Attachments
Because attached files can contain viruses, the Mathematical Sciences mail server filters out attachments that are most likely to be infected. See Attachments for information about attached files.
(Note: Messages sent via mail servers managed by Information Technology Services are subject to a different attachment filtering policy. For more information, see Attachments on the Central Campus Mail Server.)
Virus Filtering
The Mathematical Sciences mail server scans all messages for viruses. Any message that is found to have a virus is blocked.
Spam Marking
The mail server for Mathematical Sciences marks messages that it determines to be spam. For any message found to be spam, the string [SPAM?]-, immediately followed by a numeric spam score, is prepended to the Subject: header. Also, a footnote that includes a report of the spam scoring is appended to the body of the message.
Spam Filtering
You can use the altered Subject: header to configure your mail client to filter out spam. See Spam Filtering for information about filtering spam based on the altered Subject: header.
Backscatter (Bounced Spam) Marking and Filtering
Sometimes spammers will use a valid email address to forge a From: address. If the forged email address happens to be yours, your inbox may be flooded with bounce messages from spam sent to addresses that don't exist. This is called backscatter.
The Mathematical Sciences mail server attempts to identify backscatter. If a message is determined to be backscatter, then the string "[SPAM?]-06.00 (backscatter) " is prepended to the Subject: header. You can use your mail client's filtering system to filter backscatter into a spam folder, or you can filter backscatter into a separate folder.
Spam on the Central Campus Mail Server
For information about spam filtering on the campus mail server, see Spam on the Central Campus Mail Server.
Good Messages Marked as Spam
Sometimes, a few messages you want to read might be marked as spam. See Good Messages Marked as Spam for information about how to correct this problem.
Phishing
Phishing is email designed to defraud the recipient. The CSG blocks mail sent to addresses that are known to be involved in phishing fraud. But the list of phishing addresses is not comprehensive, so use caution. To avoid being phished, read Don't Be Phished!
Frequently Asked Questiong
The Computer Support Group maintains a list of frequently asked questions about spam and mail security.
