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SPAM / UCE E-mail Filtering |
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SPAM / UCE E-mail Filtering |
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SPAM Filtering Security Gateway
The DCI SPAM filter is configured to delete the obvious spam, but to allow delivery of any of your e-mail that is likely to be SPAM, but may not be. For e-mail that is likely to be SPAM it will prefix *SPAM* to the subject and will place SMTP headers in the e-mail, which you may use if desired, to filter your own e-mail using your mail client, such Microsoft Outlook, or Mozilla Thunderbird. Since most e-mail clients don't normally display the headers, your e-mail will appear to you unchanged except for the subject prefix. If you do not want spam filtering, then there's nothing more you need to do. If you do want filtering, first keep in mind that this only affects e-mail that's delivered to your e-mail address at your domain name hosted by Durkee Consulting. If you receive some or all of your e-mail directly to another e-mail address, then of course that e-mail is not included.
The SPAM system will rate the message using a score of 0 and upward, as to how much it looks like spam (known as UCE - Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). This allows you to place rules or filters using your own e-mail client to move or delete messages that are likely to be spam. It also allows you to tune your own e-mail filters or rules to fit your specific needs. A score of 0, is least likely to be spam while a score of 5 or higher is generally more than 99% likely to be spam. The rating is not perfect, but it does help a lot for people who get a good deal of spam, and is some of the best technology currently available. Also the accuracy of the filter can be improved as it will learn and be tuned through usage about messages that are or are not spam.
If you want to filter out spam messages the link below provides a sample rule for configuring your client with Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird or Eudora. MS Outlook is not recommended, it is included only because it is widely used. If you are interested in other free and commercial e-mail clients check out Mozzilla Thunderbird or Qualcomm's Eudora http://www.eudora.com/ or Opera http://www.opera.com Additional on-line helps are included below, and of course please refer to your vendor specific documentation as well.
SMTP Message headers
The SPAM gateway places SMTP headers in the e-mail, which you may use if desired, to filter your own e-mail using your mail client, such Microsoft Outlook, or Eudora. Most e-mail clients don't show the SMTP message headers by default. Here are some sample steps for viewing the headers: SMTP message header sample
Filtering Rules
In particular it's recommended that you set up your filter rules to catch the X-Span-Score: header with a content of 5 or more +'s.
X-Spam-Score: 6.2 (++++++)
Sample steps for configuring a rule to filter spam:
If you get messages with a higher than 5 rating for spam which is not actually spam, you may forward the e-mail to notspam @ rd1.net, likewise if you get a SPAM message not rated at least 5, you may if you desire e-mail it to spam @ rd1.net. I will collect these messages and periodically feed them into the SPAM learning program so that it will learn more about what is and isn't spam. Please don't include any e-mail messages to which you have previously subscribed. Forwarding the e-mail messages to the above address is of course optional.
Additional online resources
Abuse.net Info About Spam http://spam.abuse.net/spam/
Information about e-mail hoaxes and chain letters. http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/
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Durkee Consulting, Inc.
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