Cloud Computing Stops Spam E-mails from Infiltrating the Network

Spam e-mails blast their way through the network at Morris School District in New Jersey. Each day, the attacks escalate.

At the height of the attacks, the spam messages make up 80 percent of the mail.

The messages clog up Internet bandwidth. On the single circuit, Internet access and e-mail traffic drops to a slow grind.

Software on the Microsoft Exchange server tries to clean up the spam, but doesn't stop it from entering the system. The district needs an e-mail administrator to identify potential threats.

“We used to employ an e-mail administrator here," said Director of Technology Tim McDade, "and from a previous round of budget cuts, that position got cut. That was the day that really the sky started falling.”

McDade looked around for an ally to help him fight the war on spam. And he found one in AppRiver.

“It’s the best technical decision I’ve ever made here.”

AppRiver blocks 99.9 percent of the spam before it reaches the district's network. Spam messages used to be on McDade's mind constantly, but now, it's almost a non-existent issue. With an entire department at the company analyzing threats 24/7, McDade rests easy when his head hits the pillow at night.

The customer portal shows key statistics such as the amount of spam blocked and allows administrators to manage network activity.

A few weeks ago, a spam campaign asked the district's 750 users to print a package receipt. Only three district employees told him they'd received the message. In the old days, McDade would have spent many days finding a patch to deal with that kind of message.

If the filter traps legitimate messages, McDade has a simple and easy way to release them. He enters the recipient's name in the user portal and checks a box to clear the message for entry into the system.

That takes about 2 seconds. In the old days, he would have spent hours figuring out where it came from, what it was and where it was.

“Everything that comes up is just dealt with pronto, like real quick, and that was not always the case here," McDade said. "It’s allowed myself and my department here to demonstrate to the people that we serve that we are on top of things, and things will be dealt with effectively and efficiently.”