| New Features in Version 4.0 |
| Feature |
Trial/Full
Version |
Notes/Common Uses |
| Pre-configured filtering rules |
Both |
Start rejecting SPAM and worms immediately with a set of pre-configured filtering rules.
Edit and refine the rules to fit your needs. |
| Filter mail based on the content of the message body |
Full |
Catch SPAM that is sent with a deceptive subject line by filtering the message body. |
| Filter mail based on whether or not it contains particular "MIME types" |
Full |
Reject messages with HTML, but no plain text--common for SPAM but rare for legitimate messages.
Avoid worms by rejecting messages with executable files disguised as, for example, MIDI files (MIME type audio/x-midi). |
| Filter mail based on any email header |
Both |
Previous versions allowed you to scan only specific email headers.
This version retains the easy settings for those headers, but adds the ability to scan any other header that you specify.
|
| New installer program |
Both |
New for version 4.0, we have an installer script to handle most of the nitty-gritty that used to be done by hand. |
| Improved filtering rules editor |
Both |
Our new filtering rules editor uses CSS and DOM to create a much cleaner interface.
It also allows you to include a comment about each filtering test and action to make your filtering rules more readable. |
| Additional Features |
| Feature |
Version
Introduced |
Common Uses |
Notes |
| Filter mail as it arrives at the server |
1.0 |
|
Saves time by eliminating SPAM before downloading it to your email client. |
| Bounce rejected messages back to the sender, or simply drop them |
2.0 |
Bounce messages that look like SPAM. Drop messages that look like "worms". |
Bouncing SPAM can be useful because it prompts some SPAMmers to remove you from their lists.
Worms may be best to simply drop, because they are not sent intentionally, and returning them to the sender serves little purpose. |
| Filter mail based on the subject line |
2.0 |
Reject messages with subjects that indicate they are SPAM. |
Large amounts of SPAM can be caught by looking for specific words and patterns in the subject which rarely if ever occur in legitimate email.
Examples include words indicating "adult" content, lots of dollar signs, etc. |
| Filter mail based on attachment filenames |
2.0 |
Avoid worms by rejecting messages containing executable files. |
|
| Specify custom bounce messages for different filtering rules |
3.0 |
For SPAM, use a message that makes it look like your email address doesn't exist.
For others, use a message explaining why the message bounced, so that legitimate senders may know how to get legitimate messages through. |
One good use for a custom message is, when bouncing something that looks like a worm, sending a message telling the sender that it looks like their computer may be infected. |
| Filter mail based on the sender's address |
1.0 |
Reject messages from known SPAMmers, or anyone else from whom you don't want to receive any more email.
Reject messages with blank sender address headers. |
Although this technique can be useful, it is rarely sufficient, because many SPAMmers use fake email addresses, and even if they didn't, you would have to keep entering more addresses whenever you got more SPAM.
Checks the following headers: From, Sender, x-Sender, Reply-To, and Return-Path |
| Filter mail based on the recipient's address |
2.0 |
Reject messages that are not addressed specifically to you. |
Checks the following headers: To, CC, BCC.
Note that if you are subscribed to email lists, messages from them may not show your email address in any of their headers.
It is necessary in these cases to set up filtering rules to accept such messages. |