The sys admin’s daily grind: P3Scan

VIRUS-FREE

Article from Issue 80/2007
Author(s):

Checking email for viruses is typically the domain of the SMTP gateway or a server directly downstream of it. In this month’s column, Charly decides to move this protection to the other side – that is, to the client connections
with their SMTP and POP servers.

P3Scan is a mail proxy that sets up shop in front of the SMTP and POP3 daemons and accepts connections from clients wanting to pick up, or get rid of, mail. It forwards client commands and checks emails for malevolent content before passing them on. P3Scan avoids exotic dependencies and just relies on the pcre-devel library, which most distributions are likely to have anyway. Of course, P3Scan must rely on anti-virus software. I chose ClamAV, but P3Scan will also work with F-Prot, F-Secure, Kaspersky, and probably other products, as long as they have a command line client. P3Scan can also integrate SpamAssassin and DSPAM, giving it the ability to remove unsolicited advertising from mail.

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