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Spam & PureMessage Anti-Spam Software

"Spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, lovely spam, wonderful spam…" ~ Monty Python

Spam is the electronic version of Junk mail. It is unsolicited, and often unwanted bulk email messages. Spam does not usually contain viruses, but is usually a valid email sent from a legitimate source.

The amount of spam you receive depends on your Spamability quotient (SQ)

  • If you have your email address on any web sites your SQ goes up as these are culled by spammers
  • If you participate in discussions groups or list servers your SQ goes up for the same reason
  • If you have given out your email address to any surveys or to access a web site or register for or purchase something your SQ goes up
  • If you every respond to SPAM or to the 'reply to be removed from spam list' request your SQ goes way up
  • If you follow links in a Spam message your SQ will go up as this just confirms your email address

A normal range of spam is 0-30 per week depending on your SQ.

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Steps to Reduce the Amount of Spam you Receive

  • Don't give out your email address automatically (this includes paper comment cards or questionnaires
  • Check web sites privacy policies before submitting your email address online. Find out how your address is going to be used and protected
  • Be aware of options that are selected by default when installing software or completing online forms
  • Use Email filters to block addresses, or tag suspect email
  • Don't follow the links in spam messages
  • Disable the automatic downloading of graphics in HTML email. Graphics in spam are often linked to track who opens the message (which confirms the address as active)
  • Consider using an additional email address to be used for online shopping and completing forms. Any spam generated by these activities would then go to this secondary address, and not to your regular mailbox. There are a number of free email services available (Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, Eudora...xxxxlink).
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Anti-Spam Response at Vancouver Island University

PureMessage is a mail-filtering program that runs on the email server. All ingoing and outgoing email messages pass through PureMessage. The PureMessage filter looks for certain message characteristics and performs actions on the message when these characteristics are found.

How does PureMessage work?

PureMessage is a mail-filtering program that runs on the email server. All ingoing and outgoing email messages pass through PureMessage. The PureMessage filter looks for certain message characteristics and performs actions on the message when these characteristics are found.

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How does PureMessage identify Spam?

PureMessage contains several hundred spam tests that analyze individual characteristics of each message. Each of these tests has a numerical weight. When a message is analyzed by PureMessage, the weights from all the spam tests that matched the message are added up and converted to a spam score that expresses the message's "spam probability".

By default, PureMessage only checks for spam in messages that originate from outside the network, not in messages that originate within the local domain. If a message is found to have a spam probability of 50% or more, the message is placed in Quarantine. Messages that have a spam probability of 20% - 49% have a label inserted into the Subject Line (including the term PMX Spam) to warn you. Messages that are rated below 20% are passed directly through.

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How do I log into PureMessage?

Access the PureMessage End User Web Interface (EUWI) via http://spam.mala.bc.ca:28080/.

Login using your Capitan username and password.

The EUWI gives PureMessage users access to email-filtering features. Users can view and manage messages that are quarantined (blocked) by PureMessage, manage user-specific sender lists, and configure various email-filtering options.

The EUWI is comprised of the following components:

  • Navigation Menu: The menu located on the left side of the page
  • Main Page: The current page accessed through the navigation menu. Links to additional pages include: Blocked Messages, Deleted Messages, Approved Senders, Blocked Senders, and Options
  • Email Message Viewer: A viewer that opens when a message's "Subject" link is clicked.
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The PureMessage Main Page

  • The Blocked Messages page displays all email messages that are quarantined by PureMessage due to spam content.
  • The Deleted Messages page displays messages deleted from the Blocked Messages page.
  • The Approved Senders page lists email addresses that are known to be legitimate sources of email
  • The Blocked Senders page lists email addresses that are know to distribute spam or viruses.
  • Use the Options page to set to modify individual PureMessage email-filtering preferences:
    • Disable all spam and offensive content blocking for my messages
    • Notify me periodically of messages that have been blocked
    • Hold Messages (to keep messages for longer than the set number of days)
    • Language Preference
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How do I Release Blocked Messages?

The Blocked Messages page displays all email messages that are quarantined by PureMessage due to Spam content.
Using the Blocked Messages page you can:

  • view blocked messages
  • release misclassified legitimate messages from the PureMessage Quarantine and deliver them to your mailbox
  • delete and send messages to the Deleted Messages page
  • deliver and approve a sender
  • delete all messages in the list

You can sort quarantined messages based on the Spam Score, the email address listed in the From: header, the message's Subject:, or the Date the message was delivered.

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To View a blocked messages:
  1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
  2. On the Blocked Messages page, click the subject of the message you want to view. The message opens in another browser window.
  3. To close the message, click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the window.
Use the Deliver Message feature to release legitimate messages from the PureMessage Quarantine and deliver them to your mailbox.
  1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
  2. On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) that you want delivered to your mailbox.
  3. Click Deliver Messages. The selected messages are released from the Quarantine and delivered to your mailbox.
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Use the Deliver and Approve Sender feature to send the selected message(s) to your mailbox and add the sender(s) of those messages to your Approved Senders list.
  1. Use the the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
  2. On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) that you want delivered to your inbox and whose senders you want added to your Approved Senders list.
  3. Click the Deliver and Approve Sender button. The Approved Senders page is displayed.
  4. On the Approved Senders page, select if you want to Approve just the sender or Approve all email from the sender's domain.
  5. Click Approve. The selected messages are released and sent to your inbox. The selected sender(s) are added to your Approved Senders list.
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How do I add to my Approved Senders?

If you wish to have some of your messages not be processed by PureMessage can add them to your Approved Senders.

The Approved Senders page lists email addresses that are known to be legitimate sources of email. By default, PureMessage delivers email from approved senders and hosts without scanning it for spam. Use the Approved Senders feature to add or delete senders from the Approved Senders list.

  1. On the left navigation menu, click Approved Senders. The Approved Senders page is displayed.
  2. On the Approved Senders page, in the Add address text box, enter the valid email address of the sender you wish to approve.
    Note: Valid email addresses are of the form user@host.domain (for example, fooey@spammer.com).
  3. Click Add Sender. The Approved Senders List page is displayed with the approved sender added.
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Valid email addresses are in the form user@domain. The user may contain alphanumeric characters, the underscore (_), the dot (.) and the hyphen(-). The domain may contain alphanumeric characters, the hyphen and the dot.

Wildcards may also be used. Wildcards are used to match users at a particular domain. The wildcard character is the asterisk (*), which will match any set of alphanumeric characters and underscores.

To match bob@example.net one would use *@example.net.

To match bob.smith@example.net one would use *.*@example.net.

To match an entire domain, one would use @example.net or **@example.net.

Where can I get more Information?

For for more complete information on how to release messages, set up Approved Senders, configure Outlook rules, and manage your quarantined items, please see the following web page:
http://spam.mala.bc.ca:28080/help/end_user_en.html

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