IMSS Main Features and Benefits Parent topic

The following table outlines the main features and benefits that IMSS can provide to your network.

Main Features and Benefits  

Feature
Descriptions
Benefits
Data and system protection
Antivirus protection IMSS performs virus detection using Trend Micro scan engine and a technology called pattern matching. The scan engine compares code in files traveling through your gateway with binary patterns of known viruses that reside in the pattern file. If the scan engine detects a match, it performs the actions as configured in the policy rules.
Enhanced virus/content scanner keeps your messaging system working at top efficiency.
Smart Scan
Smart Scan facilitates a more efficient scanning process by off-loading a large number of threat signatures previously stored on the IMSS server to the cloud.
Smart Scan leverages the Smart Protection Network to:
  • Enable fast, real-time security status lookup capabilities in the cloud
  • Reduce the time necessary to deliver protection against emerging threats
  • Lower memory consumption on the server
IntelliTrap
Virus writers often attempt to circumvent virus filtering by using different file compression schemes. IntelliTrap provides heuristic evaluation of these compressed files.
Because there is the possibility that IntelliTrap may identify a non-threat file as a security risk, Trend Micro recommends quarantining message attachments that fall into this category when IntelliTrap is enabled. In addition, if your users regularly exchange compressed files, you may want to disable this feature.
By default, IntelliTrap is turned on as one of the scanning conditions for an antivirus policy, and is configured to quarantine message attachments that may be classified as security risks.
IntelliTrap helps reduce the risk that a virus compressed using different file compression schemes will enter your network through email.
Content management
IMSS analyzes email messages and their attachments, traveling to and from your network, for appropriate content.
Content that you deem inappropriate, such as personal communication, large attachments, and so on, can be blocked or deferred effectively using IMSS.
Protection against other email threats
DoS attacks
By flooding a mail server with large attachments, or sending messages that contain multiple viruses or recursively compressed files, individuals with malicious intent can disrupt mail processing.
IMSS allows you to configure the characteristics of messages that you want to stop at the SMTP gateway, thus reducing the chances of a DoS attack.
Malicious email content
Many types of file attachments, such as executable programs and documents with embedded macros, can harbor viruses. Messages with HTML script files, HTML links, Java applets, or ActiveX controls can also perform harmful actions.
IMSS allows you to configure the types of messages that are allowed to pass through the SMTP gateway.
Degradation of services
Non-business-related email traffic has become a problem in many organizations. Spam messages consume network bandwidth and affect employee productivity. Some employees use company messaging systems to send personal messages, transfer large multimedia files, or conduct personal business during working hours.
Most companies have acceptable usage policies for their messaging system—IMSS provides tools to enforce and ensure compliance with existing policies.
Legal liability and business integrity
Improper use of email can also put a company at risk of legal liability. Employees may engage in sexual or racial harassment, or other illegal activity. Dishonest employees can use a company messaging system to leak confidential information. Inappropriate messages that originate from a company’s mail server damage the company’s reputation, even if the opinions expressed in the message are not those of the company.
IMSS provides tools for monitoring and blocking content to help reduce the risk that messages containing inappropriate or confidential material will be allowed through your gateway.
Mass mailing virus containment
Email-borne viruses that may automatically spread bogus messages through a company’s messaging system can be expensive to clean up and cause panic among users.
When IMSS detects a mass-mailing virus, the action performed against this virus can be different from the actions against other types of viruses.
For example, if IMSS detects a macro virus in a Microsoft Office document with important information, you can configure the program to quarantine the message instead of deleting the entire message, to ensure that important information will not be lost. However, if IMSS detects a mass-mailing virus, the program can automatically delete the entire message.
By auto-deleting messages that contain mass-mailing viruses, you avoid using server resources to scan, quarantine, or process messages and files that have no redeeming value.
The identities of known mass-mailing viruses are in the Mass Mailing Pattern that is updated using the TrendLabs℠ ActiveUpdate Servers. You can save resources, avoid help desk calls from concerned employees and eliminate post-outbreak cleanup work by choosing to automatically delete these types of viruses and their email containers.
