PixAlert releases ImageGuard MailAssessor to detect inappropriate images on corporate email

Dublin, 30th June 2008

Following a rise in the levels of risk it discovers when scanning enterprise email systems for inappropriate images, specialist risk-mitigation software vendor PixAlert has released ImageGuard™ MailAssessor, a free downloadable tool which allows companies to rapidly check for potential image risk in their email systems. It’s widely recognised that outbound e-mailing of inappropriate content damages company reputations and brand equity, while internal distribution can undermine employee welfare and productivity.

ImageGuard MailAssessor is designed specifically for enterprise email systems and can scan email accounts unobtrusively without the need to install any software on the email server. The software works with Microsoft Exchange®, Lotus Notes® and Novell Groupwise® and will scan embedded images, compressed files and email attachments held on email servers.

“ImageGuard MailAssessor employs two techniques to identify inappropriate image material” said Andy Churley, Marketing Director at PixAlert. “Firstly the software seeks a match between suspect images found and its own blacklist of known inappropriate images; in addition it uses advanced image algorithms to identify suspect images, which have a high likelihood of being inappropriate”.

The software reports on both known and suspect images and will identify email domains to which inappropriate images have been sent using a corporate email account. Known images are reported by severity and description.

During the past year, PixAlert saw a rise in the volumes of Inappropriate Images both stored & circulated within the enterprise and beyond it to external parties. Pornographic or inappropriate material was found on 29% of PCs in 2007, up from 25% in 2006 and in 14% of e-mail accounts, up from 12% in 2006.

“What’s interesting is that this issue persists, regardless of the significant investments made in content filtering and gateway controls in recent years”, says Churley, adding “it just reinforces the need to know what is actually on your network, by conducting regular risk audits”

ImageGuard MailAssessor may be downloaded free of charge at www.pixalert.com