Mimesweeper lets users monitor data passing through the network and enforce corporate e-mail and Internet usage policies. The CCI API group's ultimate goal is to design an API that lets firewalls and VPNs redirect traffic to servers running antivirus scanners or hostile applet inspection tools for analysis. The content tools would then communicate whether the firewall should block or allow access to an enterprise network. But there may be potential drawbacks to open APIs. At the time of the CCI API's inception last fall, some users expressed concern that open APIs could be exploited by hackers.
Some fear persists.
All aspects of authentication and encryption are outside the scope of the latest CCI API draft, version 3.0.2. However, the working group suggests vendors can implement these security functions themselves.