GFI's freeware anti-spam tool combats latest email virus threat

London, UK, 11th November 1999 - GFI has announced that its email security and management gateway, Mail essentials for Exchange/SMTP, can be used to counter the latest email virus to hit the headlines - Bubbleboy.

Bubbleboy is a new type of email-borne virus because it can be transmitted as soon as the email carrying it is read or previewed. Email viruses and worms to date could only be contracted by opening an executable email attachment. The full implications of this innovation have yet to be seen.

This virus is transmitted via an email with the words "Bubbleboy is Back!" as the Subject. Inspired by an episode in the popular comic TV series, Seinfield, Bubbleboy is a self-replicating worm that infects PCs running Windows 98 with Internet Explorer 5 and Outlook or Outlook Express. It spreads by emailing itself to everyone in the Outlook address list.

Through its freeware anti-spam module, however, Mail essentials can prevent this worrying new virus from spreading. Mail essentials can be set to detect the subject - Bubbleboy is Back - and delete the harmful message before it can even reach the mail server. This way, risks are eliminated altogether. Of course, any messages bearing the words 'Bubbleboy is Back" in the Subject - even if they have been sent as warnings about the virus - will also be deleted.

Other Mail essentials anti-spam features include checking for incorrect "From" headers and addresses in the e-mail body. The freeware anti-spam version can be downloaded from http://www.gfi.com/me/index.html. The download contains all the Mail essentials features, valid for 60 days; however, the anti-spam feature does not expire and remains fully functional.

Mail essentials is a comprehensive security and management tool that offers the following features as well as anti-spam:

• Content checking for offensive or confidential information.
• Server-based PGP encryption.
• Virus checking of all in- and outbound mail.
• Quarantining of e-mail.
• Disclaimers.
• Email management.
• Personalized auto-replies with tracking.
• Automatic compression of all outbound mail to save bandwidth.
• Archiving of e-mail to any ODBC database.

Mail essentials is an email security and management gateway. More information can be found at http://www.gfi.com/me/index.html. The full version of Mail essentials is available from $295.