Spam Filtering Techniques
The latest techniques, methods and products for filtering out spam.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Special symbols and characters in SPAM
"I use Microsoft Outlook as my e-mail program. I've noticed that much of my obnoxious spam uses symbols and characters in the subject line that I don't know how to create, and can't put in the Rules Wizard where you enter the words you want to filter." Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com
posted by Frank @ 8:24 PM 0 comments
Ending SPAM: Mini Book Review
"The full title of the book, "Ending Spam: Bayesian Content Filtering and the Art of Statistical Language Classification," gives you a pretty strong indication that this book is going to provide a depth of information. The book is organised into three parts - Introduction to Spam filtering; the Fundamentals of Statistical Filtering; and the third, Advanced Concepts of Statistical Filtering." Source: digital-lifestyles.info
posted by Frank @ 8:23 PM 0 comments
Friday, December 16, 2005
Antivirus and Anti-Spam Protection Combined in Corporate Mail Platform Solution
"Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions that protect against viruses, spam, Trojans, worms, spyware and hacker attacks, announces the release of the latest version of its integrated mail protection system, Kaspersky(r) Security for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. This updated solution scans all incoming and outgoing messages to provide reliable antivirus protection and now filters all incoming SMTP traffic to deliver advanced anti-spam functionality for today's most popular corporate mail platform, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. The anti-spam component, which has been integrated into this latest version, adds new capabilities to the anti-spam tools included in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, making the entire system more effective. Each message's contents and attachments are analyzed using intelligent technologies, including unique graphical signatures that enable recognition of spam in the form of images. Even the most sophisticated tactics designed to evade spam filtering systems are rendered ineffective. Depending upon the scan results, a message can be delivered to the recipient's inbox, moved to the unsolicited mail folder or deleted. This solution also prevents unauthorized use of the mail server by detecting and blocking mass mailing attempts from computers within the organization. Mailings are allowed only for those senders authorized by the network administrator." Source: russianewswire.com
posted by Frank @ 7:31 AM 0 comments
OpEd: Don't Make Us Wait for New Exchange Features
"Version 12 of Exchange Server will serve up interesting possibilities for VOIP in '07, but the security and anti-spam features should be offered up sooner rather than later. Changes to the management console are thus quite welcome, not so much because Exchange is hard to administer as that is could be so much easier. Speaking of IMF, Microsoft's free and effective anti-spam tool, it's already taken too long for Exchange to learn to automatically download updates." Source: eweek.com
posted by Frank @ 7:28 AM 0 comments
More Tools to Combat Spam
"As reported from the New Scientist, researchers from IBM and Cornell University developed a new algorithm for detecting spam in e-mails called SMTP Path Analysis. The algorithm works by examining the path information (probably by looking at the Received headers) and detects patterns that are likely to be the route of a spammer. Though the algorithm is not meticulous enough to catch spam on its own efficiently, it works well when combined with content filtering tools. Engineers at ActivSoftware recently announced their new algorithm called "slow start outbound connection ramping." This new technology attempts to avoid becoming flagged as spam by automatically monitoring delivery success and failure rates and adjusting simultaneous connections to an e-mail service provider based upon those parameters." Source: dmnews.com
posted by Frank @ 7:27 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
EdgeForce M30 UTM System Wins PC Magazine 2005 Best of Year Award for Business Security Products
"ServGate's EdgeForce M30 UTM system was selected as "an excellent solution for small businesses looking to consolidate security functions into a single device." PC Magazine highlighted the EdgeForce M30 as "a versatile firewall that also offers Web-content filtering and gateway protection from spam and viruses."" Source: businesswire.com
posted by Frank @ 5:22 AM 0 comments
How to Filter with Finesse
"Earlier this year, a company called Pivotal Veracity published a 33-page study on the prevalence of false positives in antispam systems operated by three of the largest Web mail providers. Pivotal Veracity is itself an e-mail consulting service (more on it later), which might have led some people to dismiss the research. But the company's methodology was very good and the results were interesting and important. To conduct its study, the researchers at Pivotal created Web mail accounts at Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. They then signed up for e-mail newsletters from 100 randomly chosen corporations, nonprofits and governmental agencies. Then, over the next six weeks, the researchers checked the mailboxes to see if mail from those senders got delivered to the inbox or the spam box." Source: csoonline.com
posted by Frank @ 5:20 AM 0 comments
Friday, December 09, 2005
Commtouch inks China deal
"Commtouch Software Ltd said yesterday it has signed a deal with China's number one anti-virus software company, Rising Technology Co Ltd, to integrate its anti-spam technology into Rising's products. "It identifies spam outbreaks according to their massive distribution patterns," said Ronni Zehavi, vice president of business development at Commtouch. "This means that content and language are irrelevant -- and the engine works as well in Chinese as in any other language." Network-based spam filtering is not Commtouch's unique domain, however. Most of the significant anti-spam providers nowadays use some kind of IP-based detection mechanism to supplement the more traditional content-based approach." Source: cbronline.com
