In the past few years, email has become the predominant purveyor of viruses. This rapid communications technology outpaces the signature-based scanner updates, allowing widespread infection to occur in a matter of mere hours. Attempts to address this problem have ranged from an assortment of active content and behavioral analysis tools, improved signature-based scanners, gateway content filtering applications, digital immune systems, and security patches. As with any product, each of these has its strengths and its weaknesses. The common denominator amongst all of them is that, even used together, they fail to provide a strong enough defense against email-borne threats.


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