Term |
Meaning |
ActiveX |
A distributable PC executable
normally retrieved over the Web. Based on the Component
Object Model (COM). |
Alias |
This term can have two meanings.
For DNS this term refers to a name that can be mapped to
a host name, using the CNAME record in DNS. See DNS.
For MAILsweeper routing it refers to a user name alias. |
Application log |
Applications executing on Windows
NT can write messages to the application event log. This
log is viewed using the Event Viewer program. MIMEsweeper
may write messages to this log on start-up or shutdown to
report information, failures and warnings. |
AME |
Automated Message Editing. Performs
append or prepend operations to the body part of a
message. Once the text is added, the message is
re-packaged and delivered. |
AMUcheck |
Authorised Mail User check. A
MAILsweeper built-in validator used to control user and
location authorisation. |
Attribute |
A name/value pair. Each data item
carries around attributes as it is processed by
MIMEsweeper. They are typically obtained from the
container handlers. Attributes can be used and updated
throughout disassembly, validation and disposal. |
API gateways |
Application Programming Interface
gateways. The gateways MAILsweeper uses to route messages
between domains in a GroupWise environment. |
Applet |
See Java applet. |
Authenticode |
A tool developed by Microsoft to
sign code that is to be distributed via the Internet. It
allows the end user to identify the publisher of signed
software and verify that it hasn't been modified. |
Automatic mailing |
It is possible for an HTML document
to instruct the Web browser to generate and send a mail
message without your knowledge. It is performed in a
hidden form with an action command. The recipient of the
mail message will gain information about your company's
mail list, domain, and so on. WEBsweeper can block
automatic mailings before they reach the Web browsers. |
Browser |
See Web browser. |
Cabinet files |
Cabinet files are file archives. An
application that installs on Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0
may be distributed as a cabinet file. |
Cache |
An area of memory or disk storage
where remotely sourced data is held locally, so that
subsequent requests for the same data can be serviced
quicker. |
cc:Mail Router |
The software used to route messages
between two cc:Mail post offices. |
Cookie |
Information held locally on a Web
browser, for a Web server. Cookies are used to maintain
state information about the interaction between a Web
browser and a particular URL. When a Web browser connects
to a site the Web server may respond by asking the
browser to set a cookie. The cookie is merely a piece of
state information, a variable holding a value. |
Component |
The result of MIMEsweeper's
recursive disassembly of a data item. |
Container |
In MIMEsweeper terms, a container
is a file that can contain one or more files. These files
may be in encoded form (compressed or encrypted), plain
text or binary. |
Container handler |
An entity that recognises a data
type by content. It performs disassembly to present the
contained data as raw data for MIMEsweeper validation. |
Data stream |
A sequence of byte values which
constitute a data file of any kind. |
Directory
|
Generic term for what proprietary
mail systems refer to as post office directory, address
list or mailing list. |
Disposal |
Mapping between <Response>
and disposition. |
Disposal action |
The name given to the various
actions that can be performed on a data item during
disposal. |
Domain name |
Officially registered name by which
your organization is referred to on the Internet. In
GroupWise terms a domain is a collection of post offices. |
DNS |
Domain Name System. A system that
converts host names to IP addresses, using a distributed
database. This is the mechanism used by the Internet and
most TCP/IP networks to resolve host names to IP
addresses and vice versa. DNS provides a number of resolutions. The
most important to MAILsweeper are the records used by
SMTP to allow the transfer of mail. See MX records.
|
Event log |
See Application log. |
Firewall |
A firewall is an IP gateway that
allows you to supply access security to your network.
This is achieved by allowing a security policy to be
implemented that restricts access to and from your
network. This policy can be based on TCP/IP address,
port, domain, username, etc. |
Foreign domain |
A GroupWise term referring to any
non- GroupWise domain. |
FTP |
File Transfer Protocol. A means of
exchanging files across a TCP/IP network. |
Gateway |
This term has two meanings. A
cc:Mail to Microsoft-Mail gateway refers to a system that
converts mail from one mail system type to another. For
SMTP mail, it can have the previous meaning as well as
meaning a system that is prepared to take and process
mail for other systems or domains. See MX records. |
Host name |
A DNS name that maps to a host's IP
address. See DNS. |
HTML |
HyperText Markup Language. The
mechanism used to define the content and appearance of
information displayed by a Web browser. |
HTML page |
A single file of hypertext markup
language. |
HTTP |
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The
native protocol of the Web, used to transfer hypertext
information across the WWW. |
Inform messages |
Messages generated by MIMEsweeper
from configurable subject and body text and sent users. |
Internet |
Globally distributed collection of
computer networks that exchange information using the
TCP/IP protocol. |
Internet shortcut |
Files that reference programs and
commands. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is capable of
interpreting an Internet shortcut and executing the
program it refers to. |
IP address |
Internet Protocol address. A 32-bit
number used to identify each machine on the network. |
IP gateway |
An IP gateway connects two or more
IP networks' address spaces and routes traffic between
them. It is essentially the collection of IP networks
connected together via IP gateways that allows IP traffic
to traverse the Internet. |
ISP |
Internet Service Provider. |
Java |
An object oriented programming
language for creating portable, executable applications. |
Java applet |
Java applets are programs which are
downloaded and executed by the Web browser. |
Java script |
Java scripts are executed by the
Web browser. They utilise functions supported by the
browser and could possibly exploit security holes, if
they exist. |
LAN |
Local Area Network. A collection of
devices that are physically connected together, usually
in one building, to enable communications. |
LEX
|
Lexical Analysis. A search facility
that searches data for user-defined expressions. An
expression can be a word or a phrase. It allows different
actions to be taken on the detection of matched data. |
Manager
|
MAILsweeper Manager. Used primarily
for monitoring and controlling the quarantine areas. |
MAPI |
Microsoft Application Programming
Interface. MAILsweeper uses a MAPI profile to log on to
the Microsoft Exchange server. The profile includes
information such as the name of the Exchange server
MAILsweeper is to connect to and the name of a mailbox on
the server. |
Method |
Program or process used to
implement a container. |
MIME |
Multi-purpose Internet Mail
Extensions - Internet email encapsulation convention.
