SurfControl Launches E-Mail Filter Application Programming Interface for ISPs

Business Wire, August 27, 2002

Business Editors / High Tech Writers

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2002

New Tool Lets Internet Service Providers, Appliance Vendors And

Web-based E-mail Providers Offer Customers Effective

Spam Filtering Services

SurfControl (LSE: SRF) the world's number one Web and e-mail filtering company, today announced the launch of E-mail Filter Application Programming Interface (API), a tool that lets Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer effective spam filtering services to their home and business customers.

"People are increasingly irritated by the flood of unwanted e-mail messages and spam. They know Internet content carries a risk, and are looking to their ISPs to help stem the flow," said Hywel Morgan, SurfControl product marketing manager. "This new API means our vast RiskFilter database of junk, nuisance and spam e-mail can be integrated into ISPs' existing infrastructure to create the kind of anti-spam service demanded by consumers and businesses."

With SurfControl E-Mail Filter API, ISPs can offer home users a service that will:

- RiskFilter: a database of known junk, spam and nuisance e-mail messages that devour bandwidth and resources, contain offensive material and bring hidden costs to those that receive them;

- Identification of junk messages with no false positives

- C   API: allows integration into all the leading mail services on Linux and Solaris;

- Ease of integration: comes with sample code and a comprehensive Developer's Guide to speed integration.

And, ISPs can offer business users an additional service that will:

- Redirect spam to a special account that the corporate

administrator will review.

Brian Burke, senior analyst at IDC, a leading technology analyst firm said: "Over the last nine months, user complaints about unwanted e-mail messages increased sharply. Both the quantity and highly objectionable nature has drawn universal ire. So, there is a real need for spam control services from ISPs. SurfControl's new E-mail Filter API is just the tool ISPs need to control the volume and content of e-mail messages and develop an effective anti-spam service."

SurfControl E-mail Filter API also is a perfect fit for Internet appliances that act as e-mail gateways. It provides:

- RiskFilter: a database of known junk, spam and nuisance e-mail messages that devour bandwidth and resources, contain offensive material and bring hidden costs to those that receive them;

- Identification of junk messages with no false positives

- C   API: allows integration into all the leading mail services on Linux and Solaris;

- Ease of integration: comes with sample code and a comprehensive Developer's Guide to speed integration.

SurfControl E-mail Filter API enables ISPs to enforce policies. It extracts the components of a message and categorizes it based on the content. Then, based on the policy, the API will decide to block the message, warn the recipient or allow the message to be delivered. E-mail filtering policies can be applied globally to all users or different policies can be applied to various groups of users. If no policy enforcement is required, SurfControl E-mail Filter API can simply categorize messages.

"Spam provides inexpensive way to reach mass audiences, so it's a safe bet that it is here to stay and will continue to grow," said SurfControl's Hywel Morgan. "ISPs now have a flexible tool to provide a much-needed service to their customers. E-mail Filter API easily integrates to lay the foundation for a spam filtering service."

About SurfControl

SurfControl plc, the world's Number One Web and e-mail filtering company, is the only company in the security market offering a total content security solution that combines Web and e-mail filtering technology with the industry's largest, most accurate and relevant content database and adaptive reasoning tools to automate content recognition. Analysts estimate double-digit growth in the security market with forecasts predicting it will reach $14.6 billion by 2006.

SurfControl's Internet monitoring and policy management solutions are flexible, scaleable and interoperable to meet the diverse needs of all its markets -- corporate, education, home and OEM. SurfControl offers a choice of platform independent or integrated solutions, and the software can be installed in any network environment. With world-class partners such as AT&T, Intel, Cisco and IBM, as well as a customer base that includes many of the world's largest corporations, SurfControl offers the most sophisticated yet easy to use technology, the best understanding of market needs and a global reach unmatched in the industry. For further information and news on SurfControl, please visit http://www.surfcontrol.com