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SpamStopper from Intermedia is a fully-managed spam filtering service, including all updates, testing and maintenance. There is no software to install on client workstations.

Users simply specify their preferences using HostPilot and we take care of the rest. With our SpamStopper solution, adminstrators have more control over detailed settings, but still do not need to actively intervene, if they do not want to.

SpamStopper intelligently filters your email for spam and delivers suspect email to a separate junk mail folder.

• SpamStopper
  • How SpamStopper Works

Anti-spam Technology

The engine driving the service is based on SpamAssassin, an open source anti-spam project engineered by Intermedia for our specific Exchange environment. SpamAssassin has won many awards, including DataMation's 'Best Product of the Year' for both 2005 and 2006. Heavy testing has in many instances shown its performance to surpass major closed-source offerings.

Through an advanced combination of checking against real-time black hole (RBL) lists and weighting of emails for signs they are spam, it blocks unwanted messages very effectively.

When a certain sensitivity threshold is reached, our SpamStopper service assigns the status of 'spam' to an offending email. For both basic anti-spam and SpamStopper, the following checks are always performed:

• check against DNS RBL (see the list below)
• check for empty TO and FROM fields in headers (not in the "message envelope")
• check for a valid fully-qualified sender's (FROM) e-mail address
• check for a valid domain in the FROM address

All email messages that do not pass one of the above checks will not be accepted by mail servers for delivery to recipients.

Intermedia anti-spam uses the following RBL Lists:

• relays.ordb.org - open relays based on submissions and tests
• sbl.spamhaus.org - realtime database of verified spam sources
• dun.dnsrbl.net - a list of Dial-Up Networking address pools such as modems, home DSL and Cable modems
• dialups.mail-abuse.com - a list of Dial-Up Networking address pools such as modems, home DSL and Cable modems

SpamStopper Details

Key features of the SpamStopper service include:

White and black lists

Black lists let you identify senders you never wish to receive messages from again – emails from black-listed senders will never be delivered to your mailbox.

White lists allow you to specify senders whose email will never be considered spam and which will always be delivered (messages from senders on the White List will always be delivered to your mailbox and never be marked as Spam).

There are two options for managing white and black lists:

Administrators can do this at a server level (company-wide) through HostPilot. It will affect all domains and mailboxes on your account.

Individual mailbox owners can do it through DeskPilot (where the administrator gives mailbox owners permission to manage their own white and black lists).

Please note: mailbox-level lists rules always take priority over domain-level lists rules.

Customize spam sensitivity

SpamStopper allows sensitivity adjustment from 1 to 10, where level 1 is most strict and will allow the least amount of spam through, but with a higher chance of blocking genuinely desired email. Level 10 is the least strict and will allow more emails through to your inbox, but with an increased likelihood that spam will also get through.

Administrators can adjust this setting to optimize detection for their organization.