Steps to Secure your Microsoft Exchange Server

Microsoft Exchange Server

One of the most used systems in the world around us today, Microsoft Exchange Server is a server for the mail as well as for the calendar services which run exclusively on Windows Server OSs. What started as a mail server that was internal to Microsoft, the Exchange Server has come a long way today. Today freely available as both, an on-premises server as well as being used as a software Microsoft Exchange Server. So if you are looking for ways in which you can enhance the security of your Microsoft Exchange Server, here are some handy tips that can help you achieve this.

Importance of a secured OS

One of the foremost steps to secure your Microsoft Exchange Server is to strengthen the security and ability of your Operating System. Though there are a number of tools that can help you to achieve this, yet, sadly, this is an area that is often overlooked by most software and hardware professionals around us today.

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Never miss an update

Security patches and updates are one of the aspects that require immense work in the process of securing your Microsoft Exchange Server. Make sure you never miss a prompt for an update or patch, because that not only secures the server but also makes sure that you have added an automated update system. A manual updating system is often more difficult to handle because of the large amount of time it takes to deploy, especially for the larger updates. This is generally caused by the systems being used while offline for the procedure. If you are the admin of your machine, you could consider virtualization as a tool with which you make the entire process of applying patches and updates a lot easier. This helps to reduce downtime, thereby making the whole process seamless as well as lot easier.

Firing it up

Use separation techniques and involve firewalls to help enhance the security of your Microsoft Exchange Server. An Edge Transport Server requires a solid firewall to provide it with adequate security. Thus, if you want to maximize security, it would be advisable to expose as little as possible of your services, barring the essential ones to the Internet. Also, disabling the HTTP sites and using only the more secured HTTPS websites can work wonders for enhancing the security of your exchange server.

If your Exchange server represents multiple domain names then SAN SSL certificate is ideal solution to encrypt online communications during transmission over the Microsoft Exchange server environment like outlook web app, exchange activesync, and outlook anywhere. It can secure your multiple domains like autodiscover.exmaple.com, owa.example2.com, outlook.example3.com and etc.

If your Exchange server stands on subdomains under the same root domain (for example – *.example.com) then you should choose a wildcard certificate.

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Benefits of external certificates

It is best to apply certificates that can help protect your exchange server while you apply external services. There are a few reliable agencies who can help you to acquire these certificates. An important point to mention here is the fact that many of these certificates can help to work over a lot of applications and are note restricted to a single application. This is not just user friendly but is also a wonderful way of helping you save on the dollars! You can also get your system checked for penetration tests by external agencies who can actually help you to understand the security strength of your network and system. Also known as White Hats, these agencies are much in demand nowadays and are also freely available on the Internet.

The big bad world of attachments

Attachments and files are often the most vulnerable areas of our system. So if you are using a Microsoft Exchange Server and want it to be absolutely secured, make sure that you have a proper system that can scan these files and attachments and make sure that your system is absolutely free of virus attacks. While choosing a scanner, make sure that it provides scanning facilities to a host of applications before they are opened.

The new wonder: Edge transport server

A new tool, which helps to keep virus at bay and away from your mail server, the Edge Transport Server helps to provide the maximum security to your Microsoft Exchange Server. Though there are a number of products and services hosted by third-party agencies, yet an Edge Transport Server is definitely the best bet from the perspective of security though it might be a bigger pinch on the pocket.

With a bit of research and help from an expert in the field, you can make sure that your Microsoft Exchange Server is completely secured even while helping you to function with the utmost ease and speed.