Protection from spyware and other types of grayware
Spyware and other types of grayware
Other than viruses, your clients are at risk from potential threats such as spyware, adware and dialers.
IMSS’s ability to protect your environment against spyware and other types of grayware enables you to significantly reduce security, confidentiality, and legal risks to your organization.
Integrated anti-spam features
Spam Prevention Solution (SPS)
Spam Prevention Solution (SPS) is a licensed product from Trend Micro that provides spam detection services to other Trend Micro products. To use SPS, obtain an SPS Activation Code. For more information, contact your sales representative.
SPS works by using a built-in spam filter that automatically becomes active when you register and activate the SPS license.
The detection technology used by Spam Prevention Solution (SPS) is based on sophisticated content processing and statistical analysis. Unlike other approaches to identifying spam, content analysis provides high-performance, real-time detection that is highly adaptable, even as spam senders change their techniques.
Spam Filtering with IP Profiler and Email reputation
IP Profiler is a self-learning, fully configurable feature that proactively blocks IP addresses of computers that send spam and other types of potential threats. Email reputation blocks IP addresses of known spam senders that Trend Micro maintains in a central database.
Note
Note
Activate SPS before you configure IP Profiler and Email reputation.
With the integration of IP Filtering, which includes IP Profiler and Email reputation, IMSS can block spammers at the IP level.
Administration and integration
LDAP and domain-based policies
You can configure LDAP settings if you are using LDAP directory services such as Lotus Domino™ or Microsoft™ Active Directory™ for user-group definition and administrator privileges.
Using LDAP, you can define multiple rules to enforce your company’s email usage guidelines. You can define rules for individuals or groups, based on the sender and recipient addresses.
Web-based management console
The management console allows you to conveniently configure IMSS policies and settings.
The management console is SSL-compatible. Being SSL-compatible means access to IMSS is more secure.
End-User Quarantine (EUQ)
IMSS provides Web-based EUQ to improve spam management. The Web-based EUQ service allows end-users to manage their own spam quarantine. Spam Prevention Solution (SPS) quarantines messages that it determines are spam. The EUQ indexes these messages into a database. The messages are then available for end-users to review, delete, or approve for delivery.
With the web-based EUQ management console, end-users can manage messages that IMSS quarantines.
Delegated administration
IMSS offers the ability to create different access rights to the management console. You can choose which sections of the console are accessible for different administrator logon accounts.
By delegating administrative roles to different employees, you can promote the sharing of administrative duties.
Centralized reporting
Centralized reporting gives you the flexibility of generating one time (on demand) reports or scheduled reports.
Helps you analyze how IMSS is performing.
One time (on demand) reports allow you to specify the type of report content as and when required. Alternatively, you can configure IMSS to automatically generate reports daily, weekly, and monthly.
System availability monitor
A built-in agent monitors the health of your IMSS server and delivers notifications through email or SNMP trap when a fault condition threatens to disrupt the mail flow.
Email and SNMP notification on detection of system failure allows you to take immediate corrective actions and minimize downtime.
POP3 scanning
You can choose to enable or disable POP3 scanning from the management console.
In addition to SMTP traffic, IMSS can also scan POP3 messages at the gateway as messaging clients in your network retrieve them.
Clustered architecture
The current version of IMSS has been designed to make distributed deployment possible.
You can install the various IMSS components on different computers, and some components can exist in multiples. For example, if your messaging volume demands, you can install additional IMSS scanner components on additional servers, all using the same policy services.
Integration with Trend Micro Control Manager™
Trend Micro Control Manager™ (TMCM) is a software management solution that gives you the ability to control antivirus and content security programs from a central location regardless of the program’s physical location or platform. This application can simplify the administration of a corporate virus and content security policy.
Outbreak Prevention Services delivered through Trend Micro Control Manager™ reduces the risk of outbreaks. When a Trend Micro product detects a new email-borne virus, TrendLabs issues a policy that uses the advanced content filters in IMSS to block messages by identifying suspicious characteristics in these messages. These rules help minimize the window of opportunity for an infection before the updated pattern file is available.