needs of your organization.
If you are unsure what to do next, give Spaulding Hill Networks a call at 603-689-0111. We would be happy to provide recommendations based on your specific business needs.
