PineApp blocks PDF spam in real time

Database and Network Journal, August, 2007

PineApp is staying one step ahead of the image based spammers as they try to avoid detection by sending spam images as PDF attachments. PineApp's Mail-Secure anti-spam solution with its advanced RPDTM (Recurrent Pattern Detection) technology detects spam automatically by instantly recognising new outbreaks, regardless of the format. This meant that Mail-Secure users experienced zero degradation with no false positives from the very first PDF image spam attacks. Image based spam now accounts for some 50% percentage of all spam and as detection of embedded and attached image spam--such as .gif or .bmp files--has improved across the industry, spammers have quickly moved to using Macromedia's PDF format. When the PDF attachment is opened, it displays a common stock 'pump-and-dump' spam image with randomly altered letters to hamper character recognition technology.

The PineApp Mail-SeCure appliance integrates five anti-virus engines--three signature based, one heuristic based and one zero-hour detection mechanism--along with eleven anti-spam engines. These include RPD along with Zombie detection, IP reputation, image spam defence, heuristic and Bayesian engines. When Mail-SeCure's advanced RPD engine is activated all incoming mail undergoes statistical and pattern detection analysis and is then blocked or tagged as spam. In addition to non targeted threats such as spam, viruses, worms and Trojan-horses, Mail-Secure protects against targeted threats including Mail-bombing, DoES and Backscatter. The fully scaleable system also provides administrators with a single-point three-tier management system that enforces advanced local policy and provides users with a mechanism to control and manage their mail flow.

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