Email

Google has launched security tools for email filtering, encryption and archiving on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.

Google’s security technology would keep junk mail and potential viruses at bay while protecting against leak of confidential information through email.

The company has developed the technology through the acquisition of Postini, which it bought last year for $625 million.

Google’s new offering works with any email system, including Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange and Novell Groupwise.

Commenting on the development, research firm Ovum said, “It shows how the big service players in the Internet are shaping up to compete on each others' territory.”

Graham Titterington of Ovum noted that Postini is benefiting from being a part of a large organization like Google.

However, he said, “Our main reservation about this development is that it is a piecemeal approach. Enterprises are looking for comprehensive security services, and to rationalize their supplier base. At a time when more malware is reaching enterprises through web browsing than through email, Google is divorcing its web security and mail security offerings.”

The announcement can be viewed as a move to challenge Microsoft.

Google ventured into the business software space in 2006.

Cyberoam, a division of Elitecore Technologies announced that the Q4 email threat trends of 2007 revealed a steep rise in attacks using social networking techniques targeting user psychology and behavior patterns.

Spammers launched attacks by predicting user behavior patterns, such as looking for easy cash and discounted gifts during the holiday season, or preying on consumer trust to generate interest in cheap pharmaceutical products and stocks.

Existing security solutions were unable to block the new spam formats and techniques, resulting in an alarming rise in spam levels reaching 96 percent by the end of 2007. Spammers used the Storm Worm, an aggressive and self-preserving botnet, to generate, host and distribute large amounts of spam and malware in 2007. Consequently, the Storm Worm’s massive outbreak accounted for 7-10 percent of all global spam traffic at its peak. Experts agree, however, that the worm has yet to reach its damaging potential.

The Address Validation Spam sending seemingly harmless, incoherent or empty email messages from an unfamiliar address was used to validate the email addresses in the botnet owners’ list. The ‘clean’ list was then rented out at a higher value to spammers and other cyber villains. Spam attacks in short, intense waves by the Stration malware maximized damage in the first few hours of the attack before anti-virus signature updates could be released.

Spammers gained financially by using traditional image spam techniques, promoting pharmaceutical products and pump-and-dump stocks with images that included non-clickable URLs and stock ticker symbols. Recipients interested in the products and stocks opened a web browser and manually typed in the URLs, driving up the sales of cheap pharmaceutical products and stock prices.

Spam emails using holiday subject lines easily slipped past anti-spam filters and users’ suspicions. These emails took users to malicious websites and attempted to download Trojan software. Most anti-spam solutions were ineffective, as blocking emails leveraging holiday-themed keywords often resulted in false positives.

The Q4 2007 Email Threat Trend Report, prepared in collaboration with Commtouch, revealed that botnets are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to control. Traditional IP blocking technologies are unable to maintain pace with the dynamic IP activation and deactivation of innumerable botnets.

Voice on the Go Inc, provider of mobile voice solutions, has announced the availability of Voice on the Go for the Apple iPhone.

iPhone users can now listen to their email rather than reading it. With Voice on the Go, iPhone users can securely access their email and calendar, search contacts by name or company and place calls all hands-free by voice, Voice on the Go said in a release.

Simon Arnison, president and chief executive officer of Voice on the Go, said, "Voice on the Go extends this multimedia capability which allows users to safely and legally access

their email and other content with their iPhone by voice in the car while driving - anytime, anywhere."

Voice on the Go offers a way for iPhone users to safely access email and other content, while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel - when used with a headset or hands-free kit. It enables subscribers to listen to, compose, reply and forward their email all by voice - hands-free and eyes-free safely while driving, or any other time.

Access to real-time business e-mail on the go just got easier for mobile professionals with an easy-to-use, groundbreaking patent pending software solution "email@mobile" from Adroit Claretdene Infotech that became commercially available worldwide today. Users can now use their existing phone with WAP 1.2 and above mobile browser to wirelessly access their corporate e-mail when away from the desk through email@mobile.

It enables users to access their corporate emails over the mobile browser just like they access it over the Web browser.

IT departments of web hosting companies and Corporations with dedicated servers just need to deploy email@mobile solution on their server and their email account holders can access their business emails on their mobile phones. Small & medium enterprises can acquire this facility by subscribing with their Web hosting companies.

"Adroit Claretdene Infotech recognized that access to email on move is becoming increasingly important for the mobile professional -- or anyone who wants to be more productive in this immensely competitive world, but expensive smartphone purchase and monthly service fees to carriers had restricted the number of users," said Arvind V, CEO with Adroit Claretdene Infotech.

"email@mobile is a simple, affordable and easy-to-use solution that enables users to access their business e-mails on any GPRS phone, while providing security and ease of maintenance for the IT department. This latest solution empowers the companies to enhance the productivity level of its people and create a competitive advantage."

This is a very effective solution with just one time investment and with no recurring or monthly charges.
Demonstration and trial copy of this application is available for download at the Web site.

With companies paying exorbitant e-discovery costs and risking multi-million dollar fines for violating government and institutional requirements for secure, electronic record keeping and access, Jatheon Technologies, Inc., is bringing sorely needed protection to at-risk small and medium businesses.
Canadian-based Jatheon launched its aggressive push into the United States with Plug n Comply, the email archiving appliance that gives small and medium businesses (SMBs) a powerful, full-featured system that is the market's easiest system to deploy and use.

Jatheon has signed over 20 Canadian and European customers in the last 12 months. Now, the company is actively expanding its network of global business partners to meet urgent, accelerating U.S. demand for the company's SMB-focused solution.

"The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Sarbanes-Oxley, the U.S. Patriot Act, HIPAA, SEC rules, state laws, and corporate policies are all part of a dynamic regulatory environment that requires companies to retain their electronic messages for future review," said Kieron Dowling, Jatheon president and CEO. "Small and mid-size companies often ignore that requirement because they can't afford it. Most solutions are simply too expensive, in terms of financial, human resources and technology commitments. That's where we come in, with a cost-effective email archiving appliance that is literally plug-and-comply."

The Jatheon difference : Unlike email archiving alternatives, Jatheon's Plug n Comply appliances are simply powerful, yet cost-effective. The company designed a family of appliances to be simple to deploy, simple to manage, and simple to use. Behind the simplicity lies a scalable, feature-rich email archiving system that offers unique, industry-first features such as DNA Fingerprinting to verify the integrity of archived messages and a decryption engine to accommodate enterprise encryption technologies.

In addition, Plug n Comply -

Archives email and instant messages, including message headers, bodies, and attachments (word processing documents, spreadsheets, and .PDF files)
Sends policy-driven, real-time notifications of compliance or governance infractions
Gives end-users, compliance officers, and systems administrators a rich, Web-based user interface as well as various plug-ins for email clients like Microsoft Outlook
Works with MS Exchange, GroupWise, Lotus Notes, as well as outsourced mail services