Clearswift enhances MimeSweeper

Administrators given greater powers to vet and screen content

Content security vendor Clearswift has launched major new upgrades to its web content security appliance and software offerings, designed to give IT administrators greater powers to screen and vet content that contravenes business policy.

The firm’s MimeSweeper appliance has been upgraded to include many of the features already found on the software version of the product, according to Clearswift's director of research, Alyn Hockey.

Among the new features is the ability for administrators to be more granular in their setting of policy, down to the individual or user groups level if necessary. This also makes reporting more effective because it can be based on user activity rather than that of individual PCs, said Hockey.

"A lot of companies believe they have no problems so reporting is important to show them how much of an issue they may have," Hockey added.

Also included in the version 1.1 of the appliance is the ability to do keyword content searches, which are important in preventing the large number of new adult sites that go live every day, explained Hockey. The product is also bi-directional, so it can prevent employees visiting out-of-bounds sites as well as flagging or blocking outbound content that is sensitive or inappropriate.

Administration has also been made more user-friendly, allowing IT staff to replicate changes on multiple servers and update policies completely remotely.

MimeSweeper for web software enhancements include an upgraded policy engine to provide more powerful data detection, and the ability to accurately identify streaming media.

Andrew Kellett of analyst firm Butler Group argued that although firms have become adept at protecting email communications, web and other channels are still often neglected.

"This [announcement] is a recognition that organisations need to be responsible for all of the information they hold, and if they move information around and pass it out of the organisation, there is a need to know about it," Kellet added. "The instant nature of a lot of these things adds to the problem. "

Kellett also explained that modern content security threats such as streaming media are similar to instant messaging in that many firms do not track or recognise usage, often because the technology originates in domestic usage.