The Barracuda Spam Firewall is a Linux based anti spam network appliance dedicated to fighting spam and viruses. Unlike Postgrey which greatly reduces spam but at a cost of delays to your mail, the Barracuda Spam Firewall performs a battery of test to eliminate spam without any costly delay.

Spam Tests

  • Image Analysis
    Uses a Multi-Pass Optical Character Recognition engine to detect spam text embedded within image files.
  • IP Reputation Analysis
    Checks the reputation of the sender’s IP address. The reputation system is fully automated, similar to the anti-fraud mechanisms used for credit cards.
  • Bayesian algorithms
    Bayesian algorithm is a probabilistic classifier, used to calculate the probability of a message being a spam. It is accurate, effective and adaptable in doing its job.
  • Content-based filtering
    Set custom content filters based on the subject, message headers, message bodies and attachment file type.
  • Intent Analysis
    What’s the mail all about? If it’s trying to sell something, it’s probably a spam.
  • Keyword blocking
    Mail contains “buy viagra”, definitely spam.
  • Rate control
    Protects against spam bots or mail bomb type attacks by throttling incoming connections once a certain threshold is exceeded.
  • Real-time Block List and DNS Blacklist support
    Take advantage of external block list sites to further reject unwanted spam.
  • Rule-based scoring algorithms
    Identifies spam using a wide range of heuristic tests on mail headers and body text. Uses the open source software SpamAssassin to perform this.
  • Sender Policy Framework
    A way to validate the identity of the sender if it is genuine.

Aside from spam filtering, the Barracuda Spam Firewall will also give you several other benefits like

For the company

  • Virus filtering
  • Anti-spoofing
  • Anti-phishing
  • Anti-spyware
  • Denial of service protection
  • Directory harvest protection
  • Outbound email filtering
  • Compliance and corporate policy monitoring

For the end user

  • Web-based interface
  • User-based filtering
  • Individual spam scoring
  • Personal allow and block lists
  • End user quarantine
  • Digest emails
  • Outlook/Lotus Notes integration
  • Bayesian analysis

For the administrator

  • Web-based interface
  • User account administration
  • Reports, graphs and statistics
  • LDAP interface
  • Multiple domain support
  • Secure remote administration
  • Journaling

You get all the above benefits at a fair price with no per-user fees. Barracuda Networks, the maker of the network appliance was able to achieve this using open source softwares (Linux, SpamAssassin and ClamAV), low cost hardware (AMD processors) and a build-to-order system similar to Dell Computer.

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Posted on 1/7/2008 and last updated on 1/8/2008
Filed under Anti-spam/Anti-virus


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