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This article illustrates a situation where you need to set up your own mail server (be it your home mail server, or a small office one). It actually shows that, if using an integrated service mail server, anyone can do the job – and this in a matter of minutes.

AXIGEN Mail Server, the solution chosen for this example, can send and receive e-mails securely via “mydomain.com” and is able to retrieve them in a Webmail interface – this means that it includes all mail services necessary for a fully functional mail server (SMTP, IMAP, POP3, Webmail, Webadmin).

To get an idea of the amount of time you can spare by installing such a solution, just think of all the different open source applications you would need to install instead (i.e. an MTA, Squirrelmail for Webmail, QmailAdmin for web configuration, Courier for IMAP and POP3 and many others.)

AXIGEN Mail Server also integrates with filtering applications. It comes with built-in connectors for ClamAV antivirus and SpamAssassin Anti-spam applications. The second part of this article shows you how to install these applications and configure these connectors for use with AXIGEN.

So, at the end of this process, which can take up at most half an hour, you will not only have your mail server up and running, but also virus and spam protection for your incoming and outgoing mail traffic.

AXIGEN runs on several Linux distributions (Gentoo, Redhat/Fedora Core, Slackware, Debian, Ubuntu, Mandrake/Mandriva, SUSE) and on BSD versions (FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD) but for the purpose of this article, let’s suppose you are setting up your mail system on a Fedora Core 4 platform.

Let’s first go through the Installation and Initial configuration process for AXIGEN.

In 6 easy steps, you will have your server installed, your primary domain running and access to the Web configuration interface (Webadmin).

1. Download / unpack corresponding package

Download AXIGEN rpm package from the AXIGEN website (packages are available as 30 day evaluation versions).

Save the corresponding package for Redhat axigen.i386.rpm.tar.gz on your local machine and unpack the file, by issuing in the same directory as the download file:

tar xzvf axigen.i386.rpm.tar.gz

2. Install command

Then, in order to install the RPM package, issue (while logged in as root) the following command, from the same directory as the rpm file:

rpm -ivh axigen.i386.rpm

This will create the entire directory structure needed for AXIGEN to run. After the installation, no daemons or related application will be started.

3. Configuration options

AXIGEN provides several configuration options (configuration file, Command Line Interface), but the most intuitive and comprehensive is Webadmin, the Web configuration interface.

The corresponding Webadmin service is enabled by default, as well as the other default services: IMAP, Logging, POP3, Processing and SMTP.

4. Set the admin password

All you need to do in order to access Webadmin is set the admin password (admin user works by default). To do that, run AXIGEN with -A (or –admin-passwd) option:

/opt/axigen/bin/axigen -A

5. Start AXIGEN

You can then start AXIGEN, using its initscript, by issuing this command:

/etc/init.d/axigen start

At first server start, AXIGEN creates automatically a domain database location, an entity the server uses to store domains. Thus, you’ll be able to directly add your first domain in the

set your primary domain when first logging on to Webadmin, as it will be stored in this domain database location, created by default.

6. Initial Configuration

While the server is started, start your favorite browser and enter the default Webadmin address http://127.0.0.1:9000/.

Login using the ‘admin’ username and the password you have previously set.

In Webadmin, go to the Domain tab, and enter the name of your first domain in the Domain tab, then click the Add domain button.

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Then, go to the Server tab and enter the name of the domain you have just created in the Primary domain field.

http://www.axigen.com/usr/images/article/how-to/figure2.jpg

Also, make sure that in the Running services area, all the services you would like to use are checked. To be able to access email accounts via AXIGEN Webmail, the Webmail check box needs to

be selected.

To make your changes effective, click the Commit button in the upper left corner and than go to the Commands tab and click the Save config button, as instructed by the message displayed at the top of the screen. By doing this, the server will run with the current configuration, with no need to restart the server.

Setting up Antivirus and Antispam Connectors

Now that your server is running and your primary domain is configured, you can connect the antivirus and anti-spam applications.

By default, AXIGEN comes with connectors for ClamAV Antivirus and SpamAssasin Anti-spam application, and the setup process below describes how to make these two applications work with AXIGEN. However, note that AXIGEN implements a proprietary filter scripting language that allows you to implement connectors for any third party Antivirus and Antispam applications, by writing a script in AFSL.

First, here is how to connect ClamAV, the open source antivirus application.

A. Download ClamAV (daemon), on the same machine on which AXIGEN Mail Server is installed. Follow these steps in order to configure ClamAv for use with AXIGEN and start the clamd daemon.

