Barracuda Spam Firewall Overview:
Benefits:
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Ensure that email is available even when mail servers fail. Because email is a critical vehicle by which today’s businesses operate, a failure of the email server can significantly limit business operations. With the Cloud Protection Layer, bundled free of charge with the Barracuda Spam Firewall, email is spooled for up to 96 hours, with an option to re-direct traffic to a secondary server. Key Features: Email Spooling |
Protect Sensitive Data Leverage powerful encryption technology to ensure sensitive data cannot be viewed by outside parties. Outbound filtering and quarantine capabilities ensure that every outbound email complies with corporate DLP policies. Key Features: Encryption, Outbound Filtering |
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Features:
Spam Protection
With a long-standing heritage in spam protection, Barracuda Networks remains the leader in identifying and blocking spam. A comprehensive set of security layers ensures that organizations remain productive in the face of evolving threats.
The Barracuda Spam Firewall leverages Barracuda Central to identify email from known spammers and determine whether domains embedded in email lead to known spam or malware domains. It leverages many of the same industry-leading techniques found in the Barracuda Spam Firewall that protect against attempts to embed text inside images with the intent of hiding content from traditional spam filters.
Virus Protection
As virus attacks become more sophisticated and complex, email infrastructure requires advanced virus protection. The potential for the destruction and release of information, or the disruption of a network severely impacts productivity and can lead to financial loss.
The Barracuda Spam Firewall scans email and incoming files using three powerful layers of virus scanning technology. It also decompresses archives for complete protection. Powerful virus definitions are automatically updated via Energize Updates to maintain the most up-to-date protection against email-borne viruses.
To provide protection from tainted internal email, a Microsoft Exchange Plug-In allows organizations to protect against the spread of viruses that don’t access the email gateway. The virus definitions are also regularly updated to ensure the latest protection.
Barracuda Central
All Barracuda products are supported by Barracuda Central, a 24×7 advanced security operations center that works continuously to monitor and block the latest Internet threats. Barracuda Central collects data from more than 150,000 collection points worldwide and analyzes it to develop defenses, rules, and signatures. As new threats emerge, Barracuda Central is quick to respond to early outbreaks and delivers the latest definitions through Barracuda Energize Updates. These updates require zero administration and ensure that the Barracuda Spam Firewall provides comprehensive and accurate protection against the latest Internet threats.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attack Protection
Not every attack is focused on getting users to send their credit card number, getting users to click on a malicious link, or to plant a virus. Often, the objective of the attack is focused on disabling a network or mitigating its effectiveness. As a cloud-based service, the Barracuda Spam Firewall is positioned to stop spammers before they overload an email server.
Email Spooling
The Barracuda Spam Firewall ensures that email can still be delivered even during email server failures or loss of connectivity. In the event of on-premises disruptions, email can be spooled in the Cloud Protection Layer for up to 96 hours. An alternate destination can also be specified for delivery, if delivery to the primary destination fails.
During email server outages, the email for all mail servers is visible through the Cloud Protection Layer. From the message log, you can see the status of all spooled emails, and whether mail has been re-delivered.
Spam and Virus Pre-Filtering
The Barracuda Spam Firewall is integrated with a cloud-based service that pre-filters email before delivery to the on-site Barracuda Spam Firewall. The Cloud Protection Layer is continuously updated with definitions in real time with updates from Barracuda Central. The elasticity of Barracuda’s global cloud infrastructure provides the flexibility to handle email surges during specific periods of the day and during Denial of Service attacks.
The Cloud Protection Layer ensures that an organization’s email security infrastructure scales with the increasing growth in email volume and attachment sizes; as well as the growth of companies. By leveraging the bandwidth and computing power of the CPL, organizations can easily scale their email security solution.
Encryption
The Barracuda Spam Firewall offers a number of encryption features. It is fully integrated with a cloud-based email encryption service for outbound email. Email that matches policy or are marked for encryption via the Barracuda Outlook Add-in are securely sent via TLS to the Barracuda Message Center.
