How to bypass built-in SMG quarantine and route flagged messages to a third-party quarantine solution.

Products

• Messaging Gateway

Issue/Introduction

An organization utilizes Symantec Messaging Gateway (SMG) for email filtering but requires flagged or problematic emails to be managed by a third-party quarantine solution rather than the built-in SMG quarantine.

Resolution

There are two primary methods to accomplish this: Method 1: Tag and Deliver (using headers/subjects) or Method 2: Policy Routing (routing directly to the third-party infrastructure).

Method 1: Tag and Deliver (Header or Subject Modification)

Use this method if the third-party system sits in the standard mail flow downstream from SMG and relies on specific message identifiers to trigger its own quarantine.

1. Identify Third-Party Requirements: Determine the specific signals (e.g., custom X-headers or specific subject prefixes) required by your third-party quarantine solution to trigger a quarantine event.

2. Access Policies: Log in to the SMG Control Center and navigate to Spam > Policies or Content > Policies.

3. Modify the Primary Action: Select and edit the relevant policy. Change the "Action" from Hold message in Spam Quarantine to Deliver message normally.

4. Add the Trigger Action: Click to add a secondary action to the policy. Select either Add a header or Modify the subject line, and input the specific signal required by your third-party system.

5. Save and Apply: Save the policy changes.

6. Verify: Send a test email to verify that the message passes through SMG with the modifications and is intercepted by the third-party system.

Method 2: Policy Routing (Route Action)

Use this method if you need to physically redirect the flagged messages to a specific IP address or hostname where the third-party quarantine solution resides.

1. Identify Routing Destination: Obtain the required destination IP address or Hostname (and port, if non-standard) for the third-party quarantine system.

2. Access Policies: Log in to the SMG Control Center and navigate to Spam > Policies or Content > Policies.

3. Modify the Action to Route: Select and edit the relevant policy. Change the "Action" from Hold message in Spam Quarantine to Route the message.

4. Define the Route: In the routing configuration parameters, input the destination host (IP or Hostname) of the third-party quarantine system.

5. Save and Apply: Save the policy changes.

6. Verify: Send a test email that triggers the policy and verify the message tracking logs in SMG to ensure the email was successfully routed to the third-party infrastructure.

Note: If you require specific guidance on configuring custom X-headers, modifying subject lines, or creating specific route actions within your specific SMG environment version, please consult the SMG Administrator Guide or contact support.