Guidelines for using the CSU Spam filtering tools
What is the CSU Spam Filter Tool?
The CSU Spam Filter Tool is a mail-filtering program that runs on the CSU email servers. All ingoing and outgoing CSU email messages pass through the CSU Spam Filter Tool. The CSU Spam Filter Tool looks for certain Spam-like message characteristics and performs actions on the message when these characteristics are found.
How Does the CSU Spam Filter Tool Identify Spam?
The CSU Spam Filter Tool contains several hundred spam tests that analyze individual characteristics of each email message. Each of these tests has a numerical weight. When a message is analyzed by the CSU Spam Filter Tool, the weights from all the spam tests that matched the message are added up and converted to a spam score that expresses the message's "spam probability". This probability will be listed in the Subject Heading of the email, similar to the example below.
Example - [Suspect Spam:24%] Win a holiday to Fiji!!!
By default, the CSU Spam Filter Tool only checks for spam in messages that originate from outside the network, not in messages that originate within the CSU domain. If a message is found to have a spam probability of 50% or more, it is copied to the CSU Spam Filter Tool Quarantine. By default, the CSU Spam Filter Tool also delivers a message to your inbox letting you know what messages have been blocked.
The CSU Spam Filter Tool End User Web Interface
The End User Web Interface (EUWI) gives the CSU Spam Filter Tool users access to email-filtering features. Users can view and manage messages that are quarantined (blocked) by the CSU Spam Filter Tool, manage user-specific sender lists, and configure various email-filtering options.
To login to the CSU Spam Filter Tool, go to http://quarantine.csu.edu.au:28080/index.cgi, enter your CSU User name and Password.
The EUWI is comprised of the following components:
- Navigation Menu: The menu located on the left side of the page.
- Main Page: The current page accessed through the navigation menu. Links to additional pages include: Blocked Messages, Deleted Messages, Blocked Senders, and Options.
- Email Message Viewer: A viewer that opens when a message's "Subject" link is clicked.
Blocked Messages
The Blocked Messages page displays all email messages that are quarantined by the CSU Spam Filter Tool due to spam content. Using the Blocked Messages page, you can:
- view blocked messages
- Quarantine and deliver them to your mailbox
- delete and send messages to the Deleted Messages page
- deliver to a sender
- delete all messages in the list
You can sort quarantined messages based on the spam Score, the email address listed in the From header, the message's Subject, or the Date the message was delivered. Note that the date column displays the time in hours and minutes for messages blocked in the last 24 hours. Both the time and date are shown for messages blocked more than 24 hours ago.
View a Blocked Message
To view a blocked message:
- On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
- On the Blocked Messages page, click the subject of the message you want to view. The message opens in another browser window.
- To close the message, click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the window.
Deliver Message
Use the Deliver Message feature to release legitimate messages from the CSU Spam Filter Tool Quarantine and deliver them to your mailbox.
- On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
- On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) that you want delivered to your mailbox.
- Click Deliver Message. The selected messages are released from the Quarantine and delivered to your mailbox.
Delete Message
Use the Delete Message feature to remove messages from the Blocked Messages page and send them to the Deleted Messages page.
- On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
- On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) you want to remove.
- Click Delete Message. The selected messages are removed from the Blocked Messages page and sent to the Deleted Messages page.
Delete All
Use the Delete All feature to remove all messages from the Blocked Messages page and send them to the Deleted Messages page.
- On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
- On the Blocked Messages page, click Delete Message. All messages are removed from the Blocked Messages page and sent to the Deleted Messages page.
Undelete Message
To undelete a message:
- On the left navigation menu, click Deleted Messages. The Deleted Messages page is displayed.
- On the Deleted Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) you want to undelete.
- Click Undelete Message. The selected message(s) are sent to the Blocked Messages page.
Hold Messages
Use the Hold Messages option to keep messages for longer than the set number of days (for example, during a vacation). With the Hold Messages option you specify a hold date using the day, month, and year drop-down lists.
- On the left navigation menu, click Options. The Options page is displayed.
- Under Hold Messages, use the drop-down lists to select the date after which the messages will be held for 99 days.
- Click Save. The option is saved.
Language Preference
Note: This feature is only available if it has been enabled by the system administrator. If the administrator disables this setting, the Language Preference portion of the Options page is not displayed.
Use the Language Preference option to change the language in which the End User Web Interface (and this documentation) is displayed.
- Under Language Preference, select a language from the drop-down list.
- Click Save. The End User Web Interface and the accompanying documentation is displayed in the specified language.
Log Out
Lets you log out of the CSU Spam Filter Tool system