IBM Lotus Protector for Mail Security 2.5 delivers spam and malware enhancements
At a glance
IBM Lotus Protector for Mail Security 2.5 gives you:
* Notes client integration
* Zero Level Analysis (ZLA)
* IBM System x hardware support
* Performance improvements
Overview
IBM Lotus Protector for Mail Security 2.5 is proven to be out-of-the-box 99% or better effective against spam and malware (as verified by independent ICSA Labs) and provides enhanced rich content filtering capabilities.
Enhancements
* Notes client integration – The first and only network spam filter that empowers Notes users to block future mail from specific senders — right within their in boxes — before it reaches Domino servers. User-defined blocklists let users filter content such as newsletters or advertisements that, while not strictly defined as spam, still constitutes unwanted e-mail from the user’s perspective. Additionally, users can view and manage their spam and blocked messages, as well as blocked/allowed users, directly within their Notes client interface (requires Notes 8.51, or later).
* Zero Level Analysis (ZLA) – A new innovation in spam filtering, exclusive to IBM’s technology. With ZLA, both performance (throughput) and filter efficacy are improved. Like most modern spam filters, Protector for Mail Security has IP layer filtering that discards e-mails from sender IP addresses that are virtually certain to be spam, based on a number of factors that comprise the “reputation” of the IP address used. And like most filters, it has a set of sophisticated inspection modules that test each e-mail for spam content. ZLA sits between these layers, streaming e-mails in real time for inspection, discarding e-mails at any point that they are determined to be spam. Because ZLA removes the need to fully analyze many spam e-mails or even write them to disk, it can increase the performance of the filter.
* IBM System x hardware support – Certified to run on high quality, cost-effective IBM System x hardware. Unlike competitive offerings that require proprietary hardware systems, Protector for Mail Security will run natively on this off-the-shelf hardware that offers different price points for different throughput requirements. In addition, the same Protector for Mail Security filter software can be run in virtualized environments on any VMware supported system.
* Performance – Throughput performance has improved approximately 500%, as measured by filtering incoming Internet e-mails of average size with IP layer filters turned off. Internal optimizations, clustering enhancements, and an updated Linux operating system designed for greater performance and reliability contribute to this dramatic increase in performance. IP layer pre-filtering and ZLA filtering increase this throughput even more. With cost-effective IBM System x hardware, price performance — as measured by the number of e-mails processed per hour against hardware investment — has increased by 2,000%.
Other enhancements include an updated administrator user interface, more languages and localization options, and an automatic licensing mechanism that no longer requires License Keys.
The MS3004LP Appliance from IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) is no longer sold. However, Lotus Protector for Mail Security 2.5 supports the MS3004LP appliance. Upgrade your MS3004LP to V2.5 to gain all the enhancements and 500% performance improvement.
Lotus Protector for Mail Security continues to be the best choice for Lotus Domino customers. With 2.5, you get high quality protection against Internet threats, optimized for Lotus customers, in a way that extends the legendary security of the Notes and Domino platform.
Having been on the beta program for Lotus Protector 2.5 and used it for virus and spam filtering at Collaboration Matters, I can vouch for how effective it is as an email protection tool. 2.5 brings increased integration with the Notes client (though you will need to wait for Notes8.5.1 to make use of this), making it a more compelling proposition, especially for smaller businesses that need a solution in this area. It will be available for download today.
[Just a thought – shouldn’t that be ‘IBM Lotus Protector for Mail Security 2.5 delivers spam and malware protection enhancements’? 😉 ]
