Antispam Tools Multiplying Like Spam

Many companies are offering multiple levels of filtering, including so-called blacklists and whitelists. Other tools streamline administration, such as adding automated updating services much like antivirus software. As spam continues to roll over corporate networks in ever-larger quantities, the cavalry of vendors offering defenses continues to grow as well. No fewer than five vendors are shipping or are about to release new products designed to keep spam from polluting corporate e-mail systems. This week, MailFrontier plans to release a gateway product and upgrades to its client software at the Demo 2003 conference, which is being held in Scottsdale, Ariz., and run by IDG Executive Forums, a division of Network World. Also this week, Sunbelt Software will unveil the server edition of its IHateSpam filtering software. Singlefin last week introduced its Local Messaging Switch, a corporate gateway spam filter. Stealth start-up Q-Spam will announce its new name and product in March, and TumbleWeed in April is expected to release a new spam module for its SecureMail product. The spate of products not only highlights the options that companies have for building perimeter defenses against spam, but also reinforces the commonly held notion that spammers remain a step ahead. Spam blocker Postini reports that it filtered more than 600 million spam messages in the last 30 days, more than a 50% jump from just five months ago. Full Story