spam is overloading me

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

[JamieBeeston]

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

We use a hardware spam firewall for our own systems, its not cheap, but I get maybe 3-4 spams a week now, and zero false positives.

There are alot of client side options, less server side options.. or you can relay your mail via a third party filtering outfit (like MessageLabs)

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

JamieBeeston said:

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

We use a hardware spam firewall for our own systems, its not cheap, but I get maybe 3-4 spams a week now, and zero false positives.

There are alot of client side options, less server side options.. or you can relay your mail via a third party filtering outfit (like MessageLabs)

Im on one of your systems and trying to sort it with your tech support as we speak.

[DonnyMac]

Hi WSW,
Ping me a PM with your domain name and I'll see if there's anything that's pronouncing your email addresses to the unwashed. It would also be handy to have the specific email addresses that are being battered.

First thing to do is to ensure that there're not being spidered from the web - to stop any new spammers from targeting you - then to deal with the cr@p that you're getting.

I despise SPAM.
Hope I can help,
Don

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

DonnyMac said:

Hi WSW,
Ping me a PM with your domain name and I'll see if there's anything that's pronouncing your email addresses to the unwashed. It would also be handy to have the specific email addresses that are being battered.

First thing to do is to ensure that there're not being spidered from the web - to stop any new spammers from targeting you - then to deal with the cr@p that you're getting.

I despise SPAM.
Hope I can help,
Don

Thanks, second website down in my profile. I think the cause is all the link building I did with the site at first, 1000s of directory submissions?

[jon-]

Messagelabs is a safe bet if you have the budget.

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

jon- said:

Messagelabs is a safe bet if you have the budget.

I dont really have a budget, wanted something free ;-)


How about http://spamassassin.apache.org/

[maser_spyder]

Google mail filters out almost all spam, and is free.

You can also set it up for your own domain using google apps, it's a little time consuming, but will save ages in the long run.

Ironically, you'll have to google 'google apps' for instructions/setup etc.

Time well worth spending, we use google mail for all of our domains, and have zero spam problems.

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

maser_spyder said:

Google mail filters out almost all spam, and is free.

You can also set it up for your own domain using google apps, it's a little time consuming, but will save ages in the long run.

Ironically, you'll have to google 'google apps' for instructions/setup etc.

Time well worth spending, we use google mail for all of our domains, and have zero spam problems.

do you mean using google web client for my email?

That would be really good for me using a web based client instead of outlook.

Edited by Work-Shy-Wanabe on Saturday 10th October 17:09

Edited by Work-Shy-Wanabe on Saturday 10th October 17:11

[john_p]

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

Set up a google mail account
Set up a forwarder in google mail to forward back to your email address
Then, set up a rule on your email server to forward all mail that hasn't already been through google, off to your gmail account.

I use procmail / qmail to do it, PM if you're using similar and need help.

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

john_p said:

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

Set up a google mail account
Set up a forwarder in google mail to forward back to your email address
Then, set up a rule on your email server to forward all mail that hasn't already been through google, off to your gmail account.

I use procmail / qmail to do it, PM if you're using similar and need help.

you've lost me know, why would I want to forward an @gmail account to @mycompany account? Defeats the point in the @mycompany account doesnt it?

After thinking about it some more what I would like to do is have a web based email client to check and store my @mycompany emails that has a good spam filter? gmail again?

[maser_spyder]

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

john_p said:

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

Set up a google mail account
Set up a forwarder in google mail to forward back to your email address
Then, set up a rule on your email server to forward all mail that hasn't already been through google, off to your gmail account.

I use procmail / qmail to do it, PM if you're using similar and need help.

you've lost me know, why would I want to forward an @gmail account to @mycompany account? Defeats the point in the @mycompany account doesnt it?

After thinking about it some more what I would like to do is have a web based email client to check and store my @mycompany emails that has a good spam filter? gmail again?

gmail again....

Will work with webmail, imap, or pop, or all three if you want it to.

Very versatile, and excellent, excellent, excellent spam filters.

Free too.

Use the google apps one, sign up for the 'standard' type, it's a PITA changing the MX records for your domain, and setting up new mailboxes, etc. but it's well worth getting your head around it, and the initial effort. Once it's set up (which if you're a technical dunce, just get your web developer to do for you), it's a really, really good system.

[ACEparts_com]

We had a mega spam issue - mainly caused by people using anything@aceparts .com as a reply address on there spam. Combination of using gmail and (i can't remember what it's called) but you can associate an IP address with an email account so that ISP's block the spam with the wrong reply address on in the first place.

