filter spam emails (or maybe viruses) 3

[feshangi]

We are currently using Microsoft Exchange to manage our emails and an AntiSpam software to quarantine spam emails. As we are getting more and more spam everyday this AntiSpam software is putting more load in our server so I was thinking about setting up a Linux box as a gateway to filter the bad emails and only send the good emails to our exchange server for delivery. It would be even better if we can check for Viruses with this Linux box. Is there any Linux software/os out there that can do this for me?

I would really appreciate if someone can give me start.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[ericbrunson]

Is the search feature on this site broken?

 

[franklin97355]

It was but it's fixed now

 

[feshangi]

i forgot about that (sorry). i am going to do that right away.

 

[ericbrunson]

Since you've demonstrated due penance...

The two most popular suggestions around here are amavis-new and clamav. Try googling in for those.

Also, to head it off at the pass, when you ask what MTA to use, half of us are going to suggest postfix and the other half qmail and then there will be one loner that shouts 'exim' from the back of the auditorium.

 

[feshangi]

Thanks ericbrunson for your reply but now I am confused

Let me draw for you about what I need:

Internet --> Linux Box --> Exchange Server --> Clients

Note: Linux Box doesn't exist right now and that's what I wish to have.

Where linux box is where I would like to filter emails for possible Spams or/and Viruses which mean if the email is good then pass it on to Exchange Server for deliver and if not do something else.

 

[Castor66]

ericbrunson is correct. Basically what you are planning to do is setup a bridgehead server. All mail will be received by the bridgehead server (MTA). It will then pass through the security stack (Antivirus + SpamAssassin) be checked and then either passed on or some other action performed on it.

That's pretty much what you want to do. We do it here the same except it is all Windoze (i.e. before my time). We receive the mail using one server which is running one version of A/V & Spam software. If the mail isn't dropped there then it is passed to a second version of A/V & Spam software. If it's ok then it is passed to Exchange.

The MTA is the key! That is the engine that passes the mail to the A/V and Spam engines.

 

[thedaver]

Eric, you cracked me up on the postfix/qmail MTA comment!

the qmail folks might call this a "relay" or "gateway" server if you are going googling. Technically speaking the bridgehead as Castor66 describes is doing nothing more than relaying email with some value added. This isn't a big deal to set up. Ironically there's a ton of Internet documentation that talks about how to STOP relaying, in this case it's exactly what you want! However, you want to control this by restricting to allowed IPs.

And, as you might expect, I'll offer up that qmail can do this easily.... sorry for the potshot gang. ;-)

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