Shelds up!

Well, I guess that's the way the world works.

I've had this account up for a couple of weeks and
have started receiving the same old spam loaded
with viruses.

Last year, one somehow got through and perty well
ruined the whole day.

So, for a while at least, I'm raising my shields to
max (one reason I picked Earthlink).

I don't have everybody listed in my address book yet.

So anyone sending a legitimate email will likely receive
a reply advising them how to complete the contact.

Sorry about this.

But I'm not going through that mess again.


Ta.

Richard

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.
At best, you're going to tick off a lot of people who truly want to
communicate with you; done on an organization wide basis it can even
land a company's email server on a blacklist (ie, people who check the
RBL server will refuse to deliver messages sent by you).

If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.

Try it out.

Mike Gaskins

Mike Gaskins wrote:

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.
At best, you're going to tick off a lot of people who truly want to
communicate with you; done on an organization wide basis it can even
land a company's email server on a blacklist (ie, people who check the
RBL server will refuse to deliver messages sent by you).

If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.

Try it out.

Mike Gaskins


Thanks Mike, I'll check into it.

With POP3 service the mail comes right to your computer.
Once there, it is difficult to deal with - without "opening" it.

This might be the answer...


Richard

You can "pull" POP3 mail into a system to process it further.

I'm guessing you're running a Windows system, and most of these are
Unix utilities, but IIRC most have Windows versions out there. My
home setup is to use fetchmail on a cron-job. Every 5 minutes it goes
out, checks my two POP3 servers for new mail, and grabs if present. It
then hands the mail off to Postfix via SMTP for processing and at this
point it behaves just as if you were running your own mail server.
Postfix uses Amavisd-new along with SpamAssasin and ClamAV for
spam/virus filtering.

Messages that fail these tests are quarantined and I never even see
them unless I specifically go and look. Messages that pass are given
to procmail for local delivery and sorting. I then run Dovecot as an
IMAP server so that I can access the mail with any mail program of my
choosing.

This not only affords good spam protection, but I can also check my
email from any computer in the house and pull up the same set of
messages. I also have setup a webmail system (Roundcube) that accesses
the IMAP server, so that I can also check my email remotely just as
easily. You don't have to go quite this elaborate (if I'm not mistaken
fetchmail can hand directly to procmail which can invoke SpamAssasin if
you like), but the tools are out there to help. All of the ones
mentioned here are also free of charge, as well as open source so you
can make changes to the program if you like.

Mike Gaskins

Mike Gaskins wrote:
You can "pull" POP3 mail into a system to process it further.

I'm guessing you're running a Windows system, and most of these are
Unix utilities, but IIRC most have Windows versions out there. My
home setup is to use fetchmail on a cron-job. Every 5 minutes it goes
out, checks my two POP3 servers for new mail, and grabs if present. It
then hands the mail off to Postfix via SMTP for processing and at this
point it behaves just as if you were running your own mail server.
Postfix uses Amavisd-new along with SpamAssasin and ClamAV for
spam/virus filtering.

Messages that fail these tests are quarantined and I never even see
them unless I specifically go and look. Messages that pass are given
to procmail for local delivery and sorting. I then run Dovecot as an
IMAP server so that I can access the mail with any mail program of my
choosing.

This not only affords good spam protection, but I can also check my
email from any computer in the house and pull up the same set of
messages. I also have setup a webmail system (Roundcube) that accesses
the IMAP server, so that I can also check my email remotely just as
easily. You don't have to go quite this elaborate (if I'm not mistaken
fetchmail can hand directly to procmail which can invoke SpamAssasin if
you like), but the tools are out there to help. All of the ones
mentioned here are also free of charge, as well as open source so you
can make changes to the program if you like.

Mike Gaskins


Now that is helpful information, Mike. Thank you.

Yes, this is a win98se box with Netscape 7.2 for browsing.

Postfix sounds like what I've wanted/needed for quite a while.
Will snoop around for a win version.

