Spammers use common tricks to bypass the primary mail server security to spam an Exchange Server. One solution would be to install a separate spam filter to scan for and trap unwanted mail before it reaches the Exchange Server.

There are a lot of products out there that claim to do the same thing. So here are some key points to look for when choosing a spam filter for Exchange:

• Must give you the option to run the filters on a separate server from Exchange to prevent any spam from entering the system and, more importantly, to reduce the load on the Exchange Server itself
• Must be easy to install and integrate with the Exchange Server
• Must support multiple platforms so that organizations running a particular operating system need not rely upon compatibility issues with the filter software
• Must continuously update its spam and content prototypes to keep current with any new spamming tricks
• Must filter all incoming and outgoing messages for malware
• Must allow the network administrator to control the email filtering policy
• Must be easy for administrators to add custom filters if necessary
• Must be able to filter large volumes of traffic without causing noticeable delays
• Must allow ‘good’ traffic to pass smoothly through the system without delay
• Must provide quarantine reports that allow users to review the content and release false positives,if necessary

Anything you would add to that list? Let us know in the comments below!