Ref. RFC 2045/46/47/1521. A specification for multimedia
document formats. |
MX records |
Mail exchanger. Mail servers are
resolved by MX records in the domain's host file. MX
records contain the name and preference value of a host
capable of receiving SMTP mail. The hosts are rated in
preference. Those with the lowest preference number are
tried first. |
Name resolution |
The process of mapping host names
to IP addresses. See DNS. |
Page |
See HTML page. |
PDF |
Portable document format. PDF files
are documents consisting of simple formatted text. These
documents cannot contain macros or executables. |
PICS rating |
Platform for Internet Content
Selection. Rating applied to HTML pages, either through
self certification or through an independent body. |
Post office
|
Database of users and stored mail
messages. |
Post office group |
A group of two cc:Mail post offices
between which MAILsweeper offers protection. More than
one group can be defined (for hub configurations). |
Proxy server |
A server that functions on behalf
of browsers to handle requests and responses. |
Quarantine area
|
Configurable directory for holding
suspect messages. Up to ten quarantine areas can be
configured. |
Quarantine comment
|
Reason for individual quarantine
types. For example, Virus, User block, Illegal phrases. |
Quarantine list
|
List of quarantine comments
displayed in the MIMEsweeper Manager. This list provides
a summary of quarantine area contents. |
RAS |
The Windows NT Remote Access
Service required for SMTP dial-up support. MAILsweeper
uses a part of this service, called Dial-up Networking,
to initiate the dial-up connection. |
Resolver |
Software that allows browsers to
access the DNS database to acquire an address. |
Response
|
The result returned by a validator
for one execution. If a message contains many components
then the validator may be run several times. MIMEsweeper
collects all the <Response> values
generated and uses them to determine the final
disposition of the message. |
Script |
See Java script. |
Separators |
A list of characters used in
lexical analysis as word separators. |
SMTP |
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. An
application providing electronic mail services. |
SMTPDS |
This is the name of the SMTP
delivery service. It uses DNS or MAILsweeper routing
information to determine where to send each mail message
after processing. |
SMTPRS |
This is the name of the SMTP
receiving service. SMTPRS accepts messages for
MAILsweeper to process. It then returns the message to
SMTPDS for onward delivery. |
Spam |
A term given to unwanted or junk
mail that is often broadcast to many recipients
simultaneously. For example mailing lists, advertising.
Some spam originators may also make use of remote servers
to redistribute their messages, a technique known as mail
relating. |
Spoofing |
A method whereby the source address
of a message is altered in such a way that the message
appears to come from some source other than the original
sender. |
Store & Forward
|
Technology of holding data in a
database for subsequent delivery. For example, email
messages stored for forwarding to declared mail clients. |
Target post office |
The post office being targeted for
protection. |
TCP/IP |
Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol. A communications protocol. |
TNEF |
Transport Neutral Encapsulation
Format data. TNEF is used by Microsoft Exchange to
encapsulate MAPI properties not supported by an
intermediate mail system. |
UNC |
Universal Naming Convention. A
method of specifying resources on remote machines. |
URL |
Uniform Resource Locator. A means
of identifying resources on the Web. For example, http://www.example.com. |
Validator
|
Application, internal or external
to MIMEsweeper that examines data items and generates a <Response>.
Validators include anti-virus tools, lexical analysis,
HTML checks and authorisation checks. |
VIM
|
Vendor Independent Messaging. An
interface allowing other applications to send and receive
mail using cc:Mail. MAILsweeper uses VIM to access
cc:Mail post offices. |
Web browser |
Device that allows users to access
and view information available via the WWW. |
Web server |
Device that accepts requests from
Web browsers, generated using the HTTP protocol. It
returns the file that the client requested. |
WWW |
World Wide Web. The collection of
Web servers distributed across the Internet. |