The Barracuda Message Center uses AES with 256-bit keys to encrypt email. To encrypt email traffic between sites over the Internet, the Barracuda Spam Firewall Message Transport Agent supports SMTP over TLS. This can be used between Barracuda Spam Firewalls or other email servers that support SMTP over TLS.
Outbound Filtering
Outbound filtering prevents organizations from being put on spam block lists and prevents sensitive data in email from leaving the organization. Employees can inadvertently cause internal systems to become a source for botnet spam. Using a subset of its defense layers, the Barracuda Spam Firewall’s outbound filtering stops outbound spam and viruses. It also lets administrators enforce content polices for data loss prevention (DLP) and to meet other content standards in outgoing email. Predefined filters and custom policies can be used to detect sensitive data and block or encrypt email.
Cloud-Based Central Management
The Barracuda Spam Firewall is integrated with the Barracuda Cloud Control (BCC) web-based management portal, which leverages Barracuda’s global cloud infrastructure to enable organizations to centrally manage all their devices through a “single pane of glass” interface. Administrators gain a global view of all their devices or services as well as centrally manage policies and configuration. The simple interface makes it easy for small and medium-sized organizations to implement and manage the service with minimal IT overhead.
Simple Pricing
The Barracuda Email Spam Firewall is delivered with all features and capabilities fully enabled. Inbound and outbound email filtering, encryption, and email continuity are all offered as a simple, all-inclusive subscription without any per-user fees. The Barracuda Cloud Control management portal is included free of charge.
Model Comparison:
There are eight models of the Barracuda Spam Firewall. A single Barracuda Spam Firewall can handle up to 100,000 active email users. Multiple units can be clustered together for even greater capacity and high availability. These specifications are not limits of the system, but are the recommended capacity.
Model Comparison | 100* | 200 | 300* | 400* | 600* | 800 | 900 | 1000 |
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Capacity | ||||||||
Active Email Users | 1-50 | 51-500 | 300-1,000 | 1,000-5,000 | 3,000-10,000 | 8,000-22,000 | 15,000-30,000 | 25,000-100,000 |
Domains | 10 | 50 | 250 | 500 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
Message Log Storage | 8 GB | 10 GB | 12 GB | 24 GB | 72 GB | 120 GB | 240 GB | 512 GB |
Quarantine Storage | n/a | n/a | 20 GB | 60 GB | 180 GB | 360 GB | 1 TB | 2 TB |
Hardware | ||||||||
Rackmount Chassis | 1U Mini | 1U Mini | 1U Mini | 1U Mini | 1U Fullsize | 2U Fullsize | 2U Fullsize | 2U Fullsize |
Dimensions (in.) | 16.8 x 1.7 x 9 | 16.8 x 1.7 x 9 | 16.8 x 1.8 x 16 | 16.8 x 1.8 x 16 | 16.8 x 1.7 x 22.6 | 17.4 x 3.5 x 25.5 | 17.4 x 3.5 x 25.5 | 17.2 x 3.5 x 27.3 |
Weight (lbs.) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12.1 | 26 | 46 | 52 | 52 |
Ethernet | 1 x 10/100 | 1 x Gigabit | 1 x Gigabit | 1 x Gigabit | 2 x 10/100 | 2 x Gigabit | 2 x Gigabit | 2 x Gigabit |
AC Input Current (Amps) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 7.2 |
Redundant Disk Array (RAID) | ![]() |
Hot Swap | Hot Swap | Hot Swap | Hot Swap | |||
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Redundant Power Supply | N/A | Hot Swap | Hot Swap | Hot Swap | ||||
Features | ||||||||
Outbound Email Filtering | ![]() |
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Email Encryption | ![]() |
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Large File Transfer | ![]() |
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Cloud Protection Layer | ![]() |
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MS Exchange/LDAP Accelerator | ![]() |
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Per-User Settings and Quarantine | ![]() |
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Delegated Help Desk Role | ![]() |
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Syslog Support | ![]() |
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Clustering & Remote Clustering | ![]() |
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Per Domain Settings | ![]() |
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Single Sign-On | ![]() |
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SNMP/API | ![]() |
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Customizable Branding | ![]() |
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Per User Score Settings | ![]() |
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Delegated Domain Administration | ![]() |
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*Also available in Vx (Virtual Edition)
Technical Specs
![]() Comprehensive Protection
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![]() Advanced Policy Control
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![]() Spam Filter
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System Features |
Support Options |
Hardware Features |
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![]() Barracuda Energize Updates
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![]() Connectors
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Deployments:
The Barracuda Spam Firewall is a comprehensive email security solution that manages all inbound and outbound email traffic to protect organizations from email-borne threats and data leaks. Flexible deployment options include hardware and virtual appliances, cloud services and hybrid configurations — making this solution ideal for safeguarding any size organization. In addition to protecting traffic to and from the Internet, the solution also includes a Microsoft Exchange Anti-virus Agent to protect internal emails. Widely used by over 75,000 organizations, the award-winning Barracuda Spam Firewall has no per-user, per-agent or per-server fees.
