E-mail may be an indispensable business tool, but unprotected, it’s also a conduit for all manner of spam, viruses and intrusion attacks. Keeping e-mail clean can be a challenge for any small business. And companies that must meet industry or governmental compliance regulations face yet another layer of complexity: managing, tracking and archiving e-mail.
Privacy Networks, a Fort Collins, Colo.-based e-mail integrity company has recently announced an e-mail management platform that combines spam and anti-virus protection with searchable e-mail archiving capability. The company says it designed the E-mail Integrity Suite (EIS) as an integrated set of tools that work together — a solution it says is more effective than an ad hoc collection of several different products.
The product is available to companies now for beta testing and will be widely released in April.
The software consists of four different modules with each module performing a specific task. They include:
- PrivacyPost ensures that incoming e-mail is not spam, phishing or spyware and does not contain viruses and worms. Intercepts and quarantines suspected spam, viruses, worms and phishing attacks before they reach the user
- PrivacyMobile delivers spam- and virus-free e-mail (from user-specified sources) to mobile devices. It also sends a copy of the message to the user’s e-mail inbox. Supports cell phones, pagers, PDAs and BlackBerries
- PrivacyLock automatically encrypts and decrypts messages to protect communication of sensitive information. Helps companies meet privacy and security requirements of government mandated regulations, such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley (this function will be available in the coming months for an additional fee, which at press time has not yet been determined)
- PrivacyVault automatically indexes, compresses and files e-mail (and attachments) for later automatic retrieval. Protects against loss of intellectual property, disclosure of confidential documents, and critical information to support audits, discovery, regulatory requests or internal investigations. Recalls stored messages using an Internet search interface.
According to Steve Berens, Private Networks CEO, EIS keeps e-mail private and free from threats and annoyances. “We consolidate anti-virus and anti-spam solutions with encryption and e-mail management capabilities to create one holistic solution,” he said.
He added that a single architecture for all four components lets customers manage the entire e-mail spectrum — from security to content management — within a single interface. “EIS lets you easily control and secure the entire life cycle of your e-mail — and protect your corporate intellect,” said Berens.
Availability
Private Networks offers EIS in three ways: as stand-alone software that you buy directly from PN and install on your company’s server, as a network appliance that you would purchase from a third party such as HP or as a hosted service (approximately $3.00 per user per month for PrivacyPost and anti-virus) sold through Internet service providers (ISPs) or managed service providers (MSPs).
Buying the standalone software from Privacy Networks costs $5,000.
HP plans to sell an Internet appliance with EIS installed under the name HP SAFE SC. Berens said pricing for the appliance starts at $3,000.You can download a pdf file with information from Privacy Networks Web site.
Berens also said that small businesses tend to lean toward subscribing to a hosted service. He estimated pricing for that service at $3.00 per person per month. To find an ISP or MSP that offers EIS in your area, contact Privacy Networks.
Lauren Simonds is the managing editor of SmallBusinessComputing.com
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