Spam Identification System

Features - Monday June 3, 2002 06:50 PM -05:00 UTC

A spam identification system has been activated for all IrthNet email accounts.

Identification of spam was chosen rather than outright blocking to guard against the elimination of emails that are not truly spam. Using identification means that you, the end user, have control over what to do with email spam you receive.

Keep reading for what an example spam will look like and how you can configure your email client to automatically handle it.

If you get an email identified as spam it will look like this:

To: user@domain.com
From: spammer@spamsource.com
Subject: *****SPAM***** Get the perfect mortgage fast. It's simple.

SPAM: -------------------- Start SpamAssassin results ----------------------
SPAM: This mail is probably spam. The original message has been altered
SPAM: so you can recognise or block similar unwanted mail in future.
SPAM: See http://spamassassin.org/tag/ for more details.
SPAM:
SPAM: Content analysis details: (32.8 hits, 6.5 required)
SPAM: Hit! (2.3 points) BODY: Gives a lame excuse about why you were sent this SPAM
SPAM: Hit! (1.3 points) BODY: I wonder how many emails they sent in error...
SPAM: Hit! (2.6 points) BODY: There is no obligation.
SPAM: Hit! (1.5 points) BODY: Asks you to click below
SPAM: Hit! (1.1 points) BODY: Tells you how to stop further SPAM
SPAM: Hit! (1.9 points) BODY: List removal information
SPAM: Hit! (3.5 points) URI: URL of page called "remove"
SPAM: Hit! (3.0 points) URI: Uses a dotted-decimal IP address in URL
SPAM: Hit! (3.5 points) URI: URL of page called "unsubscribe"
SPAM: Hit! (2.1 points) BODY: FONT Size +2 and up or 3 and up
SPAM: Hit! (1.8 points) BODY: Tells you to click on a URL
SPAM: Hit! (3.2 points) HTML-only mail, with no text version
SPAM: Hit! (2.0 points) Received via a relay in relays.osirusoft.com
SPAM: [RBL check: found 235.34.32.64.relays.osirusoft.com., type: 127.0.0.4]
SPAM: Hit! (3.0 points) DNSBL: sender is Confirmed Spam Source
SPAM:
SPAM: -------------------- End of SpamAssassin results ---------------------

... The spam message ...

The IrthNet spam prevention system shows you the reasons it believe the message to be spam.

In order to handle this message automatically you can create a "rule" to have your email client look for the mail header "X-SPAM-FLAG or the "*****SPAM*****" in the subject line. When it finds it you could have it route the message to a spam folder for later examination (you should examine all messages identified as spam just in case they're not; the system's not infallible).

To create rules in Outlook Express v6 acess the Tools menu to Message Rules to Mail.

To create rules in Netscape/Mozilla Navigator access the Tools menu then Message Filters.

Question, concerns, etc.: IrthNet Support

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Saves ne an extra 10 minutes everytime I check my mail in the morning. Great to have, please dont ever get rid of it! (Or at least until they pass a law against junk mail).

Posted by: Justin on Friday, March 14, 2003 05:28 AM

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Spam Identification System