Ciphertrust Protects Data, Blocks Offensive Images

The IronMail 6.5 appliance comes with two modules that add key new features: one prevents sensitive corporate data from being sent out of the network, and the other identifies and blocks pornographic or other offensive images from arriving in e-mail.

The Advanced Compliance Module uses a technology called adaptive lexical analysis that scans corporate data, automatically identifies confidential material and applies policy-based rules governing what data can be sent out and by whom. The module employs sophisticated text pattern analysis and digital fingerprinting methods as additional defense mechanisms, said Alex Hernandez, director of advanced product development at CipherTrust, Alpharetta, Ga.

CipherTrust has developed and embedded artificial intelligence into IronMail 6.5 to meet companies' growing need for comprehensive security policies and compliance solutions that don't require human interaction, Hernandez added.

Another new feature is the Image Analysis Module, which can scan more than 85 different image types to identify pornographic or other offensive images in e-mails coming into the network. This module also enforces internal corporate e-mail policies and prevents employees from sending inappropriate images within or outside the company, Hernandez said. A flexible rule set can block the message, strip the offensive image from the attachment, quarantine and review it, or send it to management.

There's a fundamental shift in the way companies are securing corporate data, said Ralph Figueiredo, sales manager at Aurora Enterprises, a solution provider in Torrance, Calif.

"Typically, our clients have looked at security from the outside in, and that meant protecting [networks] against hackers and keeping viruses and Trojans from getting in. Now, companies are looking to protect their confidential data from leaking out," Figueiredo said.

IronMail 6.5 creates professional services opportunities for solution providers, who can help companies customize security policies and determine what data they want to protect, Figueiredo added.

IronMail 6.5 is available now. The Advanced Compliance Module is priced from $9,995, and the Image Analysis Module starts at $5,995.