Barracuda Spam Firewall’s comprehensive features and functionality yield a phenomenal 95 percent spam catch rate out of the box with one of the lowest false positive rates in the industry. Although affordable and easy to use, the Barracuda Spam Firewall provides the most effective and complete email security in the industry.
Comprehensive Approach to Email Security
The Barracuda Spam Firewall’s multilayered approach to email security provides the most comprehensive protection available. It also optimizes email performance several ways to affordably process millions of messages per day. Its internal filtering technology employs time-tested defense layers while the Cloud Protection Layer adds advanced cloud-based technologies: the Barracuda Anti- Fraud Intelligence Engine detects and blocks fraudulent emails and the Barracuda Anti-Virus Supercomputing Grid detects and blocks polymorphic viruses that try to evade detection by changing their signatures.
Barracuda Central
All Barracuda Networks products are backed by Barracuda Central, a 24×7 advanced technology center consisting of highly trained engineers who continuously monitor and block the latest Internet threats. Barracuda Central collects emails, URLs and other data from tens of thousands of collection points located in more than 80 countries. In addition, Barracuda Central collects data contributions from more than 50,000 Barracuda products in use by customers. Barracuda Central analyzes the data collected and develops defenses, rules and signatures to defend your network.
As new threats emerge, Barracuda Central is quick to respond to early outbreaks and delivers the latest definitions through Barracuda Energize Updates. These updates require zero administration and ensure that the Barracuda Spam Firewalls provide comprehensive and accurate protection against the latest threats.
Barracuda Central monitors data 24×7 from tens of thousands of collection points located in over 80 countries and more than 40,000 Barracuda Spam Firewalls in use by customers. As new threats emerge, Barracuda Central is quick to respond to early outbreaks and delivers the latest definitions automatically through Barracuda Energize Updates.P address.
Anti-Spam Protection
Barracuda Reputation:
Barracuda Central collects IP addresses used in spam attacks and legitimate email campaigns for reputation analysis. Reputation analysis lets the Barracuda Spam Firewall filter look up senders’ IP addresses on Barracuda Networks’ block or allow lists. “Grey area” addresses are analyzed through nine other defense layers. Reputation and other upfront checks let the Barracuda Spam Firewall block over half of emails in the connection-management layers before emails are received.
With Barracuda Reputation analysis, the Barracuda Spam Firewall can quickly and efficiently make decisions to block or accept email messages based on the sender’s IP address.
Antivirus Protection
Triple-Layer Virus Protection:
The Barracuda Spam Firewall scans emails and incoming files using three powerful layers of virus scanning technology. It also decompresses archives for complete protection. This triple-layer antivirus protection uses powerful open source and propriety virus definitions, which automatically update via Energize Updates and Real Time Protection. Virus scanning takes precedence over other email scans. Barracuda Spam Firewalls worldwide collectively block more than one million virus attempts on a typical day.
Barracuda Networks triple-layer virus protection includes powerful open source and proprietary virus definitions and Barracuda Real-Time Protection for the most comprehensive email-borne virus and malware protection in the industry.
