Configuring a MS Exchange Public Folder for Keyword Alerts
 

Spector Clients (Clients) can deliver a keyword alert sending a message to a Microsoft MS Exchange Public Folder. This configuration allows Clients to send keyword alerts on the network to a folder that is monitored and reviewed by a CNE administrator. The CNE administrator can configure a public folder for each Client installation or a single public folder can be configured to receive alert messages from all Client installations.

With a Client configured to deliver keyword alerts to an MS Exchange public folder, the user on the monitored computer must be logged into MS Exchange or the alert message will not be delivered. If the alert is not delivered, it will be queued for delivery when the folder is available.

Security Considerations

A security concern with using an Exchange public folder for the delivery of alerts is the ability of the monitored user to modify the content of the public folder receiving the alerts. While it is possible to hide the public folder so most users would never know it exists on the MS Exchange server, it is more desirable to configure a mechanism to prevent the users from accessing any alert messages posted to the public folder.  

One method of implementing this functionality is to configure the public folder to be "moderated.” If a public folder is configured to be moderated, all messages posted to the folder are immediately forwarded to another “mail enabled” folder with restricted access. The public folder remains empty and the CNE administrator can review the keyword alerts by viewing them in the hidden "mail enabled” folder configured when the public folder was set up to be moderated.

Creating the Public Folder within MS Exchange to Receive Alerts

1. Open Outlook and navigate to the Public Folders branch in the folder list

2. Right click and select New Folder… to create the folder. This will be the folder to be configured within the Client to receive posted alert messages

3. Give the folder a name (i.e., SpectorPublic) and specify that it will contain mail items. Use the folder name you specified here when configuring the Client for the delivery of alerts via MS Exchange public folder

4. Click on the Browse button to navigate to the folder or sub-folder you would like this folder to reside

5. Click on the OK button to create the folder

Note: The public folder you have created will have Create Items, Read Items, and Folder Visible permissions for the Default account. This means that the monitored user will have the ability to see the public folder in the Public Folders list of Outlook. See the next method listed for configuring this public folder to be "moderated,” which would remove the ability for the user to see the contents posted to the folder.

Configuring the Public Folder to be a “Moderated Folder”

To create a level of security, it may be desirable to configure the public folder that is receiving the Client alerts to be a “moderated folder.” When a folder is moderated, all items posted to the folder are immediately forwarded to a second “mail enabled” folder and the items are removed from the public folder. This allows the CNE administrator to view the alerts from the second “mail enabled” folder and removes the user's ability to view the alerts posted to the public folder.

1. Create a second folder which will be hidden and to which the Public Folder will forward all alerts

1. Open Outlook and navigate to the Public Folders branch in the folder list

2. Right click and select New Folder… to create a folder

3. Give the folder a name (i.e., SpectorHidden) and specify that it will contain mail items

4. Click on the Browse button to navigate to the folder or sub-folder in which you would like this folder to reside. You may want to make this folder a sub-folder of the first folder for organizational purposes. This folder will be hidden so that users will not be able to see it or its contents

5. Click on the OK button to create the folder

6. Select the folder that you just created in the Public Folders list

7. Right click and select Properties

8. Click on the Permissions tab

9. Select the Default name

10. Select the Folder visible permission and remove the check mark. This will remove permissions for both Folder Visible and Read Items.  his will make this folder invisible to all non-CNE administrator users and the alerts cannot be viewed

2. Use MS Exchange System Manager to “mail enable” the second folder

1. Log on to the MS Exchange Server or another computer running the Exchange System Manager

Note:You will need the proper credentials to perform Exchange administration

2. Open Administrative Groups and navigate to the Public Folders. Navigate to the second folder that was created (i.e., SpectorHidden)

3. Right click on the folder and from the All Tasks menu select Mail Enable

4. Close and exit the Exchange System Manager

3. Configure the Public Folder to be “moderated” to the hidden second folder

1. Open Outlook and navigate the folder list to the public folder created for use with the Client  (i.e., SpectorPublic)

2. Right click and select Properties

3. Click on the Administration tab and select the Moderated Folder button

4. Check the Set folder up as a moderated folder option

5. Click on the To… button and browse to the second folder (i.e., SpectorHidden) created in step one above

6. Click on the Add button after the proper folder has been selected.  

7. Click on the OK button

8. Move to the Moderators field and click on the Add… button

9. Select the user from the list that will be reviewing the messages in the second folder (i.e., SpectorHidden)

10. Click on the OK button to complete the configuration of the Moderated Public Folder

11. Click on the OK button to save the changes and close the Properties dialog

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