Avinti Releases Email Security Plugin

October 4, 2007: Email security specialist Avinti has launched a new freeware email security plugin that it claims stops blended threat email attacks in their tracks.

Called NEWT (Neutralize E-mail-Web Threats), the plugin slots into popular e-mail gateways and blocks incoming any email that contains URLs or IP addresses linked to known malware Web sites.

The company cites a recent study by Computer Economics that found 22 percent of all malware attacks now come from the Web, second only to e-mail-based attacks. As hackers are increasingly bypassing security filters using spam and targeted e-mails with embedded links to Web-based malware, Avinti says proactive services such as its iSolation Server are needed to beef up defences.

The firm says NEWT uses iSolation Server to intercept and validate Web-based attacks by comparing the URLs or IP addresses in e-mails to known malicious web sites on the fly.

“Avinti has tracked a large increase in blended threats that bypass gateway AV products by using plain text messages with URLs or IP addresses linked to Web-based malware,” says William Kilmer, Avinti CEO. “We thought it would be useful to provide a light-weight scanning-based plug-in for MTAs that would benefit from Avinti’s database of threats. With NEWT, each e-mail is reviewed for malicious URLs or IP addresses, and can be tagged, quarantined, or blocked on the user's e-mail server.

“Our iSolation Servers are testing new URLs and adding to our database of known bad sites. Enterprises will immediately have a new, effective defense system against blended threat attacks, and Avinti will build a larger database of URLs that are blocked due to malware.”

The software is currently undergoing a public beta, when launched Avinti says it will be an open, free service to the general public.

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