Managing Spam using SpamAssassin

Server side software, called SpamAssassin™, is available to help identify spam. This software is active on each new account by default and analyzes and tags messages as they pass through our central gateways. All messages passing through are scored by SpamAssassin™ and will be tagged, if identified as spam, with an extra header line similar to the following. This will be added to the subject of the message:

****SPAM****

SpamAssassin performs a number of different tests on contents and subject line of each message. As a result, each message scores a number of points. The higher the number, the more likely a message is spam. For example, a message containing the text string "BUY VIAGRA AT LOW PRICE!!!" in Subject line and message body will score high and likely be classified as spam. By default, the filter sensitivity is set so that all messages that score 7 or more points are classified as spam.

Having ****SPAM**** added to the subject of a message is typically not enough. You will likely want to set up a filter (sometimes called a "rule") on each mail client you use if you want a message to be treated differently based on these tags. For example, you can set a rule to put all message that have the word "spam" in the subject line into a special spam folder you created.

Setting up a filter in your mail client

This page explains how to set up a filter to direct email that has been tagged as spam into a certain folder, or take some other action that you specify, based on the presence of a tag inserted by SpamAssassin. PLEASE NOTE:

• Client rules take effect when you check your mail, rather than when mail is delivered. If you read mail on more than one personal computer, you must set up filtering on each of them.
• The "destination folder" that we'll mention in the upcoming instructions *can be* your Trash folder. However, we recommended that you check that folder routinely in order to make sure that mail you actually want isn't being filtered. If you use Trash, you must remember to check it before emptying it. If you have Trash set to empty on exit, that means you must check it each time you read mail. If you don't think you'll remember, you should use a more permanent destination by creating a folder called something like "spam" or "junkmail."
• Keep in mind that occassionally, email you want to keep may be identified as spam. For this reason, you probably shouldn't immediately delete your spam messages. Store them in a spam folder and every week or so, look over the folder to see if there's anything important, then delete all the messages.
• After using these filters for a bit, you may want to refine some of your filtering criteria. For example, you might find that you are still getting too much spam, and want to make the threshold defining "spam" more aggressive. You can do this by contacting your email administrator and having the criteria changed from 7 to a lower number.

Instructions for setting up filters in various mail client

Horde

Horde has a user interface that makes it easy to set up a SpamAssassin filter. To see Horde filtering instructions, click here.

Outlook 2003 (IMAP)

1. If you do not already have one, you need to create a folder to serve as the destination for suspected spam. Do this within your mail account, using File-New-Folder .
2. Once you have chosen or created a destination folder, go to Tools->Rules and Alerts
3. At the top where you see an option for Apply changes to this folder make sure to choose the folder that represents your Inbox.
4. Click on the New Rule button
5. Toward the top of the window, select Start from a Blank Rule
6. Then choose Check messages when they arrive
7. Click Next
8. Check With specific words in the message header (you may need to scroll to see it)
9. Click on the link for specific words in the Rule description area below
10. Type in "spam"
11. Click Add
12. Click OK
13. Click Next
14. Select Move it to the specified folder
15. Click on the link for specified in the Rule description area below
16. Specify the destination folder for suspected spam (the one you created or chose in Step 1)
17. Click OK
18. Click Next
19. Click Next (unless you need to add exceptions)
20. Check Turn on this rule (You can also choose the other options if you wish to.)
21. Click Finish, Apply and OK
22. Users of Outlook will need to bear in mind that messages marked for deletion, or those that are "moved" to another folder (as in the case of these spam-filtering rules) will not be purged automatically from the Inbox of your IMAP account. This will make it appear as if the filter you just set up is not completing the task of deleting mail from your Inbox, but really it's just doing what Outlook does. To make it easier to quickly purge the messages you will see marked for deletion, you should take the following steps...
23. Make sure to select your Inbox (or any other IMAP folder) just by clicking on it once to highlight it.
24. Choose Tools-Customize and click on the Commands tab.
25. Click on the Edit category and scroll down until you see the Purge Deleted Messages option.
26. Click to select the Purge Deleted Messages option and drag it up to your toolbar . One nice place to locate it might be next to the black X tool (which represents "delete").
27. After you see the words Purge Deleted Messages on your toolbar, you can click Close .
28. (In the future, if you need to move that command off of the toolbar, or move it to another location, simply repeat steps 23-26 but drag it back onto the Edit window.)
29. Note that you can still review deleted items by going to your spam folder, and any items you want to save can be dragged back into the Inbox. This makes it reasonably safe to purge from the Inbox immediately after spam arrives, just as if the mail program had done it for you.
30. Periodically you will need to review the items in your spam folder in order to delete and purge them.

Outlook 2000 or Outlook XP (IMAP)

