Amavisd-new

Amavisd‑new is an open‑source software that plays a key role in the security of electronic mail systems. It acts as a content filter gateway, allowing analysis of inbound and outbound emails before they reach end‑users. Its main mission is to integrate various antivirus, antispam and content‑control engines in order to protect mail servers from threats.

In this article we will examine Amavisd‑new’s features in detail, explain its installation, show real‑world use cases and compare it with other solutions on the market.

What problems does Amavisd‑new solve?

Secure email management is a major challenge for system administrators and IT specialists. Commercial solutions such as Barracuda, Proofpoint or Sophos are performant, but they often present:

• High costs for small and medium‑sized enterprises.

• Strong dependence on proprietary licences.

• Lack of flexibility when integrating with existing systems.

Amavisd‑new addresses these issues by offering a free, robust and highly configurable open‑source solution. It allows integration of various antivirus engines (ClamAV, Kaspersky, Sophos AV…) and antispam (SpamAssassin) while remaining adaptable to different mail servers such as Postfix, Sendmail or Exim.

Key features and capabilities

Amavisd‑new provides a rich set of features tailored to professional needs:

• Interface and integration
   

  • Compatible with the main MTAs: Postfix, Sendmail, Exim.

  • Easy integration with SpamAssassin and ClamAV.

• Performance and efficiency

  • Able to process large volumes of mail without noticeable degradation.

  • Multi‑threading support for better performance.

• Customization

  • Fine‑grained configuration via parameter files.

  • Support for custom rules for message analysis.
     

• Security

  • Malware detection through multiple antivirus engines.

  • Encryption and signing support with OpenSSL and GnuPG.

  • Blocking of suspicious or prohibited attachments.

Thanks to its high level of flexibility, Amavisd-new integrates seamlessly into an open source platform.

How to install and configure?

Installation of Amavisd‑new requires a few technical steps, usually performed by a system administrator:

1. Download the latest version from the official repository or via your distribution’s package manager (Debian, Red Hat, etc.).

2. Install dependencies, notably Perl, SpamAssassin and ClamAV.

3. Configure Amavisd‑new in the amavisd.conf file to define :

   • The antivirus engines to use.

   • Antispam rules.

   • Attachment‑filtering policies.

4. Bind Amavisd‑new to the mail server (e.g., Postfix) through sockets or a TCP port.
    
5. Start the service and verify proper operation via the logs.
    

For stability, it is recommended to rely on solid technical support, whether internal or provided by the active open‑source community around Amavisd‑new.

Use‑case scenarios for Amavisd‑new

Amavisd‑new is deployed in various professional environments:

• SMEs and associations: secure email without investing in costly solutions.

• Universities and public institutions: protect thousands of mailboxes from spam and viruses.

• Internet Service Providers (ISPs): integrate Amavisd‑new to filter client mail traffic.

Concrete example: an IT services company integrated Amavisd‑new with Postfix and ClamAV, achieving a 70 % reduction in spam volume for its staff while saving several thousand euros per year in software licences.

Comparison with alternatives

Advantages and disadvantages

Conclusion 

Amavisd‑new is a robust, flexible and free solution for email filtering. It is particularly suited to system administrators, developers and organizations seeking a high‑performance alternative to expensive commercial products.

If you aim to strengthen the security of your emails while retaining full control over costs and configurations, Amavisd‑new deserves serious consideration.