posted by Frank @ 4:55 AM 0 comments
Spam spits out Linux in high volume attack
"Struggling to cope with increasing volumes of spam, Deakin University was forced to redeploy its Linux e-mail servers and implement an alternative system for e-mail security. Craig Warren, Deakin's operational service provision manager, said the Linux servers running antivirus and spam filtering software were effective for about three years, but "the spammers were steadily beating us". As a result the university has implemented two IronPort c300 e-mail security appliances." Source: linuxworld.com.au
posted by Frank @ 4:54 AM 0 comments
ICSA Labs’ Premier Services Collaborates With Mailshell To Establish Testing And Certification Program For Spam Filtering Solutions
"Mailshell, the OEM anti-spam and anti-phishing leader, and ICSA Labs will collaborate in the creation of ICSA Labs’ new spam filtering evaluation testing and certification program. Mailshell along with the ICSA Labs Premier Services Group have begun co-development of the testing protocols and methodology which is targeted to officially launch in early 2006. Once launched, the program will be administered and managed by ICSA Labs. "Our research indicates a significant need in the marketplace, both among IT professionals and security vendors, for standardized spam filtering testing," said George Japak, vice president of ICSA Labs. "Mailshell’s lab-focused approach, combined with real-world expertise via its top-tier OEM partners, makes it an ideal relationship for us."" Source: prweb.com
posted by Frank @ 4:53 AM 0 comments
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Block Spam with Spoofed Domain Names
"Internet Initiative Japan Inc., one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced it will improve email spam filtering by introducing sender authentication on the IIJ4U and IIJmio Internet access services for retail customers starting on December 21, 2005. Through the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) (*1), a mechanism for preventing falsified sender domain names, the IP address of IIJ's originating e-mail servers will be made public in the company's DNS information, thus guaranteeing the validity of the originating server. This system makes it possible to determine if mail with an IIJ4U/IIJmio e-mail address is actually being sent from an IIJ4U/IIJmio mail server, thus effectively deterring spam using a spoofed IIJ4U/IIJmio domain name." Source: tmcnet.com
posted by Frank @ 5:14 AM 0 comments
Security expert recommends low tech approach to phishing
"Information security expert Claudiu Popa believes that phishing is fundamentally a simple, low-tech problem that demands an equally unsophisticated but adaptable solution: “Phishing attacks are no more sophisticated than your average hoax email. They test people’s trust and abuse it by adding a credible dose of urgency to the mix. Some of the most effective protection measures include spam filtering and digitally signed emails. Most people find it amusing that others can be tricked into submitting confidential details through a fake site, but they fail to realize that social engineering has existed since the beginning of time and it is the key ingredient in many types of crime.”" Source: mediasyndicate.com
posted by Frank @ 5:12 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
"Take Control of Spam with Apple Mail" Updated
"We've just released version 1.2 of "Take Control of Spam with Apple Mail." The update adds coverage of the Tiger version of Mail, plus looks at updated versions of spam-fighting software and other techniques in the effort to eliminate spam. The update is free for current owners; to get it, click your ebook's Check for Updates button. If you haven't yet read "Take Control of Spam with Apple Mail," and you're finding that the Junk Mail filter in Apple Mail isn't doing as well as you think it should, be sure to pick up a copy today! You shouldn't have to live with spam in your Inbox." Source: tidbits.com
posted by Frank @ 9:40 PM 0 comments
Apollo Hosting Launches Barracuda Networks Spam Filter
"Leading web hosting company, Apollo Hosting, has introduced a powerful email filtering service from its newest partner, Barracuda Networks. The premium service protects users against the full range of threats to an inbox, including spam, viruses, and spyware. The Barracuda solution was chosen after an exhaustive evaluation to determine the most powerful and flexible filtering system available. Barracuda provides tagging, quarantine, and full blocking services that can be completely configured by the user, as well as customizable white and blacklists. According to Apollo Hosting President, Tamara Field, ''Barracuda's filtering solution provides a greater amount of options for our customers than our previous solution. Customers want more choice, and we're constantly examining ways to bring it to them. Barracuda is just one example.''" Source: cheaphostingdirectory.com
posted by Frank @ 9:39 PM 0 comments
99.76 Percent Spam-Catch Rate
"MX Logic Inc., a leading provider of innovative email defense solutions that ensure email protection and security for businesses, service providers, government organizations, resellers and their customers, has received the highest-possible rating of five stars in the vendor-tuned portion of the latest (Summer 2005) VeriTest Anti-Spam Benchmark Service Report. In addition to receiving the maximum rating of five stars, MX Logic topped the list of vendors on spam-catch rate, with an out-of-box catch rate of 99.71 percent and a vendor-tuned catch rate of 99.76 percent." Source: MX Logic Inc via businesswire.com
