Filtering .zip files

[Brian Bartley]

We have been filtering .zip files for quite some time.  Now we are having an issue wth the track team sending around.zip files for their track meet lineups.  Does anyone else filter .zip files?  How are you handling the track issues?  Input would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks

Brian

[Matt Anderson]

We blocked .zip files before I left.

 

Is there a reason they need to zip their track meet lineups? Are they really that large? I don't know enough about the track files being sent.

 

Depending on the filter you've got, some will allow you to change the extension to .abc or something then it will allow the transaction. Once received you change the extension back and your filter is none the wiser. That is if you have a filter that, in my opinion, isn't very good and only looks at the extension and not the actual file itself.

 

If it's coming from the same location every time you might be able to setup an exception to allow .zip from a trusted host but that could get messy too. I would recommend setting up a fileshare somewhere that they can upload and you can download from rather than e-mailing.

 

[Brian Bartley]

Matt Anderson said:

We blocked .zip files before I left.

 

Is there a reason they need to zip their track meet lineups? Are they really that large? I don't know enough about the track files being sent.

 

Depending on the filter you've got, some will allow you to change the extension to .abc or something then it will allow the transaction. Once received you change the extension back and your filter is none the wiser. That is if you have a filter that, in my opinion, isn't very good and only looks at the extension and not the actual file itself.

 

If it's coming from the same location every time you might be able to setup an exception to allow .zip from a trusted host but that could get messy too. I would recommend setting up a fileshare somewhere that they can upload and you can download from rather than e-mailing.

 

[Brian Moskalik]

Agree.  If they've got multiple files (a potential reason for a zip) they need to figure out how to put it all into one document.  Or, they need to learn how to attach more than one file.

 

I don't see reason to allow zip files via email.  Seems like a huge mess in the making.

[Matt Anderson]

Another option would be to setup a Skydrive account that your track people can use to upload their data to. You get up to 20GB of free storage space I believe and it looks like you guys already use Skydrive at the district.

[Brian Bartley]

I would agree that sending zip files around via e-mail is not a recommended procedure.  It seems all of the conference track coaches use the same application for planning their track meet lineups.  This program automatically generates a zip file upon completion.  Then they send those zip files to the hosting coach and the files are imported into that trackl program to generate a meet lineup.  I have no intention on un-blocking zip files and openinig up that exposure.  It also seems that it is not always the same coach that prepares the lineup at each school so it is hard to create a rule for each potential coach on each conference team.  I've tried to explain the way to rename the file extension when sending/receiving but I think I must have been speaking in a foreign tounge.  :)  Right now they are just using personal e-mail to send these around and get past our mail filtering, however with the start of the next school year I'm going to be blocking most outside mail systems.  I'm not going to invest a large amount of time into it because we only host two track meets per year.

 

Thanks for the replies, I just wondered if anyone else had run into it.  I know the Stewartville coach is always having an issue because I've spoken with her about the file renaming.