SURBL/URI checks - FreeBSD bayes starter Database

[Stephen Swaney]

I've had the personal email address, steve at swaney.com for about a decade
now. You can imagine how much spam this address now attracts. This morning
we set a new personal record for catching spam - just two marked spam
messages and not a single missed spam. Most of the junk hit the high scoring
spam and went straight to quarantine.

I believe this is the result of adding two new SURBL/URI configuration
files, ab-surbl_uri.cf and ob-surbl_uri.cf to our scanners yesterday.

I installed SURBL/URI checks over a month ago and while they were very
effective at stopping hard to detect spam, I believe they have become more
useful as many people around the world contribute to the SURBL databases.

SURBL uses the fact that spammers must include a URL link in their spam
messages so you can respond to their scam. The SUBL databases contain the
"spam" domain names contained in these links and use RBL (Real-time Black
Hole) methodology to check any URLs contained in an email to see if they are
in the SURBL databases. Real email should not have URLs which direct you to
a spam or phishing site.

This technique will be very difficult for spammers to circumvent and is
integrated into SpamAssassin 3.0.

To make this easy for all to implement I have packaged the needed files
along with five configuration files and placed them on our web site along
complete with installation instructions.

You can pick them up at:

        http://www.fsl.com/support/index.html

Download from the SURBL/URI install files link.

Also note I have upgraded and hopefully improved the FreeBSD Bayes Starter
database available on the same page.

Steve

Stephen Swaney
President
Fortress Systems Ltd.
Steve.Swaney at FSL.com


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Fortress Systems Ltd.
www.fsl.com

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