New Astaro Security Gateway V7.300 BETA improves Mail Security and Management functionality
Astaro invites you to participate in the ASG V7.300 Beta Test Program. The new release features a broad set of new and improved Mail Security functions, redesigned End-User and Mail Manager portals, enhanced authentication management and reporting functions, performance improvements for reporting and logging as well as bugfixes.

Continue reading "Public ASG V7.300 BETA released" »

Astaro Controls Flash Spam Outbreaks

This new type of spam contains hyperlinks to Flash files (ending in .swf), which contain a function called “getURL” that, when clicked, redirects the recipient to the spam site. The Flash files themselves are hosted on neutral, third-party image-hosting sites, such as Image Shack, which has hosted the files from the latest outbreak. This technique allows spammers to bypass traditional content-based anti-spam filters, and it is speculated that it will only be a matter of time before similar messages will be used to distribute malware.

Because the culprit Flash files are being hosted on neutral sites, any anti-spam solution that attempts to solve the problem by blocking the host site may end up with a high degree of false positives, or misclassified legitimate messages. Astaro, however, easily and effectively blocks this and other types of spam, by using Commtouch Recurrent Pattern Detection (tm) technology. RPD is content-agnostic, since it works based on the fundamental nature of spam and malware - its distribution en masse.

"Astaro has always focused on finding customers the best and most up-to-date tools available to protect them from the latest threats," Astaro CEO Jan Hichert explains. "It’s instances like this spam outbreak that really prove the value of our efforts. By relying on RPD technology, we know that our customers are protected from today’s spam outbreaks, and also defended against whatever new tactics will arise tomorrow."

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, announces the release of Critical Fix 3 for Kaspersky Anti-Spam 3.0, designed to protect corporate users from unsolicited mass mailings.

Critical Fix 3 addresses several minor errors in the previous version of the solution and adds a number of useful improvements and features to enhance the effectiveness of anti-spam protection for customers.

The most important innovation in Critical Fix 3 is the increased frequency of updates. Anti-spam databases can now be updated every five minutes, significantly reducing the reaction time to mass mailings and providing more effective protection from unwanted messages. This improvement is especially timely because spammers have substantially increased the speed at which they distribute mass mailings.

Other changes to Kaspersky Anti-Spam 3.0 include improvements to the product’s own SURBL technology, resulting in the removal of many of the restrictions in standard SURBLs and a marked increase in the effectiveness of spam filtering.

To view additional information about Kaspersky Anti-Spam 3.0 and to download Critical Fix 3 for Kaspersky Anti-Spam 3.0 visit http://www.kaspersky.com/anti-spam.

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, announces that technical support for the sixth generation of the company’s IT security products for home users – Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 and Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 – will be discontinued as of September 1, 2008.

Technical support for the sixth generation of the company’s IT security products for business will be continued in full.

From September 1, 2008, all user requests to Kaspersky Lab Technical Support regarding Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 and Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 will only be processed after users have upgraded to a later version.

From October 1, 2008, the release of antivirus database updates for Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 and Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 will also be discontinued, with the exception of version 6.0.2.621 (MP2).

Kaspersky Lab specialists strongly recommend users of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 and Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 to upgrade to newer versions of the products. All users of the licensed versions of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 and Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 can upgrade for free.

More detailed technical information, as well as instructions on upgrading to a newer version of the products can be found on Kaspersky Lab’s technical support site at http://support.kaspersky.com/find?faq_id=1798.

Additional information about the latest Kaspersky Lab products for home users is available at http://www.kaspersky.com/homeuser.