I'm also considering moving to Linux; damBillGatestosoftwarehell.

In the mean time, though, I think I'm going to leave the shields up.
Too many Romulans among the Klingon crowd.


A few years back, when I was on FlashNet I had an "experience".

One of those critters managed to get through and took up residence
on my computer. None of the AV utilities detected it.

But anytime the phone line was open, the poor computer spat email
viruses all over the place. (it WAS a clue...)

I finally got it cleaned off - but went back to the stone ages to
do it.

With a clean machine, I got back on the net, and found I was being
flooded with email containing viruses. FlashNet had 11 meg inbox -
which was filling up in 45 minutes flat.

Man, talk about feeling picked on!


Richard

I know I'm a little paranoid,
but am I paranoid enough?

Richard

Have you tried MailWasher? They have a free version.

You look at mail before you let it download to your computer. You can
see who it is from and Msg text.

Can Blacklist or ident as Frind by address or domain before it
downloads.

You also should have a good Virus program on your computer.

Both my dial up and Road Runner have virus scanning in them and stop a
lot that might kill my computer.

Lots of ways to reduce the risk but no 100% I have heard of (

Big John
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````



On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:44:53 GMT, Richard Lamb
wrote:

Mike Gaskins wrote:

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.
At best, you're going to tick off a lot of people who truly want to
communicate with you; done on an organization wide basis it can even
land a company's email server on a blacklist (ie, people who check the
RBL server will refuse to deliver messages sent by you).

If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.

Try it out.

Mike Gaskins


Thanks Mike, I'll check into it.

With POP3 service the mail comes right to your computer.
Once there, it is difficult to deal with - without "opening" it.

This might be the answer...


Richard

Right click the suspect mail in Outlook Express (Never have the preview turned on!) and select properties. Click details
tab then message source, scroll down through to see if it looks legit. That is my way to get through the last 1% that
still seems to leak through all the filters...


"Richard Lamb" wrote in message ink.net...
Mike Gaskins wrote:

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.
At best, you're going to tick off a lot of people who truly want to
communicate with you; done on an organization wide basis it can even
land a company's email server on a blacklist (ie, people who check the
RBL server will refuse to deliver messages sent by you).

If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.

Try it out. Mike Gaskins


Thanks Mike, I'll check into it.

With POP3 service the mail comes right to your computer.
Once there, it is difficult to deal with - without "opening" it.

This might be the answer...


Richard

..Blueskies. wrote:
Right click the suspect mail in Outlook Express (Never have the preview turned on!) and select properties. Click details
tab then message source, scroll down through to see if it looks legit. That is my way to get through the last 1% that
still seems to leak through all the filters...



Right click on the suspect main - in WhAt?

But it works in Netscape too.

Thanks for the tip, stranger.

Richard

Mail washer doesn't let POP 3 mail on to your machine while to scan and
check it out. You can even read it with out loading on your machine.


"Richard Lamb" wrote in message
ink.net...
Mike Gaskins wrote:

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.
At best, you're going to tick off a lot of people who truly want to
communicate with you; done on an organization wide basis it can even
land a company's email server on a blacklist (ie, people who check the
RBL server will refuse to deliver messages sent by you).

If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.

Try it out. Mike Gaskins


Thanks Mike, I'll check into it.

With POP3 service the mail comes right to your computer.
Once there, it is difficult to deal with - without "opening" it.

This might be the answer...


Richard

("Mike Gaskins" wrote)
[snip]
If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.


Our ISP is now using Postini. We're very happy with the results.
http://www.postini.com/

I got flagged just today. I checked in with Postini, through the e-mail link
they send, and saw it was my own yahoo.com messages. I had recently sent a
few saved messages to my home e-mail account.

I clicked Approve Sender (me!) and all was good again. 4 years ago we were
getting 10-20 per day, now we're down around 5 spams a month.

When Postini first kicked in we only lost a couple of people. We checked
daily for known addresses before deleting the junk. Now it's on autopilot.


Montblack