Email security

We use well-known virus filters (see above) to check incoming and outgoing files for viruses. They use signature-based, heuristic and traffic-based methods. We use proactive virus protection (zero-hour protection) that works in real time against novel malware waves. Reputation filters reduce the risk of receiving dangerous mail from senders of ill repute.

We use well-known Cyren and SpamAssassin filters to filter out spam. Aside from filters based on content analysis, proactive spam protection (real-time anti-spam) works by recognising spam in real time based on its bulk mailing method. Blacklists and whitelists can be used and a reputation filter prevents the receipt of unwanted mail.

It is standard for mail servers to communicate with one another unencrypted. But for many years now, in order to make emailing more secure, our mail servers have been set up to encrypt with TLS (transport layer security) whenever the counterparty is also equipped for it. Pallas can also set up mandatory TLS, in which case sending and receiving is stopped if the counterparty cannot encrypt. This is important when critical data needs to be transferred between partners. This measure is transparent to users.

If email inboxes are within the Pallas infrastructure, they can be accessed through IMAPs or POPs, always encrypted by TLS. Of course, we also forward emails or whole email domains to customer mail servers.

We offer multiple solutions for email archiving, from simple duplication at a central location or on-site, to automatic and secure storage in legally compliant, integrated systems.

Thanks to high-availability infrastructure measures, Pallas systems are often better protected against downtime than customer systems. To prevent emails from being lost if a customer server goes down, they are automatically buffered at Pallas over multiple days.

Unencrypted email communication cannot meet standard protection goals for information security, namely confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. However, these goals can be achieved with email signatures and encryption. With the solution by Zertificon Solutions used by Pallas, this process is customised to the user, but remains fully transparent and without changes to the user system and customer mail server. This overcomes the otherwise typical complexity of practical implementation. Secure email uses the standard processes S/MIME and PGP.

Differences in signature or footer information of emails from different employees are unattractive and can even be a legal violation. Pallas AutoFooter automatically sets the correct email signature, so that legal information, additional information, disclaimers and advertisements are attached to all outgoing emails identically and at the right time. This fulfils marketing and compliance requirements in equal measure. AutoFooter is rule-based, e.g. depending on sender-receiver combinations. It is multi-client enabled and so can also be used in corporate structures with many affiliated companies.

AutoFooter is an original development by Pallas and can be used as a pure software solution or as a Managed Service.

The header of every email normally contains information that maps the transport route and the participating mail systems. This allows conclusions to be drawn about infrastructure, organisational structure, internally used systems and release statuses. This information can be used for targeted attacks against email systems. The OHM solution developed by Pallas removes or pseudonymises such critical information.

If encrypting emails is impossible for technical or organisational reasons (e.g. when communicating with any number of end users), but an encrypted transmission path is still needed (e.g. for personal data), the Pallas solution VVD steps into the gap. It’s quite easy to use. The data stream is automatically directed to a secure web server, from which the data can be downloaded in encrypted form via https. Unlike in normal encrypted email exchange, the data can even be virus-protected.