Exposed Email Server

[solidghost]

I have an email server which is exposed (that is without any firewall) to the Internet. However, I have patched the Windows to the latest and didn't install any other software other than the email server software.

Is it safe?

[Defcon 5]

Yeah, you could post your IP and let someone try it (only joking dont post it).

Skiddies are good at breaking into windows systems , my choice of a mail server would have been red hat, and chuck it behind a firewall.

[Darksat]

I have an email server which is exposed (that is without any firewall) to the Internet. However, I have patched the Windows to the latest and didn't install any other software other than the email server software.

Is it safe?

I would say, probably not.
You need a firewall of some sort, although a router based firewall would just about do, and even the inbuilt windows firewall is better than nothing (although I still recommend something else instead).
and you REALLY need AV software, especially one with the capability to scan emails received by the mail server.

[Defcon 5]

http://www.clamav.net it a really good anti virus.

[solidghost]

Thanks.
I think I will just use a consumer NAT router and forward all the needed ports.

[Darksat]

Probably good to get a spam/virus checker for incomming mail.
The nat firewall is a good step up though.
but the more security the better.

[solidghost]

Yes.
I was thinking of setting up an anti-spam and anti-virus relay gateway in front of my mail server. This will certainly help right?

[Darksat]

Yeah, its kind of an essential for a mail server.

[solidghost]

I don't want to overload my main mail server, pushing all the spam filtering and virus filtering work to another server would be a more practical solution..