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Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 : Leveraging the Capabilities of the Outlook Web Access Client - Understanding OWA Security Features, Tips for OWA Users with Slow Access

9/9/2013 2:30:11 AM

1. Understanding OWA Security Features

OWA has several enhancements for security, including support for message classification, spam beacon blocking, attachment blocking, cookie authentication, and clearing user credentials during the logoff process.

Utilizing Message Classification

OWA 2007 allows a user to take advantage of the message classification rules that are configured on the Exchange 2007 server. These configurations in Exchange 2007 allow specific message types to be handled in specific ways. For example, a “Company Confidential” message might have a standard disclaimer applied to it before it is sent or an “A/C Privileged” message might be routed through an encrypted connection to the recipient’s server. By clicking the Message Classification icon in the toolbar of a new message, the OWA user can set these values.

Understanding Spam Beacon Blocking

OWA 2007 provides additional security against spam. If configured, OWA does not enable spam beaconing technology to function in OWA; it blocks links to external content on the Internet from being accessed from the OWA interface. This greatly increases the antispam features of OWA by disabling the spammer’s ability to hide beacons in unwanted spam messages. Those spam beacons automatically contact the spammers when the email messages are opened, letting the spammers know they have reached a live email address. By blocking this functionality, one more method of finding live addresses is eliminated from the spammer’s arsenal.

Understanding Attachment Blocking

OWA also provides built-in and configurable functionality to block Internet attachments, such as links to websites, music, and other Internet technologies available only outside the firewall (on the Internet).

OWA built on Exchange Server 2007 contains a block list. Any attachments with an extension type in the block list are automatically blocked when sent to a user in Outlook or OWA. The latest service packs now also include blocking of XML MIME applications and test files.

When changing or modifying these options, only administrators can configure these options; this is not configured by users in OWA. When one of these type of files are blocked, users are sent a message notifying them that the attachment is blocked.

Understanding Cookie Authentication Timeout and Timed Logoff

OWA 2007 uses cookies to hold the user authentication information. When a user logs off of OWA 2007, the cookie automatically expires, so a hacker can’t use the cookie to gain authentication. In addition, the cookie is configured to automatically expire—after 20 minutes of inactivity in OWA if the user specified a private computer, or 10 minutes if the user specified a shared or public computer.

After timed logoff has occurred and a user tries to access OWA, he has to reenter user credentials.

Clearing User Credentials at Logoff

For users who access OWA 2007 via Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or higher and FBA, the user’s logon credentials cache automatically clears when the user logs off from OWA 2007. It is no longer necessary to close the browser window to clear the cache. For users accessing OWA via other Internet browsers or via OWA servers that aren’t configured to use FBA, users must still close the browser window to clear the cache and will be prompted to do so.

2. Tips for OWA Users with Slow Access

Some users might need to access OWA through a slow, dial-up connection. OWA provides them with many ways to enhance performance and speed to improve the overall OWA experience. Leveraging options built in to the Exchange operating systems and toggling off some OWA options can ensure that users accessing OWA experience a friendly, easy-to-use client.

When using forms-based authentication, making additional changes to the Exchange server can improve OWA performance. This option provides data compression on two levels when communicating with OWA and can improve the overall performance of OWA by up to 50%.

Tip

When enabling compression on the Exchange virtual server, test performance to validate that the change is addressing your performance concerns. Ensure that compression isn’t placing too high a CPU load on the system.


To enable compression on the Exchange virtual server, perform the following steps:

1.
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, and select Exchange Management Shell.

2.
From the Exchange Management Shell prompt, type get-owavirtualdirectory.

3.
Record the identity of the OWA virtual directory.

4.
Type set-owavirtualdirecotry –identity "Owa (Default Web Site) –gziplevel high.

5.
Type Exit.

6.
Launch the DOS prompt.

7.
Type iisreset /noforce.

8.
Type Exit.

There are options that can be configured from the server and through Group Policy to improve access speeds, but users can help speed up their access regardless of whether the server-side improvements are implemented. Major options are as follows:

  • Choose Basic Mode when Logging into OWA

  • Set Low Number of Messages to Be Displayed on the Page

  • Turn Off the Reading Pane

  • Turn On Two-Line Viewing

  • Enable the Blocking of Internet Content
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