Spam Filtering

Spam Assassin

Due to the ever increasing amount of SPAM (unsolicited junk email) we have implemented a program called Spam Assasin in order to assist in the filtering of unwanted junk email. Spam Assassin reviews each e-mail and calculates a score based on phrases and structures that are often found in Junk E-Mail. Spam Assassin then modifies the subject line by adding the phrase: **JUNK** to the junk email subject, making filtering out of unwanted junk email easy by configuring your email software to filter out junk mail (see below). The instructions below will isolate detected spam messages into a separate folder in your mail reader. You can then review and delete these messages at you leisure. Spam messages are not deleted by Spam Assassin in the case that an actual "good" piece of mail is accidentally marked as spam. Instructions for configuring common e-mail readers are included below.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT VERSION, THE PROCESS IS BASICALLY THE SAME. WE CANMNOT POSSIBLY COVER EVERY VERSION OF THE MANY EMAIL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

Outlook (version 2000/2002)
  1. You will first need to create a folder to hold your junk e-mail.
    1. Go to the "File" menu
    2. Choose "Folder"
    3. Choose "New Folder"
    4. Enter the name of your folder ("Junk" for example)
    5. Under the "Folder contains" section, choose "Mail Items" (for Outlook 2000) or "Mail and Post Items" (for Outlook 2002)
    6. Under "Select where to place this folder" highlight the Inbox
    7. Click "OK"
    8. If you are asked about setting a shortcut, click "No"
  2. Now, you will create a rule to move junk e-mail into your folder
    1. Go to the "Tools" menu
    2. Choose "Rules Wizard"
    3. Choose "New"
    4. In Outlook 2002, select "Start from a blank rule"
    5. Choose "Check messages when they arrive" as the type of rule
    6. Click "Next"
    7. Under "Which condition(s) do you want to check" check the "with specific words in the message header" box
    8. In the "Rule description" section, click on the link that says "specific words"
    9. In the "Search Text" box, type in: "X-Spam-Flag: YES" (without the quotes)
    10. Click "OK"
    11. Click "Next"
    12. In the "What do you want to do with the message" section check the "move it to the specified folder" box
    13. In the "Rule description" section, click on the link that says "specified"
    14. Click on the folder you created in step 1
    15. If you are asked about setting a shortcut, click "No"
    16. Click "OK"
    17. Click "Finish"
    18. Click "OK"
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Outlook Express (version 6.0)

NOTE: Outlook Express requires that the "Subject Tag" be enabled in your Junk E-Mail Filtering settings.

  1. You will first need to create a folder to hold your junk e-mail
    1. Go to the "File" menu
    2. Choose "New"
    3. Choose "Folder"
    4. Enter the name of the new folder (perhaps "junk")
      We suggest that you highlight "Inbox" as the folder in which to create your new folder
    5. Click "OK"

  2. Now, you will create a rule to move junk e-mail into your folder
    1. Go to the "Tools" menu
    2. Choose "Message Rules"
    3. Choose "Mail" -- the "Message Rules" window will appear, and if you have never made a message rule before, the "New Mail Rule" window will automatically appear (if it does not, click on "New")
    4. In the "Select the Conditions for your rule" section, check: Where the Subject line contains specific words
    5. In the "Select the Actions for your rule" section, check: Move it to the specified folder
    6. In the "Rule Description" section, click on the link that says "contains specific words".
    7. In the text-box, type in: **JUNK**
    8. Click "Add"
    9. Click "OK".
    10. In the "Rule Description" section, click on the link that says "specified"
    11. Under "Inbox", choose the folder that you created in step 1d.
    12. Click "OK".
    13. For the name of the rule, choose something like "Junk".
    14. Click "OK"
    15. Click "Apply Now"
    16. Make sure the name of the rule that you created earlier is highlighted, and also make sure that "Inbox" is listed in the "Apply to folder" box.
    17. Click "Apply Now" -- a confirmation box should pop up, and you should click "OK"
    18. Click "Close".
    19. Click "OK".
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Netscape Messenger 4.79

  1. You will first need to create a folder to hold your junk e-mail
    1. Go to the "File" menu
    2. Choose "New Subfolder"
    3. Enter in the name of the new folder ("Junk" for instance)
      We suggest that your create the new folder as a subfolder of your Inbox
    4. Click "OK"
    5. Click "OK" again

