Outlook 2003 for Windows - Advanced Spam Filtering

Set up e-mail filters to:

• Reduce the amount of junk mail (also known as "spam") that reaches your inbox.

• Specify how strictly Outlook uses "spam scores" to sort incoming mail.

• Sort spam into a separate folder so you can check for legitimate messages before deleting them.

• Create rules to allow specific messages through the filters without receiving a spam tag.

Step 1: Determine the spam tolerance level

UCSD uses SpamAssassin software to monitor the UCSD mail gateways. SpamAssassin is a filtering system that examines each piece of incoming mail for properties commonly found in junk mail. After examination, the system assigns each message a spam score. The higher the score, the stronger the probability that the message is spam. You can configure Outlook to look at the spam scores assigned by SpamAssassin and sort messages with high spam scores out of your inbox and into a separate folder.

Before you set up mail filtering, decide where to set the minimum cutoff level. Anything with a score higher than your cutoff will be tagged as spam. If you choose a lower level, more spam will be kept from your inbox. Unfortunately, a low level also increases the chance that legitimate mail is accidentally sorted out with the spam. To determine a good cutoff, examine the assigned score on a variety of mail (both legitimate and spam) in your inbox.

1. With Outlook open, right-click on an e-mail message in your inbox and select Options.

2. Scroll through the Internet Headers section and find the X-Spam-Level: line.

3. Make a note of the number of asterisks (*) in this line. Spam messages may have a row of several asterisks; legitimate messages may have one or none. Check several messages to compare scores.

4. Decide on a number somewhere in between and remember you can change the settings later if the filters are too strict or let in too much spam. 4 or 5 is a good place to start.

Step 2: Set up a new rule With Outlook open, open the Tools menu and and select Rules and Alerts. Click the New Rule button. Select Start from a blank rule and click Next > to continue.

Step 3: Tell the Rules Wizard what to look for In the Rules Wizard window, use the scroll bar to view all the available conditions. Select the with specific words in the message header check box. Click on specific words in the second section of the window. In the Search Text pop-up window, type: Level ***** Leave a single space after the colon (:) and type the number of asterisks (*) you wish to set as your cutoff level (see Step 1). Click the Add button, and then click OK. Click Next to continue.

Step 3: Tell the Rules Wizard what to do with spam In the next Rules Wizard window, use the scroll bar to view all the available actions and select the move it to the specified folder check box. Click on specified in the second section of the window.

In the Rules and Alerts window, click on the Inbox icon and then click the New... button. In the Create New Folder pop-up window, type Spam in the Name field. Sometimes legitimate mail is tagged as spam. If messages from a specific sender are frequently tagged as spam, you may wish to create an exception to the filter now or anytime as the need arises. If you do not need to create any exceptions right now, click OK to continue. If you wish to create an exception to the spam filter now, skip to Step 5.

Step 4: Filter existing spam out of your inbox In the next Rules and Alerts window, click the Finish button. Click on the Run Rules Now... button. Select the Level: ***** check box. You may need to click the Browse button to get to your inbox and spam folder. Click the Run Now button. Click Close. Click OK. Once you set up rules, incoming e-mail with a spam tag will be automatically moved to the new folder you created. Always check the contents of your spam folder for legitimate mail before deleting its contents.

Step 5: Create exceptions

The spam filter may occasionally sort legitimate mail into your spam folder. Sometimes automated messages such as those sent by your bank or messages from a specific sender receive a spam tag. An exception makes a hole in the filter to let certain messages through, no matter what the spam score is. For example, if most messages from your friend George Blufin, gblufin@hotmail.com, are unintentionally intercepted, an exception will tell the filter to skip messages from him.

After creating a new folder for spam (Step 3), click Next. Select the except with specific words in the sender's address check box. Click on specific words in the second section of the window. Type the e-mail address of the sender whose mail you want to receive (for example, gblufin@hotmail.com). Click OK. In the next Rules and Alerts window, click the Finish button. Click on the Run Rules Now... button. Select the Level: ***** check box. You may need to click the Browse button to get to your inbox and spam folder. Click the Run Now button. Click Close. Click OK. Once you set up rules, incoming e-mail with a spam tag will be automatically moved to the new folder you created. Always check the contents of your spam folder for legitimate mail before deleting its contents.

Questions

If you have any further questions or encounter problems while attempting to set up your spam filter, send an e-mail message to ecehelp@ece.ucsd.edu