posted by Frank @ 9:36 PM 0 comments
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Safety Tips for using online social networks
"Don't reply to spam. At best, they go into a black hole and never get to the sender. At worst, you find yourself now on many more lists because they figured out you read the junk e-mail. Invest in a good spam filter or reach out to your ISP and see what anti-spam services they offer. You can also visit wiredsafety.org and learn about the two e-mail trick, creating one for public use and another for your friends. Always use a disposable free e-mail address, like yahoo, hotmail or msn. If you run into problems, you can just stop using it and no one can follow you back to your real address (assuming you followed our tip about not sharing too much personal info.)" Source: tahoebonanza.com
posted by Frank @ 6:52 PM 0 comments
i.Scribe 1.88 Download
"Scribe is a small and fast email client with an intergrated contact database and calendar. It supports all the major internet mail protocols and uses international standards where possible. Scribe doesn't required installing or uninstalled and can be used from a removable drive without reconfiguration. It comes with a highly accurate bayesian spam filter and translations to many different languages. Updates are published regularly to respond to problems and to add features. Because Scribe runs on Windows, Linux and BeOS you can take your mail with you when you change operating system. And don't worry about viruses, Scribe protects you from the usual security holes in other email clients with it's own virus safe HTML control and executable attachment lockout." Source: techspot.com
posted by Frank @ 6:49 PM 0 comments
Pricey filters can’t stop all spam
"As Bowdoin's Information Technology Department (IT) fights the ongoing battle with spam, students are trying different methods to deal with the junk emails that clog their inboxes. Despite the purchase of two sophisticated filters that cost around $5,000 to purchase and 20 percent of that per year for service and support, students are still receiving numerous spam emails every day. And, according to Chief Information Officer Mitch Davis, the problem is not going away. "Spam is a never-ending issue," Davis said. "We have two spam filters that filter messages on a daily basis, but spam is just getting worse, not better." According to Davis and Senior Administrator of IT Randy Pelletier, the major issue with spam involves the lists that professors use to send out emails to their classes. Most students receiving spam get emails addressed to these lists, not to their personal accounts." Source: orient.bowdoin.edu
posted by Frank @ 6:48 PM 0 comments
Thursday, December 01, 2005
AppRiver Joins Forces with Email Security Technology Visionary Peter McNeil
"AppRiver LLC, a leading provider of business email security solutions, today announced an agreement with Sterling, Va.-based MicroNeil Research Corporation, for joint ownership of MicroNeil's powerful Message Sniffer(TM) spam detection engine. The partnership will enable AppRiver and MicroNeil together to devote additional resources to Message Sniffer technology enhancements while making the software more widely available for integration in third-party products, services and applications. Created by artificial intelligence and robotics research innovator Peter McNeil, Message Sniffer uses advanced pattern recognition technology and a regularly updated "rules" database to accurately identify spam. Deployed since 2002 in AppRiver's complete outsourced email protection service, the technology currently is used in email security systems protecting 20,000 businesses and institutions worldwide. Unlike many anti-spam products that scan for content, Message Sniffer's sophisticated tests search for combinations of spam features including message sources, common obfuscation techniques, email and URL targets and fragments, and even coding styles. Because its database of "rules" is updated continuously in response to the latest spam attacks, Message Sniffer is able to achieve more than 98% effectiveness in blocking unwanted email messages." Source: appriver via businesswire.com
posted by Frank @ 6:11 PM 0 comments
Mail-Filters Offers Free Anti-Spam Filtering Service to Charitable Organizations Through the End of 2006
"Mail-Filters.com, Inc., the global leader in OEM anti-spam solutions providing technology for its OEM partners filtering billions of messages a day in more than 100 countries and over 30 languages, announced today that during the holiday season it will be offering charitable organizations of all sizes free anti-spam filtering technology through the end of 2006. It is estimated that this offer will potentially save charitable organizations millions of dollars, collectively, allowing them to re-invest these scarce funds into other areas that benefit those whom the organizations serve. "At this time of the year we feel it appropriate to acknowledge the contribution of those organizations whose mission is to help others," said Ben Westbrook, CEO of Mail-Filters.com, Inc. "These organizations offer a tremendous service to our communities while operating with very limited resources." Mr. Westbrook continued, "Unfortunately most of these organizations must either spend a considerable amount of their limited funds on licensing anti-spam technology or simply having to deal with the annoyances and hazards that come without having any anti-spam filtering technology. Mail-Filters is pleased to offer our protection to these organizations at no charge for the rest of 2005 and all of 2006." Charitable organizations wishing to take advantage of this offer must sign up before end of business December 30, 2005. The service will take effect immediately, and operate through December 31, 2006. Visit the Mail-Filters website for offer eligibility and details: www.Mail-Filters.com/Charity." Source: Mail-Filters.com, Inc. via yahoo.com
posted by Frank @ 6:10 PM 0 comments