Spam FAQ

Unwanted Email, The Basics

What is IT Services doing to combat spam?

All email that is delivered to Armstrong email accounts is scanned for indicators that it may be spam. The software that scans incoming mail assigns points to the email based on various factors that contribute to "spamminess", and anything with a very high score (over 10) is rejected outright. In order to reduce the possibilty that we reject a legitimate piece of email, potential spam that obtains a score between 5 and 10 will be marked with {SPAM?} in the subject line, but will be delivered to your mailbox.

For information about how to set up the Junk Mail folder if you are a Groupwise user, or filters for Netscape mail to prevent delivery of {SPAM?} messages to your inbox, click here.

How does IT Services determine if a message is spam?

IT Services uses spam scanning software that automatically evaluates incoming email on a number of factors. These factors change frequently, in response to new tactics used by the spammers. Some of these factors include:

• Real-Time Black Hole Lists: Block email servers known to be sending spam.
• Email Fingerprinting: Messages whose unique checksum matches known spam.
• Virus Scan: Email file attachments scanned for known viruses.
• Attachment Blocks: Messages that contain uncommon attachments often used by email worms.
• URI Blocklists: Block email containing links to web pages known to be spam or phishing attempts.

After examining an email based on the criteria listed above, a confidence score is assigned to represent how likely the message is to be spam. If the score indicates that an email has a very high probability of being spam then the message is discarded or marked (please see What is IT Services doing to combat spam?).

Why am I still getting spam?

It is the goal of IT Services to significantly reduce the amount of spam that reaches your inbox, through a combination of checking the email before delivery and marking the spam so you can filter it out once it is delivered. Spammers are aggressive and change tactics frequently. We encourage you to check out the Spam Scanning Statistics to see for yourself how our spam scanners are doing.

A very few people on campus still have high volumes of spam that does not get caught by the filters. To combat this we are investigating more aggressive methods of scanning. Most AASU email accounts are seeing fewer than 10 pieces of unmarked spam (that is, spam that doesn't have the {SPAM?} label in the subject) per day. If you are seeing more than this, please contact the IT Services Helpdesk so we can evaluate your account.
NOTE: If you are seeing {SPAM?} in the subject lines of emails in your inbox please read about setting up Junk Mail handling or filters and contact the IT Services Helpdesk for further assistance.

Can the automated spam scanning mistakenly block legitimate messages?

The spam scanners have many features that attempt to prevent the blocking of legitimate email, however, it is an automated process and it is possible for legitimate mail to be labeled as spam. It is highly unlikely that any legitimate email will score high enough to be discarded. Your legitimate mail may end up in your Junk Mail folder. If you are expecting email that does not arrive, it is advisable to look in your Junk Mail folder. We also recommend that you look in your Junk Mail folder periodically before purging it, to avoid deleting legitimate email. If you find legitimate email that has been marked as {Spam?} or put into your Junk folder, please notify the IT Services Helpdesk.

If someone sends you an attachment that is on our block list, it will be put into quarantine. We do this to prevent viruses - there are many types of files that are most often sent as carriers of viruses and it is a common practice to quarantine those file types. If you do not receive a message that you were expecting with an attachment, please call the IT Services Helpdesk for further assistance.

How much spam is getting blocked currently?

Click here for SPAM Stats .

How do I set up Junk Mail handling?

Groupwise Email that is marked as {Spam?} can be moved automatically to a Junk folder if you are using Groupwise email. You must use the Groupwise client to set up Junk Mail Handling for the first time; you cannot use the Webmail client for the initial set up. After setting it up the first time, Junk Mail handling will happen automatically for all of your Groupwise email, whether you access it from your computer or on the web.

Junk Mail Handling for Groupwise Email
To turn on Junk Mail Handling for Groupwise Email:

1. Open your Groupwise Email client.
2. Select Tools from the top menu.
3. Select Junk Mail Handling from the Tools menu.
4. A box will appear with options for handling Junk Mail. On the Settings tab, select the check box next to Enable Junk List.
5. Click "OK" to save your settings.

All messages marked as {Spam?} should now go to your Junk folder. The Junk folder will be automatically cleaned out every 30 days and all messages deleted permanently.

Junk Mail Handling for Netscape
If you are not yet a Groupwise email user, you can still handle junk mail using the Netscape mail client. Please note that this filtering will only work when you use the Netscape client on your computer, and will not work when you use Cove email.

1. Open your Netscape Mail client.
2. You should have a list of mail folders in a menu, usually on the left-hand side of the window. Right-click on Inbox and select "New Folder..." from the menu that appears.
3. You will be prompted to enter a name for this new folder. Name the new folder "Junk". Click "OK" to save your changes.
4. Select Tools from the top menu.
5. Select "Junk Mail Controls..." from the Tools menu.Make sure there is a check mark next to "Do not mark messages as junk if the sender is in: Personal Address Book" and also a check mark next to "Move incoming messages determined to be junk mail to:"Junk" folder.

If you have any questions about these steps, please call the IT Services Helpdesk for assistance.