What kind of perimeter security solutions are available?

Currently, there are three main choices: software and hardware solutions that are administered in-house, and managed services that are outsourced.

Software
For companies looking to have maximum control over their security solution platform, the software option at the SMTP gateway can be a good fit. The leading software solutions can be customized on lockdown for a particular enterprise. This option can also be the most affordable of the three listed. On the negative side, the effectiveness of software depends in large part on the ability and availability of your IT staff to provide ongoing monitoring and adjustments, including implementing frequent updates. Deployment may be difficult if multiple installations or additional servers are required. In addition, many software solutions have difficulty in preserving system stability, data integrity, and bandwidth when faced with DHAs. Finally, consider the additional cost of training, administration and maintenance. If IT is already overburdened with other projects, you might want to consider the other two options described below.

Hardware
With an appliance, there is no need to administer servers, or harden your operating system. In most cases, the available hardware solutions are easy to implement. There are also some long-term financial advantages - while the initial equipment purchase can be expensive, you will own it, allowing for depreciation. If you are looking for a solution that can be easily customized, hardware is not the option for you. Most appliances are difficult to modify. In addition, reliability and scalability can be expensive propositions because multiple appliances may need to be purchased to ensure redundancy as your organization grows.

Managed services
The number of companies outsourcing their security solution is increasing every year - for good reasons. Here are some of them:

• Daily responsibility for administration, maintenance and upgrades can be put into the hands of experienced specialists, relieving corporate IT departments of the time-consuming burden
• Processing and spam storage can be offloaded, preserving your server capacity for legitimate messages
• Deployment is usually quick and painless
• The right vendor can provide a sophisticated solution offering unlimited scalability and flexibility to meet your evolving needs
• Managed services can provide a secure buffer. Messages can be routed through your outsourcer's system and scanned for spam or viruses before they enter your network
• And there are financial advantages. With managed services, you do not make an up front hardware and implementation investment.

In addition, subscription pricing is usually flexible. For example, it can be negotiated on a per-mailbox or per-message volume basis. The length of service can usually be negotiated as well - a temporary solution to handle an immediate need to eliminate spam up to a long-term partnership.