1. If you do not already have one, you need to create a folder to serve as the destination for suspected spam. Do this within your mail account, using File-New-Folder.
2. Once you have chosen or created a destination folder, go to Tools->Rules Wizard
3. If you see an option for Apply changes to this folder make sure to choose the folder that represents your Inbox.
4. Click on the New button
5. Toward the top of the window, select Start from a Blank Rule
6. Then choose Check messages when they arrive
7. Click Next
8. Check With specific words in the message header (you may need to scroll to see it)
9. Click on the link for specific words in the Rule description area below
10. Type in "spam"
11. Click Add
12. Click OK
13. Click Next
14. Select Move it to the specified folder
15. Click on the link for specified in the Rule description area below
16. Specify the destination folder for suspected spam (the one you created or chose in Step 1)
17. Click OK
18. Click Next
19. Click Next (unless you need to add exceptions)
20. Check Turn on this rule (You can also choose the other options if you wish to.)
21. Click Finish
22. Users of Outlook will need to bear in mind that messages marked for deletion, or those that are "moved" to another folder (as in the case of these spam-filtering rules) will not be purged automatically from the Inbox of your IMAP account. This will make it appear as if the filter you just set up is not completing the task of deleting mail from your Inbox, but really it's just doing what Outlook does. To make it easier to quickly purge the messages you will see marked for deletion, you should take the following steps...
23. Make sure to select your Inbox (or any other IMAP folder) just by clicking on it once to highlight it.
24. Choose Tools-Customize and click on the Commands tab.
25. Click on the Edit category and scroll down until you see the Purge Deleted Messages option.
26. Click to select the Purge Deleted Messages option and drag it up to your toolbar . One nice place to locate it might be next to the black X tool (which represents "delete").
27. After you see the words Purge Deleted Messages on your toolbar, you can click Close .
28. (In the future, if you need to move that command off of the toolbar, or move it to another location, simply repeat steps 23-26 but drag it back onto the Edit window.)
29. Note that you can still review deleted items by going to your spam folder, and any items you want to save can be dragged back into the Inbox. This makes it reasonably safe to purge from the Inbox immediately after spam arrives, just as if the mail program had done it for you.
30. Periodically you will need to review the items in your spam folder in order to delete and purge them.
31. NOTE: If you find that filtering is not working and you are sure you have not made an error or a typo, it could mean that you need to update your Windows operating system to use of Service Pack 2. You can do this at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com .

Macintosh Outlook Express 5.x (OS 8 or 9 only) or Entourage
(Macintosh only - IMAP or POP):

1. You need to choose (or create) a folder to serve as the destination for suspected spam. We've heard from Entourage users that "Deleted Items" is a good choice, because of the way Entourage handles purging. Alternatively, you could create a folder called something like "spam" using File-New-Folder.
2. Once you have chosen or created a destination folder, choose Tools->Rules
3. Select Mail (IMAP) or Mail (POP) (most people at BU use IMAP), and then click on the New button.
4. Give the rule a name, e.g., "SpamAssassin Filter".
5. Under the section marked, choose Specific header and then type in "spam"
6. Under Contains: type in YES
7. In the section marked Then , specify an action. The recommended action is to Move message to a folder, and then specify the folder that you created or chose in Step 1.
8. Click on OK

Mozilla Thunderbird (also works for Netscape 7.x) (IMAP)

1. If you do not already have one, you need to create a folder to serve as the destination for suspected spam. Do this within your mail account, using File-New-Folder .
2. Once you have chosen or created a destination folder, select Tools->Message Filters .
3. Click on the New button
4. Give the filter a name, e.g., "SpamAssassin Filter".
5. Make sure that Match any of the following is selected
6. Select Subject and change it to Customize . You will then be able to create a New message header.
7. Click on Subject again to see and select "spam"
8. Switch from contains to is
9. Enter YES in the type-in box.
10. Under Perform this action or Perform these actions, leave the action as Move to folder , and use the other drop-down to choose a destination for suspected spam (the folder you created or chose in Step 1).
11. Click OK and OK again.

Mac OS X 10.4 Mail (IMAP) --scroll to see previous version instructions below--

1. If you do not already have one, you need to create a folder to serve as the destination for suspected spam. Do this by selecting your mail account and choosing Mailbox->New Mailbox.... . Give it a name and click on OK.
2. Once you have chosen or created a destination folder, choose Mail -> Preferences
3. Select Rules and then Add Rule
4. Give the rule a name, e.g., "SpamAssassin Filter", then pull down the From menu to choose Edit Header List... and click on the + button
5. Type in "spam" and click on OK
6. Now click From and select "spam", keep Contains in the
   next box, and enter YES in the third text box.
7. In the "perform actions" section, select Move Message and select the
   desired mailbox (the one you created or chose in Step 1).
8. Click OK and close the Mail Preferences window .
9. You may be prompted to Apply the rules immediately, which is fine to say Yes to. You can then close your Rules window.

Eudora (IMAP or POP)
(Eudora is not supported by the PCSC )

1. If you do not already have one, you need to create a folder to serve as the destination for suspected spam. Do this by selecting (with a right click) your mail account (which may be called "Dominant") and choosing Mailbox->New.
2. Once you have chosen or created a destination folder, go to Tools->Filters and click on New
3. Type "spam" next to Header
4. Select Incoming and Manual options under Match (but not Outgoing)
5. For the match, select Contains and then type YES
6. For Action , do Transfer To and then select the destination folder you created or chose in Step 1.
7. Close the window and click Save when prompted.
   

Outlook Express for Windows

Unfortunately, Outlook Express for Windows cannot filter mail at all when configured to use IMAP, nor can it filter on specialized extra header tags if configured to use POP.

Outlook Express for Windows (POP only)

1. With OE open, choose Tools->Message Rules->Mail .
2. In the first section of the resulting window, check off "Where the subject contains specific words".
3. In the second section of that window, check off "Move it to the specified folder".
4. In the third section, click on specific words , type in the words you opted to use when choosing Subject-line tagging and click on Add .
5. In the third section, click on specify folder , and either choose an existing one or click on New Folder to create one. You could call it something like " spam ". Give the rule a name, something like " SpamAssassin filtering ".
6. Click on OK to save the filter.

 

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