* Anti-spam tools needed at both desktop and network edge
Most organizations deploy anti-virus systems at both the desktop and the server or gateway. Both levels of defense are critical because while viruses most often enter a network through e-mail or other network exploits, viruses can also enter a network at the desktop via diskettes, USB memory devices and so forth. However, most organizations do not deploy desktop-based anti-spam products, instead relying on server- or gateway-based products or managed services to stop spam.
Should an organization deploy anti-spam tools at the desktop?
Of course, individual and small-office users should do so because most of these users don’t operate their own gateways or servers, and most hosted approaches are not focused on the small-user market.
In the enterprise, one of the reasons you should consider desktop anti-spam tools is that they provide an extra layer of defense against spam. However, a more important reason is that desktop tools can provide more control for individual users than some (but not all) anti-spam tools at the server or gateway, or provided by a managed service.
By using a desktop-based anti-spam tool, IT could deploy anti-spam software at the perimeter that stops perhaps just 85% of spam – the most obvious stuff – relying on desktop-based tools to stop the remaining bits that might or might not be spam. This can reduce the number of false positives and could significantly reduce the level of employee complaints on these, a fairly common occurrence based on surveys we have conducted.
The downside of a desktop-based anti-spam tool is that you’ve paid for all of the storage and bandwidth necessary to transport garbage to the desktop, only to throw it away. However, for organizations with a variety of user requirements and/or not enough IT staff to properly manage complex anti-spam tools, desktop-based tools in conjunction with anti-spam software at the server or gateway might work well. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this – please drop me a line at michael@ostermanresearch.com
