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Comparing Cloud-based services – Part 4: Prevention

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Many Cloud-based services fall into one of these categories:

  • Productivity suites – Applications that help you be more productive
  • Storage – Storing, retrieving, and synchronizing files in the Cloud
  • Backup and Recovery – Backing-up data and being able to recover it
  • Prevention – Prevent malware, spam, and related components
  • Search – Find items from either a holistic or from a specialty perspective

In this issue, we’ll explore popular, Cloud-oriented options within Prevention, the highlighted item above, and compare them with one another.

Prevention is a necessary evil; it can slow end-point performance (since these tools are using computing resources to constantly scan for problems), but it is critical in keeping end-users safe from external threats like spam, malware, and viruses.  Cloud-oriented Prevention includes:

  • Email protection – Control spam plus encrypt and archive emails
  • End-point security – Secure end-user computers against attacks
  • Web filtering – Prevent unauthorized access to undesired websites

Email protection is wholly Cloud-based, but end-point security tools usually deploy an application onto the end-user computer while web filtering requires at least an adjustment to (ie: setup a proxy server), or an application installed on, the end-user computer.  We’ll cover only Cloud-based, email protection in this article.

Key issues for email-protection options include:

  • Administration – Easy setup and enforcement
  • Effectiveness – Works reliably and consistently
  • End-user interface – Intuitive, secure, and easy-to-use
  • Granularity – Allows multi-level policies and permissions

Popular, email-protection options (alphabetically) include:

  • Google™ Message Secure (formerly Postini; now bundled within Google Apps)
  • McAfee® (now Intel Security™) SaaS Email Prevention and Continuity
  • Microsoft® Exchange Online Protection
  • ProofPoint™ Essentials Business
  • Symantec™ Email Security.cloud (formerly MessageLabs)

Google Message Secure (GMS)

GMS was one of the best products at an excellent price of $12/user per year.  In 2013, Google discontinued GMS as a stand-alone service and bundled it within Google Apps.  Former GMS clients will retain the $12 pricing for a period of time, but will eventually pay the Google Apps for Business price of $50/user per year.

Visit http://www.google.com/postini/ for details on this transition.

McAfee SaaS Email Prevention and Continuity (MEPC)

Intel is currently rebranding McAfee within Intel Security; no timeframe on the conversion, but the McAfee logo (a red “M” on a shield) will remain associated with these services.

MEPC prevents spam, but also includes Continuity, which allows end-users to retrieve and send email even if their email service is unavailable; once the email service becomes available, all emails received and sent via MEPC are then resynchronized with the email service.  The price is $27/user per year.

McAfee also offers email encryption and email archiving.  (Please visit our site at http://www.Bryley.com/services/email-management/ for details on MEPC and related offerings.)

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Microsoft provides email protection and archiving within its Office 365 suite, but also offers it as a stand–alone service under EOP, although it is directed solely at Exchange-based email.  In addition to spam and malware prevention, you can establish content and policy-based filtering to ensure outbound emails do not violate company standards.  Price is $12/user per year.

Visit http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/microsoft-exchange-online-protection-email-filter-and-anti-spam-protection-email-security-email-spam-FX103763969.aspx for details on EOP.  Or, visit our site for information on

Office 365 at http://www.Bryley.com/office365/.

Proofpoint Essentials Business

Proofpoint Essentials Business is a comprehensive offering that classifies security threats and then manages against their intrusion.  Outbound filtering, content filtering, and 14-day spooling are included; archiving is also available.  Proofpoint Essentials Business starts at $26.40/user per year.

Please visit http://essentials.proofpoint.com/ for more information.

Symantec™ Email Security.cloud

Symantec recently acquired MessageLabs spam filter and rebranded it within their Symantec.cloud services under Email Security.cloud.  It protects against targeted attacks, malware, spam, and the like using proprietary Skeptic™ technologies.  Content filtering is included; email encryption is available.

See http://www.symantec.com/email-security-cloud for details.

Migrating Postini users to Google Apps for Business; also, an alternative

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As mentioned in our August 2012 Bryley Tips and Information, Google has moved Google Message Security (GMS)/Postini into Google Apps for Business and will migrate all GMS/Postini customers to Google Apps for Business by the end of 2013.

 

Google will migrate GMS/Postini users gradually, focusing initially on its large, direct-billed customers and eventually tackling those customers purchasing through GMS/Postini resellers (Bryley Systems is a GMS/Postini reseller.).  By December 31, 2013, all former GMS/Postini customers should be migrated.

 

Google has not yet disclosed significant details about this migration process, but we believe that it will require, at a minimum, these steps for each customer:

  • Setup a Google Apps for Business account
  • Export GMS/Postini rules and import them into Google Apps for Business
  • Migrate user accounts from GMS/Postini to Google Apps for Business
  • Change the MX Record for the email-server address

 

If you use Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes for your email, the email-protection-and-filtering component of Google Apps for Business will be available at the same price through your agreement term.  However, your price could increase if you add any other Google Apps for Business features to your account.

 

McAfee, a security company owned by Intel Corporation, offers an alternative to those that do not wish to migrate to Google Apps for Business.  Their service is McAfee® SaaS Email Protection and Continuity(MEPC).  (Bryley Systems is a long-term reseller of MEPC and other McAfee security products.)

 

MEPC features include:

  • Spam filtering,
  • Protection against malware and SMTP-based attacks, and
  • Continuity.  (Continuity provides web-based access to email, both receiving as well as sending, when your email server is down.  Also, once your email server is running, your web-based emails automatically resynchronize with your email server.)

 

McAfee also offers:

  • McAfee® SaaS Web Protection – Web-content filtering
  • McAfee® SaaS Email Archiving – Stand-along email archiving
  • McAfee® SaaS Email Encryption Service – Email encryption add-on to MEPC

 

For details, please call us at 978.562.6077.  Or, email Sales@Bryley.com.

Google moves Postini spam-filtering into Google Apps

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Google purchased Postini in 2007 to provide spam-filtering and related security and compliance services to Google enterprise-services clients; they initially branded Postini under Google Messaging, but have now integrated Postini into Google Apps for Business.  They will retire the Postini brand name in 2013.

 

Users of Google Message Security (spam filtering) will be transitioned into Google Apps for Business; Google Message Discovery (spam filtering with archiving) users will be transitioned into Google Apps for Business and Google Vault.

 

Pricing will stay the same for users of spam filtering and archiving.  Those that expand into other Google Apps for Business services (like Google Drive or Gmail) will see a price increase on their next renewal date.

 

The announcement from Google’s Adam Sawes, Product Manager – Google Apps, is at Continuing the transition from Postini to Google Apps.  For additional information please visit the Postini Transition Resource Center provided by Google.

 

Our belief: While Google will continue to provide Postini to customers under the Google Apps for Business banner, they will recommend migrating to other services within Google Apps for Business and will make it harder to remain Postini-centric within the Google Apps world.