Internal Email Protection:
With its antivirus agent for Microsoft Exchange, the Barracuda Spam Firewall protects internal emails. Viruses can easily enter an internal email system through the use of Outlook Web Access or POP/IMAP on systems not under the organization’s control. The agent runs as a Windows service on the Exchange server letting the server scan internal emails for viruses. It uses the same virus definitions as the Barracuda Spam Firewall. Configuring and monitoring the agent are also done via the Barracuda Spam Firewall’s intuitive web interface. The Barracuda Spam Firewall provides a single place for managing inbound, outbound and internal email virus protection.
The antivirus agent for Microsoft Exchange protects internal emails.
Barracuda Real-Time Protection:
Barracuda Real-Time Protection is a set of advanced technologies that lets the Barracuda Spam Firewalls instantly block the latest viruses and other malware as they emerge. It draws from the largest and most diverse installed base in the industry to detect early trends in email threats. Immediately upon virus or malware classification, Barracuda Real-Time Protection sends a response via Barracuda Central to any Barracuda Spam Firewall that has submitted the malware fingerprints to block the message. This, plus a third layer of antivirus protection, enables the fastest response to email-borne virus threats in the industry.
Barracuda Real-Time Protection draws from the largest and most diverse installed base in the industry to detect early trends in email-borne threats. Immediately upon virus or malware classification, Barracuda Central responds to any Barracuda Spam Firewalls submitting the corresponding fingerprints with an instruction to immediately block the message.
Cloud Protection Layer
Cloud Protection Layer:
The Barracuda Spam Firewall is integrated with a cloud-based service that prefilters emails before delivery to the on-site Barracuda Spam Firewall, which performs further security checks and is needed for outbound filtering. The Cloud Protection Layer uses technologies that have been time tested with the Barracuda Spam Firewall along with advanced cloud-based technologies including:
- Barracuda Anti-Fraud Intelligence Engine, which detects and blocks fraudulent emails
- Barracuda Anti-Virus Supercomputing Grid, which detects and blocks polymorphic viruses that try to evade detection by changing their signatures
The Cloud Protection Layer stops spam and malware in the cloud. It also provides email continuity.
Policy and Compliance
Outbound Filtering:
The Barracuda Spam Firewall also filters outbound emails. Outbound filtering prevents organizations from being put on spam block lists and prevents sensitive data in emails from leaving the organization. Employees can inadvertently cause internal systems to become a source for botnet spam. Using a subset of its defense layers, the Barracuda Spam Firewall’s outbound filtering stops outbound spam and viruses. It also lets administrators enforce content polices for data loss prevention and to meet other content standards in outgoing emails. Predefined filters and custom policies can be used to detect sensitive data and block or encrypt emails.
Outbound filtering protects organizations from being placed on spam block lists and leaking sensitive data in emails.
Encryption:
The Barracuda Spam Firewall offers a number of encryption features. It is fully integrated with a cloud-based email encryption service for outbound emails. Emails that match policy or are marked for encryption via the Barracuda Outlook Add-in are securely sent via TLS to the Barracuda Message Center. The Barracuda Message Center uses AES with 256 bit keys to encrypt emails. To encrypt email traffic between sites over the Internet, the Barracuda Spam Firewall Message Transport Agent supports SMTP over TLS. This can be used between Barracuda Spam Firewalls or other email servers that support SMTP over TLS.
Outbound email encryption protects sensitive data in emails. It provides secure transit and storage for emails.

Barracuda Spam Firewall offers per-user, domain and global policy management.
Policy Management:
Built for the diverse needs of small and medium businesses, enterprises, educational institutions, government institutions and ISPs, the Barracuda Spam Firewall offers global, domain-level, and individual user policy control. Depending on the model, policies can be combined and customized for maximum flexibility. Several spam-scanning features can be customized for each email user including block lists, allow lists, quarantining, scoring thresholds and Bayesian analysis. Domain-level features for policy management include: inbound and outbound quarantines, outbound encryption, block and allow lists based on IP address or sender/ recipient email address or domain, reporting, and recipient validation via LDAP.
Documentation:
Download the Barracuda Spam Firewall Datasheet (.PDF)
Download the Barracuda Spam Firewall High Capacity Datasheet (.PDF)
Download the Barracuda Spam Firewall – Email Security Technology Datasheet (.PDF)