Filtering spam with SpamAssassin

Filtering spam with SpamAssassin

Technerd.Net has selected the software program SpamAssassin to help reduce the volume of unsolicited commercial email. SpamAssassin is a filter that tests email headers and body text to identify spam. When a message is identified as spam it places the text ***SPAM*** in the subject line and sets a header flag ( X-Spam-Flag: YES ).

What follows are instructions to make it work with the email programs Netscape Messenger, Outlook 2002, Outlook Express 6, and PC-Pine 4.44. The filters you set up will move spam (identified by SpamAssassin) from your INBOX to a folder called SpamFolder. If you are using the webmail interface you cannot filter the messages but will see the ***SPAM*** flag on the subject line.

The spam identification procedure is not completely flawless, so we recommend that you frequently check the SpamFolder to delete the spam and read the other mail.

Usage Notes:

Using SpamAssassin with Netscape Messenger

Login to Netscape Messenger
Select Message Filters from the Edit menu. The Inbox folder must be selected in the "Filters for:" field.
Click the "New" button.
Type Spam Filter in the Filter name field.
Click the "Advanced" button.
Type X-Spam-Flag in the New message header field.
Click "Add."
Click "OK."
Select "Match any of the following."
From the pulldown menu directly above the "More" button, select X-Spam-Flag.
In the field to the right of "Contains", type YES.
Click the New Folder button.

Type SpamFolder in the Name field.
Click "OK".
Change the Inbox folder to the SpamFolder by selecting "SpamFolder" in the pulldown left of the New Folder button.
Click "OK" to create the filter rule.
Click "OK" to exit.

Using SpamAssassin with Netscape Messenger 6.x

First do the Enabling SpamAssassin setup at the top of this document.

Select Message Filters from the Edit menu and click on New.

Type Spam Filter in the Filter name field.

Click Any of the following. The matching condition should be Subject contains ***SPAM***

Click the New Folder button.

Select the Click here to select button.

Select your mail account and choose here for the parent option.

Type SpamFolder in the name field and click OK.

Click OK to create the Filter Rule.

Click OK to exit the Message Filters window.

Using SpamAssassin with Outlook 2002

Login to Outlook 2002
Select Rules Wizard from the Tools menu.
Select your Inbox folder for the "Apply changes to this folder" field.
Click the New button.
Select "Start from a blank rule".
Select "Check messages when they arrive".
Click "Next."
Checkmark the Condition "with specific words in the subject".
Click "specific words" in the Rule description field to edit it.
Type ***SPAM*** in the "Specify words or phrases..." field.
Click "Add" and then click "OK".
Click "Next."
Checkmark "move it to the specified folder" from the "What do you want to do..." list.
Click "specified" in the Rule description field to edit it.
Click "New" to create a new folder.
Type SpamFolder in the Name field
Click "mail.technerd.net" in the "select where to place the folder" field and click "OK."
Click "Finish" to create the rule.
Click "OK" to exit.

Using SpamAssassin with Outlook Express 6 or 5+

Login to Outlook Express 6
Go to the Tools menu
Select "Message Rules," then select "Mail."

Select "Where the subject line contains specific words" in the Conditions list.
Click "contains specific words" in the Rule Description field.
Type ***SPAM*** in the "Specify words or phrases..." field.
Click "Add," then click "OK."
Select "Move it to the specified folder" from the Actions list.
Click "specified" in the Rule description field to edit the folder.
Click "NewFolder" to create a new folder.
Type SpamFolder in the Folder Name field and click "OK."
Select "SpamFolder" and click "OK."
Type Spam Filter in the "Name of the rule" field. · Click "OK."
Click "OK" to exit.

Using SpamAssassin with PC-Pine 4.44

Login to PC Pine.
From the main menu in PC-Pine, select Setup and type R for Rules.
Type F for Filters.
Type A to Add.
Change Val for Nickname to "Spam Filter".
Set the following in the "== CURRENT FOLDER CONDITIONS BEGIN HERE ==" section:

Current Folder Type
( ) Any
( ) News
( ) Email
(*) Specific (Enter Incoming Nicknames or use ^T) Folder List = INBOX
In the "== FILTERED MESSAGE CONDITIONS BEGIN HERE ==" section, type X to add an eXtraHdr header.
Type X-Spam-Flag for the name of the header field to be added.
Press ENTER
Type A to add a value.
Type YES and press ENTER.
Scroll down and set the following in the "== ACTIONS BEGIN HERE ==" section:

Filter Action =
Set Choose One
---------------------------
( ) Just Set Message Status
( ) Delete
(*) Move (Enter folder...) Folder List = SpamFolder

Note: Use the Change Val command to change the Folder List to SpamFolder.

Type E to exit the setup.
Type Y to answer Yes to replace settings.
Press E to exit the Setup Filtering Rules screen.
Press Y for Yes to Save.