Managing connections to stop spam

Unified Communications This newsletter is sponsored by Quintum Technologies Quintum simplifies unified communications Quintum's Tenors unify IP and telephony communications networks, including the PSTN, analog devices, PBXs and IP-PBXs. The new Unified Communications Proxy provides "Any to Any" connectivity of SIP and legacy telephony equipment to the UC cloud and offers the ability to deploy multiple gateways off of a Mediation Server. Find out how Tenors are The Perfect Fit Network World's Unified Communications Newsletter, 11/13/07 Managing connections to stop spam By Michael Osterman Spam volumes are increasing rapidly and the problem is getting worse as spammers use more and more sophistication in an attempt to defeat current antispam technology. There are a variety of solutions available to defeat spam, but connection management is among the more effective techniques in thwarting the newest spam threats. The concept behind connection management is quite simple. Let’s say, for example, that there is a knock on my back door one evening, I look through the peephole and see someone carrying a bloody knife. If I used only the knife as the determining factor for whether or not I would open the door, I would be highly unlikely to do so. However, if it were a good friend or a police officer holding the knife, I would definitely open the door. Connection management works much the same way. Spam control systems that use this technique to evaluate the reputation of the sender and particular aspects of their behavior to establish the likelihood that the sender is a spammer. Those that are likely spammers can be treated in a much different way than those who are unlikely to be spammers. While there can be false positives using this approach, likely spammers are not necessarily blocked from sending content, but can be throttled so as to minimize their impact on network performance. Unifying management systems Learn the benefits of unifying your network and voice management systems in this Special Brief. You will learn how marrying these platforms will reduce demands on your limited IT budget and staff. Learn more today. Click Here for More Information There are several advantages of using connection management to block spam, but the most important one is the dramatic decrease in the amount of spam that will enter the network, allowing existing spam filtering technologies not to be overwhelmed as the result of spikes in spam that are occurring with alarming frequency. This allows an organization to preserve its investment in spam-blocking technology without having to continually invest in new systems as older systems become overwhelmed. Osterman Research will be hosting a Webinar on connection management this week. You can sign up for this no-charge event to learn more about how connection management works, and to learn how two leading vendors are approaching the problem. Editor's note: Starting Tuesday, Nov, 20, the Unified Communications newsletter will be merged with the Antispam News Alert and will be named the "Unified Communications Alert." Subscribers to the HTML version of this newsletter will notice some enhancements that will provide you with access to more resources relevant to unified communications. You will still receive Michael Osterman's analysis of this market, which you will be able to read in its entirety online at NetworkWorld.com, along with links to relevant news headlines of the day. We hope you enjoy the enhancements and we thank you for reading Network World newsletters.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: For webinars or research on messaging, or to join the Osterman Research market research survey panel, go here. Osterman Research helps organizations understand the markets for messaging and directory related offerings. To e-mail Michael, click here. This newsletter is sponsored by Quintum Technologies Quintum simplifies unified communications Quintum's Tenors unify IP and telephony communications networks, including the PSTN, analog devices, PBXs and IP-PBXs. The new Unified Communications Proxy provides "Any to Any" connectivity of SIP and legacy telephony equipment to the UC cloud and offers the ability to deploy multiple gateways off of a Mediation Server. Find out how Tenors are The Perfect Fit ARCHIVE Archive of the Unified Communications Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE 90% of IT Managers are leaving their company at risk for a DNS ATTACK. Get the tools and resources you need to keep your DNS healthy and secure. Run a DNSreport on your domain today - 56 critical tests run in 8 seconds. Visit www.dnsreport.com to learn more. (apply coupon NWW2007NLA for a 25% membership discount) PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007