Welcome to PureMessage

PureMessage is a highly effective email filtering system that analyzes email messages at the network gateway. It protects organizations against spam and viruses and enforces corporate communication policies.

PureMessage self-adjusts its range of detection techniques as necessary to prevent protection failures. The software is automatically updated with the latest anti-virus definitions and spam rules created by Sophos analysts.

PureMessage contains several hundred spam tests that analyze individual characteristics of each message. Each of these tests has a numerical weight. When a message is analyzed by PureMessage, the weights from all the spam tests that matched the message are added up and converted to a spam score that expresses the message's "spam probability".

PureMessage handles incoming email as follows:

  1. The mail transfer agent passes a message to PureMessage.
  2. PureMessage applies the policy filter to the message to test for viruses, spam indicators, or other message characteristics.
  3. Depending on the results of these tests, messages are either delivered to the original recipient, redirected, quarantined or discarded.
  4. PureMessage processes the quarantined messages. End users can release messages from the quarantine via emailed quarantine digests or PureMessage's End User Web Interface.
  5. Remaining messages are usually automatically archived and deleted from the quarantine. Administrators are also able to manage quarantined messages via a web-based GUI.