New Spam Filtering Service for Campus Email Users
In response to increasing numbers of unsolicited commercial emails (spam), on May 1, 2003 each of the campus email servers will begin scanning incoming and outgoing emails for spam. The filtering software selected for implementation (SpamAssassin) will conduct a wide range of tests on email headers and body text. Based on the results of those tests, the software will identify and tag suspected spam. This new solution was developed to provide an automatic way of managing the proliferation of spam while minimizing the frustration resulting from unwanted commercial and often illicit email.
You may choose one of the following two options for spam filtering:
- The first option, the client-side option, requires that you configure your email client to recognize spam filtering software tags and create a folder into which spam can be filtered. Using this option, you will download all email, including those tagged as suspected spam, to your computer. Any mail tagged as spam will be directed away from your INBOX and into your spam folder, where you can view, delete, or move suspected spam.
- The second option applies to users of the campus Web-based email program (Geckomail). To implement this option, you complete a Web-based form to set up spam filtering. SpamAssassin then tags suspected spam and moves those tagged messages to a spam folder (created automatically) directly on to the campus email servers. Suspected spam messages will remain on the server for four weeks so you can view them if you so choose. In addition, weekly email digests can be provided at your request to notify you that there are messages in your spam folder. (It is possible that the tagging software may occasionally tag a message that is not spam.) Those messages will be deleted after the maximum four-week holding time expires.
For more information about these options or instructions for setting up spam f iltering, visit the Computer and Network Security Web site at http://security.ucdavis.edu/spam.cfm.