Exchange servers must have an approved DOD email-aware virus protection software installed.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
high	V-259686	SRG-APP-000261	EX19-MB-000134	SV-259686r961161_rule	2024-08-22	2

Description
With the proliferation of trojans, viruses, and spam attaching themselves to email messages (or attachments), it is necessary to have capable email-aware antivirus (AV) products to scan messages and identify any resident malware. Because email messages and their attachments are formatted to the MIME standard, a flat-file AV scanning engine is not suitable for scanning email message stores. Email-aware antivirus engines must be Exchange 2019 compliant. Competent email scanners will have the ability to scan mail stores, attachments (including zip or other archive files) and mail queues and to issue warnings or alerts if malware is detected. As with other AV products, a necessary feature to include is the ability for automatic updates.

Description

With the proliferation of trojans, viruses, and spam attaching themselves to email messages (or attachments), it is necessary to have capable email-aware antivirus (AV) products to scan messages and identify any resident malware. Because email messages and their attachments are formatted to the MIME standard, a flat-file AV scanning engine is not suitable for scanning email message stores. Email-aware antivirus engines must be Exchange 2019 compliant. Competent email scanners will have the ability to scan mail stores, attachments (including zip or other archive files) and mail queues and to issue warnings or alerts if malware is detected. As with other AV products, a necessary feature to include is the ability for automatic updates.

ℹ️ Check
Review the Email Domain Security Plan (EDSP). Determine the antivirus strategy. Verify the email-aware antivirus scanner product is Exchange 2019 compatible and DOD approved. If email servers are using an email-aware antivirus scanner product that is not DOD approved and Exchange 2019 compatible, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Update the EDSP to specify the organization's antivirus strategy. Install and configure a DOD-approved compatible Exchange 2019 email-aware antivirus scanner product.