Receiving Alerts in an MS Exchange Public Folder

Configure Computers

A keyword alert can be sent by email to a  Microsoft (MS) Exchange public folder that is monitored and reviewed by a Spector CNE administrator. The administrator can configure a public folder for each Client or a single public folder to receive alert messages from all Clients.

The user logged on to a Client and having keyword alerts sent to a MS Exchange public folder 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 MS Exchange public folder is available.

Security Considerations

Using an MS Exchange public folder may allow a monitored user to modify the content of the public folder receiving the alerts as they will have Create Items, Read Items, and Folder Visible permissions for the Default account. You can hide the public folder so most users would never know it exists on the MS Exchange server, but for better security the public folder should be moderated.   If a public folder is 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 administrator can review the keyword alerts by viewing them in the "mail enabled” folder.

Setting Up Folders

• Create a MS Exchange Public Folder to Receive Alerts - Create a public folder to send the Alerts to. This folder  This will allow a monitored user to see this folder in the Outlook Public Folders list and its contents.

• Create a second hidden Public folder - This task creates a second hidden public mail folder that the first folder will forward Alerts to.

• Use MS Exchange System Manager to “mail-enable” the second hidden folder - Mail-enabling this second hidden folder will allow the alerts to be forwarded from the to a moderated folder and removed from the second hidden folder.

• Configure the second hidden public folder to be “moderated” - Prevents a user from accessing the Alerts while allowing the administrator to view the alerts from the second “mail enabled” folder.

Note  You will need Administrator privileges perform MS Exchange administration.

To create a MS Exchange Public Folder 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.

To ceate a second hidden Public Folder:

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  OK 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 to disable.
    This removes permission for both Folder Visible and Read Items, making this folder invisible and inaccessible to all other users.

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

2. Open Administrative Groups and navigate to the Public Folders.

3. Navigate to the second hidden folder created in the previous task (i.e., SpectorHidden).

4. Right-click on the folder and then, from the All Tasks menu, select Mail Enable

5. Close and exit the Exchange System Manager.

Configure the Public Folder to be “moderated” to the second hidden 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 Administration tab and then select the Moderated Folder.

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

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

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

7. Click OK.

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

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

10. Click OK to complete the Moderated Public Folder configuration.

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