E-Mail Gateway Gets Added PKI Support

Sigaba Corp. on Tuesday released the latest version of its Gateway secure e-mail component, which includes improved compatibility with PKIs and integrated virus scanning and content filtering.

Gateway 3.0 utilizes Trend Micro Inc.s virus-scanning engine to remove malicious code from both inbound and outbound messages.

The content-filtering feature enables administrators to set policies for what messages will be encrypted, rejected or archived based on their content. Companies could, for example, establish a policy that calls for all outgoing messages containing patent numbers or certain key words to be encrypted. Likewise, the company could reject all inbound e-mails that have profanity or other offensive language.

“It gives the administrator an easy way to control whats going in and out of the company,” said Terry Olkin, chief technology officer at Sigaba, based in San Mateo, Calif.

Gateway 3.0 is the latest piece of Sigabas secure e-mail infrastructure. The system also includes desktop plug-ins that enable any two users to send encrypted email. There is also a key server from which users obtain the key to decipher encrypted messages.

Unlike some similar products, Sigabas system does not send the key with the message.

Users are able to set parameters for the use of each key, i.e., how long it is valid, and they can also recall or destroy the key at any time, rendering sent messages unreadable.

The new version of Gateway also includes support for S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Inter-net Mail Extensions), the protocol used in many PKI products.

Messages are encrypted using the new Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm.