Not effectively. Anti-spam software is not designed to block file extensions.
Refine that to "declude (or whatever) anti-spam software ...".
Anti-spam softwware can and does implement attachment policies effectively at the MX. Some attachments with (intentionally) badly formatted MIME headers, etc, do sneak through, so ...
You need anti-virus software to block file extensions effectively.
.... "one needs AV software to catch Vs".
You *can* write your own anti-spam filter to attempt to block file extensions (see the archives for lots of different attempts). But just be aware that most of them either block a lot of legitimate E-mail
nope, "my server, my policies". If my policy is "no dangerous attachments or other executable content in email", then any email that has attachments or executable content is illegitimate. My MX decides what is legitimate, not the sender.
or do not block nearly enough mail that they should.
blocking email attachments at the MX blocks tons, the vast majority, of illegitimate attachments. Here's one report by an IMGate admin today, for his IMGate blocking novarg:
"40957 and counting.. My mx's are taking a beating!"
It's preferable that his IMGate boxes take the beating, rather than his users' "mail experience" trying to send and receive mail on his hammered Imail box.
Let that crap through to anybody's mailbox server, and watch it die.
It's kind of like using a band-aid on an open wound. It's better than nothing, but isn't what you need.
As IMGate implements blocking of attachments, it's much, much better, by 40957, than nothing.
I'm sure there will be numerous IMail admins who will be prompted by novarg to add IMGate because their "content scanning solution" on Imail simply couldn't keep up with the storm.
Len
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