We've gone from 100K junk emails a week to zero

[gamefreaks]

I've deployed MailScanner for the company I work for.

It takes some time and effort to configure, but it is very effective. (Which it should be as it uses SpamAssassin)

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

maser_spyder said:

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

john_p said:

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

Set up a google mail account
Set up a forwarder in google mail to forward back to your email address
Then, set up a rule on your email server to forward all mail that hasn't already been through google, off to your gmail account.

I use procmail / qmail to do it, PM if you're using similar and need help.

you've lost me know, why would I want to forward an @gmail account to @mycompany account? Defeats the point in the @mycompany account doesnt it?

After thinking about it some more what I would like to do is have a web based email client to check and store my @mycompany emails that has a good spam filter? gmail again?

gmail again....

Will work with webmail, imap, or pop, or all three if you want it to.

Very versatile, and excellent, excellent, excellent spam filters.

Free too.

Use the google apps one, sign up for the 'standard' type, it's a PITA changing the MX records for your domain, and setting up new mailboxes, etc. but it's well worth getting your head around it, and the initial effort. Once it's set up (which if you're a technical dunce, just get your web developer to do for you), it's a really, really good system.

Can I just setup a normal google meial account and point my pop accounts to it?

Not sure I understand the google apps mail? Whats the difference and why use that?

[lestag]

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

I have a few websites which have been running a few years on a dedicated server. The amount of spam I get a day is very time consuming to look through for genuine business emails. I have the standard spam filter turned on and one in outlook. But is there something else I can do? Is there third party software that I can install on my server to reduce the work load?

what smtp mail server are you running and what O/S is the dedicated server running?

[john_p]

Work-Shy-Wanabe said:

john_p said:

Set up a google mail account
Set up a forwarder in google mail to forward back to your email address
Then, set up a rule on your email server to forward all mail that hasn't already been through google, off to your gmail account.

I use procmail / qmail to do it, PM if you're using similar and need help.

you've lost me know, why would I want to forward an @gmail account to @mycompany account? Defeats the point in the @mycompany account doesnt it?

After thinking about it some more what I would like to do is have a web based email client to check and store my @mycompany emails that has a good spam filter? gmail again?

Your server still receives the emails, but instead of delivering to your mailbox straight away, it forwards to gmail first. Then, gmail forwards it back to your server. Your server then sees that it's already been through gmail, so delivers it into the local mailbox. Any spam gets filtered out by gmail and never comes back to your server.

So genuine mail goes
Sender -> Your server -> gmail -> Your server (again) -> delivery

Spam goes
Sender -> Your server -> gmail -> filtered into gmail spam

My logic is, gmail spend more time on spam solutions than I can be bothered with

You do need to check the spam folder on gmail every now and then.

Edited by john_p on Tuesday 20th October 16:02

[cyberface]

ACEparts_com said:

We had a mega spam issue - mainly caused by people using anything@aceparts .com as a reply address on there spam. Combination of using gmail and (i can't remember what it's called) but you can associate an IP address with an email account so that ISP's block the spam with the wrong reply address on in the first place.

We've gone from 100K junk emails a week to zero

Exactly the same problem here - I implemented the SPF record in my DNS (which is what I think you're referring to above re: IP addresses and email accounts) for all my domains, which cut down a few of the spams, but SPF only prevents spam from mail servers that actually look up the DNS record.

Mail 'servers' built into zombie bots running on hacked Windows machines in Brazil don't check the SPF records, and thus I still get 1000-2000 spam emails a day.

Sadly I've had to implement whitelisting so I only get email from people I know and are on my address book. Anything else gets dumped in the spam box, and I have to do a laborious check through this every few days for 'real' mail that I've missed.

It's a fking pain in the arse and short of piggybacking off someone else's service (I don't really want all my mail being analysed by Google or I'd use gmail for all my company email) or implementing dangerous rules like 'if it's from a Windows box in Brazil then drop it', then I don't see much good that can be done. Even with complicated Bayesian rulesets, spammers have got too sophisticated in terms of *content* to filter purely based on the content of the mail.

If everyone only sent mail from their own mail servers and everyone had SPF records then it'd be fairly easy to eliminate spam - but that's a pipedream. I'm starting to think that blocking certain *senders* based on IP address or domain name may have some benefit - most of the zombie-bot spam is sent from hijacked Windows boxes on DSL lines and the originating domain name is fairly easily identified...