  2. Now, you will create a rule to move junk e-mail into your folder
    1. Go to the "Edit" menu
    2. Choose "Message Filters"
    3. Choose "New"
    4. For the "Filter Name", choose something like "Junk"
    5. Choose the "Match any of the following" option
    6. In the left most drop-down box (it should say "sender"), choose "Customize Headers"
    7. Choose "New"
    8. In the "Custom Header" text-box, type in: X-Spam-Flag
    9. Choose "OK"
    10. Choose "OK" once again
    11. Make sure that the left most drop-down box says "X-Spam-Flag"
    12. Make sure that the drop-down box on the right side says "contains"
    13. In the text-box to the right of "contains", enter in: YES
    14. Under the "Filter action" settings, choose the "Move to folder" option
    15. Choose the folder that you created in step 1 from the list of folders
    16. The "Description" setting is optional (you can just leave it blank)
    17. Click "OK"
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Mac OS X's Mail

  1. You will first need to create a folder to hold your junk e-mail
    1. Go to the "Mailbox" menu
    2. Choose "New Mailbox"
    3. Make sure your mail account is listed by Location
    4. Enter in the name of the new folder ("Junk" for instance)
    5. Click "OK"

  2. Now, you will create a rule to move junk e-mail into your folder
    1. Go to the "Mail" (main) menu
    2. Select "Preferences"
    3. Click on the "Rules" icon
    4. Click "Add Rule"
    5. For Description, type something like "Junk E-Mail Filter"
    6. In the select box for conditions, select "all"
    7. In the select box that shows "from," select "edit header list"
    8. For header, type "X-Spam-Flag"
    9. Click "OK"
    10. Now, select "X-Spam-Flag" from the select box that shows "from"
    11. Next to it, select "is equal to" and enter "YES" in the text box
    12. Below that, select "Transfer Message" and next to it the name of the folder you created
    13. Click "OK"
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Mozilla Mail 1.2

  1. You will first need to create a folder to hold your junk e-mail
    1. Go to the "File" menu
    2. Choose "New"
    3. Choose "Folder"
    4. Enter in the name of the new folder ("Junk" for instance)
      We suggest that your create the new folder as a subfolder of your Inbox
    5. Click "OK"

  2. Now, you will create a rule to move junk e-mail into your folder
    1. Go to the "Tools" menu
    2. Choose "Message Filters"
    3. Choose "New"
    4. For the "Filter Name", choose something like "Junk"
    5. Choose the "Match any of the following" option
    6. In the left most drop-down box (it should say "sender"), choose "Customize"
    7. In the "New Message Header" text-box, type in: X-Spam-Flag
    8. Choose "Add"
    9. Choose "OK"
    10. In the left drop-down box (which should say "Subject") choose "X-Spam-Flag"
    11. Make sure that the drop-down box on the right side says "contains"
    12. In the text-box to the right of "contains", enter in: YES
    13. Under the "Perform This Action" settings, choose the "Move to folder" option
    14. Choose the folder that you created in step 1 from the list of folders
    15. The "Description" setting is optional (you can just leave it blank)
    16. Click "OK"
    17. Click "OK" again
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Eudora 5.2

  1. You will first need to create a folder to hold your junk e-mail
    1. Go to the "Mailbox" menu
    2. Select "New"
    3. Enter in the name of the new folder ("Junk" for instance)
    4. Do not click the "make a folder" checkbox
    5. Click "OK"

  2. Now, you will create a rule to move junk e-mail into your folder
    1. Go to the "Tools" menu in Windows, or the "Window" menu in Mac OS X
    2. Select "Filters"
    3. Click "New"
    4. In the "Match" section, click the box next to incoming
    5. In the "Header" text box, type "X-Spam-Flag:"
    6. In the text box below, type "YES"
    7. In the "Actions" section, select "Transfer To"
    8. Select the folder you created in step 1
    9. Click "OK"
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Pine

  1. You can create both a folder for junk e-mail and the filter rule in one process
    1. Type S for setup
    2. Type R for rules, then F for Filters
    3. Type A for Add
    4. Hit enter, and type a name for this rule (perhaps "Junk E-Mail Filtering")
    5. Arrow down a line or two past the line that reads "FILTERED MESSAGE CONDITIONS BEGIN HERE"
    6. Hit X to enter a custom header, then type X-Spam-Flag
    7. Arrow to the "X-Spam-Flag pattern" line that appeared, hit enter and type "YES"
    8. Arrow down below "Message is New?" to the line that reads "Yes," and hit enter
    9. Arrow down below "Filter Action" to the line just below Move that says "Folder List"
    10. Hit enter and type in the name of the folder junk e-mail should be moved to
    11. Hit E to Exit
    12. Hit Y to save when prompted
    13. Hit E again to exit setup
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