1. Install clamav-server, using yum (Yellow Dog Updater, Modified):

yum install clamav-server

2. Copy the sample config file shipped with clamav-server:

cp /usr/share/doc/clamav-server-/clamd.conf /etc/clamd.d/axigen.conf

3. Edit /etc/clamd.d/axigen.conf

# comment out the Example line

# Example

# insert/modify the following lines:

LogFile /var/log/clamd.axigen

PidFile /var/run/clamd.axigen/clamd.pid

LocalSocket /var/run/clamd.axigen/clamd.sock

User axigen

4.Create a link to the clamd binary:

ln -s /usr/sbin/clamd /usr/sbin/clamd.axigen

5.Create the run directory, where the PID file and clamd socket will be stored, and change its permissions:

mkdir -p /var/run/clamd.axigen

chown axigen:axigen /var/run/clamd.axigen

6.Create and setup the initscript:

cp /usr/share/doc/clamav-server-/clamd.init /etc/init.d/clamd.axigen

chmod 755 /etc/init.d/clamd.axigen

/sbin/chkconfig clamd.axigen on

7.Edit /etc/init.d/clamd.axigen and modify the following lines, as specified below:

Code:

# description: The clamd server running for axigen

CLAMDSERVICE=axigen

8.Finally, start the clamd daemon:

/etc/init.d/clamd.axigen

B. Configure AXIGEN anti-virus filter at server level using WebAdmin

1. Add the ClamAV filter. To do this, go through the following steps:

a.) In the Server tab, go to Filters page and then to Socket Filters page. Click on the Add new filter button.

Fill out the fields in the window displayed.

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The Name field represents the name of the filter. The Address field depends on how clamd is configured. You can use either a TCP or a local socket, and you must enter the address accordingly:

- for a local socket: local://pathtolocalsocket

- for a TCP socket: inet://ip.ad.dr.ess:port

The Protocol file field must contain the system full path to the ClamAV AFSL (AXIGEN Filters Scripting Language) file, by default /var/opt/axigen/filters/clam-av.afsl.

The Idle timeout field represents the inactivity timeout on connection.

The Action on match field defines the action to be taken in case the filter matches an email (this can have a value of pass, discard or reject).

Note: For antivirus and Anti-spam filters, the reject action should not be used, and is known to be a bad practice, as it will cause a significant traffic growth.

The Max. connections field will set the maximum number of connections to the specified filter.

Example of configuration:

name = clamav

address = local:///var/run/clamav/clamd.sock

protocolFile = /var/opt/axigen/filters/clam-av.afsl

idleTimeout = 60

actionOnMatch = discard

maxConnections = 10

At the end, press the Add button, then the Commit button and, as specified, once again on the Commit button. Go to Commands tab and click Save config to save the new configuration.

2.Enable this filter for all incoming and outgoing mails:

- In the Server tab, go to Filters page and then to Active Filters page. Click on the Add new filter button.

- Fill out the fields in the new window displayed.

In the Priority field, enter a priority between 0 and 500 (a filter with priority 0 will be applied first and the one with 500, last). Please note that the domain-level filters have the priority limited to range 100-400 and the user-level filters are limited to the 200-300 range. A value of “10″ should be fine, leaving you space to apply some other future filter before this one.

After setting the filter priority, select the socket value from in the Filter type dropdown list and the clamav value from the FilterName list.

In the Apply on relay dropdown list, select the yes option, to apply the filter on outgoing mails.

In AXIGEN, it is also possible to enable filters at domain and user level, in the corresponding Webadmin tabs. The filters activated at server level, will be automatically applied for all domains and accounts. However, you have the possibility to add additional filters at domain or account level.

The process for Connecting SpamAssassin, is similar, but even less time-consuming as no configurations are necessary after the product installation.

A. Install SpamAssassin using the yum application:

yum install spamassassin

No further configurations are necessary.

B. Configure SpamAssassin at server level, using Webadmin. The connector for SpamAssassin is a socket filter for AXIGEN, so the configuration procedure is the same.

The difference would be that for SpamAssassin, a TCP socket is more likely to be used.

The data for SpamAssassin to use in this procedure is:

Default address: inet://127.0.0.1:783

Default Protocol File Name: /var/opt/axigen/filters/spamassassin.afsl

Thus, a typical configuration would involve the following values:

name = spamassassin

address = inet://127.0.0.1:783

protocolFile = /var/opt/axigen/filters/spamassassin.afsl

idleTimeout = 60

actionOnMatch = discard

maxConnections = 10

Also, when activating the SpamAssassin filter, you need to keep in mind the following:

- Enter a different priority value for the SpamAssasin filter (if you have chosen 10 for ClamAV, choose a higher value for SpamAssassin in order to apply this filter after ClamAV in

the filtering chain)

- Select the corresponding filter name, spamassassin in the Filter name list Access AXIGEN Webmail

At this step of the way, your mail server is ready to go, and you can also you can access the

AXIGEN Webmail to send and receive test messages.

