Related Products; SDK, Video Scanner, SMTP Relay, Mail Filter

Image content on email is now regarded as a major threat to corporate customers. Increasingly end users are seeking ‘end to end’ security solutions. Image Analyzer provides an OEM image management solution which effectively addresses the threat of illicit image attachments and can be implemented as a ‘tick box’ added value item or incorporated on an embedded basis.

It allows corporations to enforce their email acceptable use policy at the gateway, providing protection against viruses, spam, phishing, dangerous file type, inappropriate language and educating their users on appropriate email usage. However, nearly every email policy contains a clause that few email content filtering applications can enforce. This clause expressly states that the email system is not to be used for the distribution of pornographic content, yet pornography continues to travel in and out of the email system hidden within a mass of legitimate business images. These pornographic images constitute a real threat to the business with the risk of legal liability, sexual harassment lawsuits, damaged company image and reputation. The Image Analyzer anti pornographic image scanner allows email content filtering software vendors to add a powerful new module to their product. The engine scans the composition of every image traveling through the email gateway to determine if it is pornographic nature. It uses sophisticated real time composition analysis to reliably distinguish between pornographic and non pornographic images.

The Issue

The Issue is not unsolicited pornographic spam but instead social communication between friends and colleagues who do not understand the possible repercussions, or do not care. As it is a social issue the solution consists of a combination of technology, education and monitoring.

Education

Once the sender has been identified an automatic email notification can be sent stating that the email has breached the email acceptable use policy. This process educates the parties involved that this type of communication is unacceptable and that the business has a means to identify it.

Monitoring

The email details can be logged to the email filters reports database for review by HR on a regular basis. These reports give the organisation clear visibility of the level of the issue and the parties involved.

By implementing image scanning either within your gateway software product or hardware appliance your end users achieve the following benefits:

Increased employee productivity by reducing inappropriate usage
Compliance with applicable local regulatory requirements
Assistance in detecting the use of corporate IT architecture for illegal or immoral activities
Protection of companies valuable brand image.
Limiting of legal liability (including sexual and racial harassment)
Protection for employees from themselves
Implementation and support of Acceptable Use Policies
Optimisation of valuable network bandwidth

Many vendors are now incorporating ‘best of breed’ component options within software and hardware appliances and Image Analyzer has been configured to provide a further element of security for your customers and channel.

Simple integration and adaptable output customisation

Integrating Image Analyzer into an email content filtering application is normally a straight forward process. Most email content filtering application support third party anti virus scanners and therefore already have the appropriate API required.

The IA engine is fully supported and a nominated member of our customer support and development team will guide your team through the integration process and ensure post sales support. There is a total outsource solution available through which your team can supply an SDK or hardware appliance and our technicians will engineer a plug in, test and deliver back to you for implementation. IA publishes a service level agreement to deliver confidence to all of their customers. The company also works closely with their customers to develop a customised roadmap to deliver products now and into the future.

Flexible licensing and business terms

IA is committed to working with each individual client company in designing a licensing model which most accurately reflects their own business model. Models which are available include: