[dba-Tech] Use of Blacklists on mail servers

Gustav Brock Gustav at cactus.dk
Thu Feb 14 03:29:18 CST 2008


Hi Erwin

We used blacklist blocking for a while and later also a scanning spamfilter but at some point about a year ago we felt we were under attach as thousands and thousands of spam mails simply brought the filter to its knees.
Our present solution is Spambunker which we installed at that time and have worked with close to zero maintenance since. When it was installed, it was like closing a door as it works from minute one; no learning, no import of blacklists. Further, zero false positives and only modest hardware is required for even a high-traffic mail server.

It is not free but offered at a fair price: 

  http://www.spambunker.ch 

As for the infected workstation, we have CounterSpy from Sunbelt Software as first choice. Also Spybot Search & Destroy (free) and TrojanHunter and the Trend on-line scanner.
These days we've found that traditional virus scanners are of limited value if any at all. The trojan removers and blockers do the hard work. Indeed, CounterSpy is very effective and with a good UI which most normal users can grasp.

/gustav

>>> Erwin.Craps at ithelps.eu 14-02-2008 09:56 >>>
One of my clients got recently on a ip blacklist due to spam send from a
infected computer within the network, probably from end December till
last week.

Although I personally manage the network all computers had fully updated
virus scanners (McAfee) but I Installed Trend Micro halfway Januari so
posibly something went wrong migrating from one to another.

The Trojan was new and vicious and passed both virus scanners. Cause I
don't scan existing files (only write/modify) neither do a weekly scan
on desktops the Trojan managed to stay alive on this system... I do not
scan cause of user complaint of slow computers...

 

This brings up the discussion of using Blacklists like spamcop to me.

I looked into this matter 1 or 2 years ago and read several things about
it that Blacklists are not that good against spam and are a in forehand
lost fight against spam. Several  blacklists where stopping at that
moment, so I decided not to use the principle of a blacklist.

 

But, now I got forced in to the matter and noticed ISP are still using
blacklists. So I installed a blacklist on this customer server and on my
own server for evaluation purposes.

 

I already notices a major decrease in spam in my spam folder (I'm using
trend micro to detect spam), but the spam that is not detected by Trend
Micro is still getting in my inbox, I don't have the impression that
this is lowering, but I only installed it yesterday evening, I have to
be patient to see some real result.

 

My question is, what is the opinion and practical experience of the
people on this list that manage mailservers?

What about false positives?

 I want to know if I would need to configure blacklist by default on my
clients mail servers or not?

 

thx

 

Erwin Craps

Zaakvoerder 

 

Internetwinkel op http://shop.ithelps.eu 

http://www.linkedin.com/in/erwincraps 
<http://www.linkedin.com/in/erwincraps> 

www.ithelps.be/onsgezin <http://www.ithelps.be/onsgezin> 

bezoek ook eens de website van mijn zus www.friedacraps.be 
<http://www.friedacraps.be/> 

 

This E-mail is confidential, may be legally privileged, and is for the
intended recipient only. Access, disclosure, copying, distribution, or
reliance on any of it by anyone else is prohibited and may be a criminal
offence. Please delete if obtained in error and E-mail confirmation to
the sender.

IT Helps - I.T. Help Center   *   Box Office Belgium & Luxembourg

www.ithelps.eu <http://www.ithelps.be/>   *  www.boxoffice.be 
<http://www.boxoffice.be/>  

IT Helps bvba  *  Mercatorpad 3  *  3000 Leuven

IT Helps  *  Phone: +32 16 296 404  *  Fax: +32 16 296 405 E-mail:
Info at ithelps.eu <mailto:Info at ithelps.be>  

Box Office  *  Fax: +32 16 296 406  *  Box Office E-mail:
Staff at boxoffice.be <mailto:figures at boxoffice.be> 

 

_______________________________________________
dba-Tech mailing list
dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com 
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech 
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com




More information about the dba-Tech mailing list