First create a user account using the Webadmin, Accounts tab (the minimal configurations displayed in the General page of the account will do for now). Then, use the full email address and password to log on to AXIGEN Webmail, at the default address:

http://127.0.0.1:8000.

http://www.axigen.com/usr/images/article/how-to/figure4.jpg

Now you’re really done: you can securely send and receive messages from your home domain and easily make any further configurations, to accommodate your specific network requirements.

As you have seen, installing all mail services from one single executable, and an intuitive Web configuration interface make things a lot easier and a lot less time-consuming.

We can call our computers our versatile best friends. In this modern world, everyone needs a computer. We can do a lot of things with our computers. We can prepare documents, make, edit and watch videos, listen to music, surf the Internet, send E-mails, chat with our friends, play games, or even make calls! Computers are very valuable, and when it comes to their prices, they are not cheap. These are the reasons why, just like what we do with our best friends, we need to protect our computers; and we do this with antivirus software. We store important files in our computers and we simply cannot afford to lose them to spywares, Trojans and other viruses.

There are countless of antivirus software available in the market today. They will simply not do because we should want the best antivirus for our precious computers. So what makes the best antivirus for our computers? First, the best antivirus should get updates frequently. This way, it keeps itself well-equipped to deal with the latest menaces to our computers.

We create or download files. We also insert CDs and flash disks in our computers. All these have potential to cause danger to our computers. That is why the scanning capacity of the antivirus is also very important to protect our computers from threats. The best antivirus provides us with the best scanning capacity on a regular basis that depends on our choice.

Surfing the Internet is probably the most common activity we do with our computers. There are websites, however, that are filled with spywares and other threats that can easily damage our computers. The best antivirus will protect us even from threats coming from the websites we use as it can determine probable hazards to our computers. The best antivirus should also be able to defend our computers from new viruses that are not yet registered in the virus database.

Making the best choice is crucial. But you do not have to do it alone. There are people who can help you choose the best antivirus for your computer. There are companies and organizations that test antivirus softwares and publish the results in their websites. These testing laboratories ranked Trend Micro, TrustPort, Sophos, Norton, Kaspersky, Nod32, Microsoft, McAfee, Ikarus, ZoneAlarm, WebWasher-GW, Panda, F-Secure, F-Prot, eSscan, Bitdefender, AVK, AVG, Avast, and AntiVir as the best antivirus programs available in the market today. There are also websites that run user reviews of different antivirus programs.

You can also avail of the free trial of different antivirus softwares to test them yourself and find out what the best antivirus is. If you are convinced by the effectiveness of the software, then you can go on and purchase it. However, there are also antivirus softwares which can be downloaded for free. This has sprung a debate whether the best antivirus softwares are free or the ones which you can buy. There are antivirus programs which you can buy that have free versions. While there are free antivirus that are effective, those which you can buy obviously have advantages.

There is one Antivirus Software that stands out above the rest and for more details on why? and where to download it from? visit www.AntiVirusReviews.ws

 

The free antivirus programs are most definitely not better than any other. They are passable and decent, but some paid antivirus programs are so much better. Kaspersky is great, as well as Nod32. Twice as good as the free anti-virus programs, but not without a nominal fee. Spyware programs are a different story. Ad Aware, AVG AntiSpyware, Spy ware Doctor, Spybot Search and Destroy, and SuperAntiSpyware are all great free spyware programs.

 

The most important thing, however, is your behavior. If you behave properly, you don\’t need any type of antispyware or antivirus programs. The problem is, almost no one on the internet behaves properly these days. In either case, if you aren\’t willing to pay, I recommend using one of the mentioned free antivirus programs (preferably AVG or Avast) and a couple of the antivirus programs (one of which will be actively blocking spyware, as well as to run full scans of your computer at least once a month. The second will be used for a secondary full spyware scan along with the first.

 

Also, you should watch your behavior. Do not click links in your email. If you want to go to a URL someone (even someone you know) has sent you, type the URL out in the address bar. Be very careful about downloading anything. You should make absolute sure that it is safe. Some websites can infect your computer by using Active X controls, so also be very careful about what Active X controls you allow when surfing.

 

Most of the computers are infected because of clicking on the links in popular social networking sites like facebook and myspace. Avoid watching pornography sites since most of the adult sites ask the user to download a codec to view the downloaded video file and spread spyware in the computer.

