How to block all incoming email in O.E.?

Marie (Zionkowski) Gozikowski · March 23, 2011, 04:40:57 PM

Hi there,

We have Outlook Express (no exchange server). The boss wants
employees to have the ability to send outgoing email, but only
wants me to have incoming mail so I can monitor everything before
someone opens something with a potential virus.

Then I can forward the email directly to them, once I have viewed it.
So, they would only be able to receive email from ME.

Any easy way to set this up? I would just delete the settings in their
incoming mail server, but then they wouldn't get anything from me
either...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hans Manhave · March 23, 2011, 04:42:15 PM

Yes, why don't you print it out. Unless you cough on it etc, no virus attached!

Mark · March 23, 2011, 04:43:05 PM

LOL @ Hans. This is a new one to me, Marie. Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work for everyone.

Mark · March 23, 2011, 04:44:44 PM

Ok, maybe a real answer, maybe not. You could set up a simple internal mail server and configure everyone to receive email from that. Then on your Old English (OE

) you could have both the internal account and external account. when forwarding, just make sure you are sending from the Internal account.

Kevin Crow · March 23, 2011, 04:45:29 PM

It would be a lot more effective and economical to run your email though AppRiver (www.appriver.com). They'll scan it for spam and viruses for a very small fee ($10-15 per month in your case, I'd expect).

Hans Manhave · March 23, 2011, 04:50:02 PM

Exactly, Appriver. They have a minimum fee of $45 or $50 per month, I think. We have been happy for many years using them. Changed a couple years ago to their hosted Exchange.

Anyway, Marie, your boss will have to give up a bucks to gain efficiency. (Do you live in Bucks County?). Get a real e-mail system, use Appriver, get a real firewall with the services enabled (Sonicwall TZ210 or similar) and you won't have all these problems. Everyone can be productive and the boss can read the log files and enjoy the material that has been filtered.

Really, it is worth the money. I am Dutch, I don't spend money easily. The $1000-$1500 that may have to be spend is well worth it. More than any advertising that is to be done this year etc. Ok, enough of my opinion. Please don't unfriend me on FB.

Bob · March 23, 2011, 04:50:52 PM

I agree with Kevin!

Mark · March 23, 2011, 04:52:49 PM

Quote from: Kevin Crow on March 23, 2011, 04:45:29 PM
It would be a lot more effective and economical to run your email though AppRiver (www.appriver.com). They'll scan it for spam and viruses for a very small fee ($10-15 per month in your case, I'd expect).

I couldn't agree with this more. Depending on what you are paying for email right now, you might even consider something like Google Apps or another hosted solution that INCLUDES spam filtering.

Lastly and by far most importantly, it is all about education, education, education. Educating end uses is a MUST in today's Internet environment and that cannot be stressed enough.

Kevin Crow · March 23, 2011, 04:53:04 PM

I didn't know about the minimum fee (we wouldn't qualify) but still worth it.

Mark · March 23, 2011, 04:56:04 PM

Quote from: HMan on March 23, 2011, 04:50:02 PM
Exactly, Appriver. They have a minimum fee of $45 or $50 per month, I think. We have been happy for many years using them. Changed a couple years ago to their hosted Exchange.

Google Apps is like $50/user/year I believe.

Marie (Zionkowski) Gozikowski · March 23, 2011, 05:01:01 PM

We do have education, and we have not had a virus in over a year...
and we have a router with blocked sites (but not a whitelist, which
may be what I need to do next) and virus detection which monitors
emails, and... but all of that won't stop someone from clicking on a link.

I guess he wants a more foolproof way of avoiding a virus, so is
thinking of having me monitor everything. Yes, more work for me,
but I have the experience to weed out / be suspicious of things.

Appriver may be the way to go here... or hire a real IT person to
totally lock down everything :-)

Hans Manhave · March 23, 2011, 05:04:14 PM

Appriver has an ASCnet discount. About $50/month, I think.

The firewall should not be overlooked either. It will do its own virus scanning. About $800 including a year of spyware, antivirus etc. You should buy the three year service and not worry about it for some time. A commercial grade firewall is far better in throughput than the home user models. You need one.

And use OpenDNS. It's free unless you want to pay for more. Will do a lot of the white listing/black listing.

There is no way I want to screen everyone's mail.

Marie (Zionkowski) Gozikowski · March 23, 2011, 05:12:06 PM

Quote from: HMan on March 23, 2011, 04:50:02 PM
Ok, enough of my opinion. Please don't unfriend me on FB.

LOL Hans --- no worries there :-)

All good ideas - I will print this and give it to the boss...

Thanks!

Bloody Jack Kidd · March 23, 2011, 05:15:03 PM

There are no absolutes in security, i think it is important you establish that with your boss. There is no surefire, foolproof solution.

I think google apps is free for up to 25 accounts and has some nice bonuses like shared calendars etc.

Jeff Golas · March 23, 2011, 05:25:04 PM

Don't get me started on people who don't do IT having the solution before the problem. For an 8 person shop - you should have AV on each persons workstation that should handle Outlook Express or almost whatever email client you do use. On the opposite end I highly recommend Appriver or Messagelabs for email filtering if the budget is there.

Seriously you handling all incoming email would be a pain in the ---- and a waste of time :-) Other than something like faxes, NOBODY should be doing it that way just for the sake of virus protection. Thats why appriver and AV software exists :-)

Bloody Jack Kidd · March 23, 2011, 06:45:33 PM

well said Jeff - turning a person into a mail server/gateway has trouble written all over it.

Orlando Alonzo · March 28, 2011, 04:39:48 PM

You should also check with the company hosting your email. They may already be scanning for virus and spam. Also, I'm not sure if OE can be changed to just plain text for email formats. I think there might also be a setting for block images and other external content in HTML e-mail.

I agreee with everyone else's comments. What happens if you were out of the office? Does that mean no email will be received by everybody else?

Bob · March 28, 2011, 05:26:44 PM

My opinion, she just needs a SonicWall, then she can block all web mail, all social sites etc, plus the added services another layer of protection. I doubt if the work emails are spoofing/tricking the users but more so their web mail accounts which if left open leaves secure networks vulnerable. So with Sonicwall, she can block web mail, social sites, all those things employees wonder off too. She can also activate the many different services provided with the router, intrusion, virus etc and have added layer of protection. Users will be surprised to see message pop up that site was blocked by Iddings what have you.

Much easier solution and affordable. JMO