Botnets, where spammers and other have gained control of others’ computers are arguably the scourge of the Internet. They distribute spam, steal private data, launch crippling denial-of-service attacks, and spread new infections, unknown to the computer owners unless they check their systems or find out from their ISPs and those they regularly communicate with.

 

Engate Technology Corporation, which makes antispam and anti-botnet solutions estimates that 40 percent of the approximately 800 million computers connected to the Internet have been ‘bot-nized’.

 

In response to this serious, growing, and evolving threat, Engate has upgraded its software and incorporated the changes in the latest release of its flagship product, Engate MailSentinel 3.6.

The solution goes into battle with the bots with significant enhancements to its proprietary GlobalRules database.

 

MailSentinel enables organizations to instantly detect botnets and preemptively stop the delivery of e-mail-borne attacks such as spam, viruses and worms at the protocol level with customer-proven 99 percent accuracy.

 

It employs patented network profiling, source verification, and anti-forgery techniques to identify and block email-borne botnet attacks in real-time and at the protocol layer, while allowing legitimate e-mail to pass to the recipient.

 

The software uniquely profiles every IP address within the network and segregates legitimate mail servers from all other network hosts. It establishes proprietary smart rules that immediately identify compromised computers, detect protocol fraud, and intelligently reject illicit connections at the network level.

 

MailSentinel’s proactive approach attacks rather than reacts to spam, which is the case for content filtering, which often fails to trap them. The solution also limits the junk and malicious e-mails that get around other barriers such as blacklists and reputation systems; by definition botnets send spam from trusted sources.

 

Unlike traditional content filter and reputation security technologies, Engate’s solution cannot be compromised because it proactively works with the source of networks at the protocol layer rather than reactively filtering and storing spam messages inside the network.

 

Engate’s protocol-independent technology is ideal and timely, for SMTP, instant messaging, mobile applications, and protocols such as VoIP as they become an increasingly popular mechanism to distribute malicious files and executables.

 

Battling the bots also begins at the office and home by keeping computers free of infection, and eradicating such infestations as soon as possible.

 

You or your colleagues and family members should not open e-mails from people and organizations you know that don’t sound right i.e. they are marketing sex aids or stocks. If you get such e-mail you should call the senders and let them know. Chances are that they’ll appreciate it; they too want to be good, and free, ‘Netcitizens.