 

Most of the computers are also infected because of using P2P Software like Lime wire. Lime wire, infact most P2P software is plagued with spyware/malware, which in turn will mess your system up incredibly. There is an older version of Lime wire which contains no spyware.However, it’s the systems you download music from which will have the major source of Virus\’ and spyware to help mess up your system and time.

 

When you download a track from limewire,you do so by downloading it off someone else PC, in turn they could be infected, passing on the infection to you. Also with it being P2P, they will have access to your system and all of the music that you have, not very safe hey!

 

If you want to download music, I would suggest doing it off a legit music site, like I tunes or HM V for example, this way you’re getting music pretty cheap and staying safe in the process. There are even some sights that for a small sum, let you download as many songs as you want over 28days.

 

My advice is keeping it safe, even if it’s an old PC you don\’t really care about. Piracy laws have really been clamped down, and you never know, the officers could come knocking on your door.

 

Antivirus and Firewalls are essential need for every computer. Nowadays when risks of viruses and malwares are increasing every day, the antivirus and firewalls can protect your system from unwanted dangers. In order to keep your computer system protected and make your computing experience more pleasant you need to adopt latest antivirus and firewalls with maximum protection.

Popular Antivirus and Firewalls

There are numerous products in this range developed by different companies. Norton, McAfee, Avast, AVG, and Kaspersky are popular antivirus software available these days. All antivirus software makers also develop firewalls. People can purchase Antivirus Software and Firewalls individually, or they can opt for a complete package that includes Antivirus, Malware Removal, Firewall, Phishing Filter, Anti Spam, and Pop-up Blockers.

Selection of Antivirus Software and Firewall

Selection of the best Antivirus and Firewall is a tricky task. There are several products to choose. However, you need to choose the most suitable product according to the requirements and level of protection being provided by those antivirus software and firewalls. The requirements may vary depending upon hardware, operating system, and network environment.

There are different products for Servers and other workstations. Like operating systems, an antivirus also comes in several editions suiting varied needs of different segment of computer users. If you are a general user looking for complete protection solutions for your home PC or personal laptop, then a personal edition of any of the antivirus will help you. However, it will be better for you to go for either Norton Antivirus or Kaspersky Antivirus. These two are most effective and provide enough protection to every system. They also comes in a complete packages bundled with Malware Removal, Firewall, Phishing Filter, Anti Spam, and Pop-up Blockers.

Update Your Antivirus Regularly

If you are accessing Internet on your PC or Laptop then you are more prone to risks of virus, Trojans, and malwares. Everyday hundreds of new viruses and Trojans attack computers connected with Internet. Antivirus makers keep developing updates and patches for these new viruses in order to provide maximum protection to their customers. To take benefit of those updates you should update your Antivirus software regularly. It’s better to configure auto live update.

After selection of a perfect antivirus software and firewall, you can be assured of protection of your PC. You do not have to worry about information theft, network intrusion, or virus attacks causing loss of your valuable data.

Spyware and computer viruses are one of the online threats that can be harmful to your system. Protection against these threats is essential and every computer should have at least a basic protection.

National Cyber Security Alliance in 2005 online safety study has reported that 81% of computer home users lack basic protection. This study shows that most people still don’t know about PC protection and even though some of them know about it, they don’t know where to find good software to protect their system.

In this article, I will tell you what are the anti-spyware and anti-viruses that you can use for free and will give you the protection that you need.

Avast! Anti-virus is created by ALWIL Software and one of the top anti-viruses. I like this the most because it has seven protections. Instant messaging, Internet mail, network shield, outlook/exchange, P2P shield, standard shield and web shield.

Another good software is AVG. AVG is created by Grisoft and you can get new virus definitions almost everyday. It also has a real-time protection against viruses. Install one of these software because you cannot have more than one anti-virus in a system.

Now let us go to the anti-spyware solution. The first one is Spybot Search and Destroy and it’s also free software. This software is very good and it can remove almost all threats such as adware, spyware, and keyloggers from your computer. It also has some real-time protection.

Ad-Aware 2007 is also one of my favorite software. The free version of this software lacks Ad-Watch, which is the real-time protection against spyware. However, owning the free version of this software is enough because you can use other software to provide your system a real-time protection for free.

The software that can provide you real-time protection against spyware are Spyware Terminator and Windows Defender. Both are free and both are good enough to give real-time protection for your system.

Anti-spyware has a different rule than anti-viruses, not like anti-viruses, you can install more than one anti-spyware in your system.

It’s up to you which software that you want to use because all the software that I recommend here are good and please remember that some of these free software can only be used for personal use only and not for commercial use.