Shelds up!

I've got several gmail invitations left if anyone would like one let me
know.



"Richard Lamb" wrote in message
ink.net...
Juan Jimenez wrote:

Get off earthlink and get a free gmail account.


More?

Mike Gaskins wrote:
You can "pull" POP3 mail into a system to process it further.

I'm guessing you're running a Windows system, and most of these are
Unix utilities, but IIRC most have Windows versions out there. My
home setup is to use fetchmail on a cron-job. Every 5 minutes it goes
out, checks my two POP3 servers for new mail, and grabs if present. It
then hands the mail off to Postfix via SMTP for processing and at this
point it behaves just as if you were running your own mail server.
Postfix uses Amavisd-new along with SpamAssasin and ClamAV for
spam/virus filtering.

Messages that fail these tests are quarantined and I never even see
them unless I specifically go and look. Messages that pass are given
to procmail for local delivery and sorting. I then run Dovecot as an
IMAP server so that I can access the mail with any mail program of my
choosing.

This not only affords good spam protection, but I can also check my
email from any computer in the house and pull up the same set of
messages. I also have setup a webmail system (Roundcube) that accesses
the IMAP server, so that I can also check my email remotely just as
easily. You don't have to go quite this elaborate (if I'm not mistaken
fetchmail can hand directly to procmail which can invoke SpamAssasin if
you like), but the tools are out there to help. All of the ones
mentioned here are also free of charge, as well as open source so you
can make changes to the program if you like.

Mike Gaskins


Now that is helpful information, Mike. Thank you.

Yes, this is a win98se box with Netscape 7.2 for browsing.

Postfix sounds like what I've wanted/needed for quite a while.
Will snoop around for a win version.

I'm also considering moving to Linux; damBillGatestosoftwarehell.

In the mean time, though, I think I'm going to leave the shields up.
Too many Romulans among the Klingon crowd.


A few years back, when I was on FlashNet I had an "experience".

One of those critters managed to get through and took up residence
on my computer. None of the AV utilities detected it.

But anytime the phone line was open, the poor computer spat email
viruses all over the place. (it WAS a clue...)

I finally got it cleaned off - but went back to the stone ages to
do it.

With a clean machine, I got back on the net, and found I was being
flooded with email containing viruses. FlashNet had 11 meg inbox -
which was filling up in 45 minutes flat.

Man, talk about feeling picked on!


Richard

I know I'm a little paranoid,
but am I paranoid enough?

Frank Stutzman wrote:

Juan Jimenez wrote:

Get off earthlink and get a free gmail account.


Get off a virus vulnerable operating system.
snip
--
Frank Stutzman


Gladly, venerable master.
But this one is unenlightened.

I have an Ubuntu setup disk coming because it was
recommended by a friend.
(might outta go check the snail box today)

There are some windoze apps that I am emotionally attached to.
Cad mainly.
The rest can be easily replaced.
Found a link that reputedly would allow well behaved (their
words - not mine) windows applications to run under Linux.

Like many people, I feel like I'm caught in "the only game in town"

Without knowledgeable guidance, well, there's only google...


Richard

Web mail address book updated easy enough.

Sorry Corky, you were just too fast for me.


Richard

Right click the suspect mail in Outlook Express (Never have the preview turned on!) and select properties. Click details
tab then message source, scroll down through to see if it looks legit. That is my way to get through the last 1% that
still seems to leak through all the filters...


"Richard Lamb" wrote in message ink.net...
Mike Gaskins wrote:

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.
At best, you're going to tick off a lot of people who truly want to
communicate with you; done on an organization wide basis it can even
land a company's email server on a blacklist (ie, people who check the
RBL server will refuse to deliver messages sent by you).

If you want to drop the spam without resorting to auto-challenge
systems, you would do well to look into SpamAssasssin (it's free).
I've got it checking our incoming mail (along with my home mail
accounts). It uses a multi-tiered approach (blacklisting, RBL's,
content rules, bayesian analysis, online tests w/ DCC & Razor) that
does a LOT to help block it. I've also got my Postfix MTA set to use
greylisting. This combined with a freeware virus scanner has
eliminated over 99% of our incoming spam, and it's literally been
months since I got a spam message at home.

Try it out. Mike Gaskins


Thanks Mike, I'll check into it.

With POP3 service the mail comes right to your computer.
Once there, it is difficult to deal with - without "opening" it.

This might be the answer...


Richard

..Blueskies. wrote:
Right click the suspect mail in Outlook Express (Never have the preview turned on!) and select properties. Click details
tab then message source, scroll down through to see if it looks legit. That is my way to get through the last 1% that
still seems to leak through all the filters...



Right click on the suspect main - in WhAt?

But it works in Netscape too.

Thanks for the tip, stranger.

Richard

Mike Gaskins wrote:
One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.

I have used earthlink and its spam-blocker with good success for
over a year. The key: I set it to send me a summary DAILY of senders and
subjects blocked. If I see something I want to check out, I check it in
WEBMAIL and if its legit, then I click to add.

I would venture to say only 30% of legitimate, desireable senders use
the auto-challenge to send me an allowed senders request. BUT.. it keeps
30-50 emails a DAY off my machine (the virus laden, spam laden ones)

So.. Richard, while the setup you are using is not a good idea for
someplace that does high volume business email, for people like you and
me, its not a bad deal at all. Just check the webmail for blocked
messages, and once you add someone its not blocked again.

Dave

Dave S wrote:

Mike Gaskins wrote:

One of my main job responsibilities is admining our email system at
work, and I can tell you truthfully that auto-challenge systems (which
you seem to imply you're using) are not a good thing to put into place.


I have used earthlink and its spam-blocker with good success for over
a year. The key: I set it to send me a summary DAILY of senders and
subjects blocked. If I see something I want to check out, I check it in
WEBMAIL and if its legit, then I click to add.

I would venture to say only 30% of legitimate, desireable senders use
the auto-challenge to send me an allowed senders request. BUT.. it keeps
30-50 emails a DAY off my machine (the virus laden, spam laden ones)

So.. Richard, while the setup you are using is not a good idea for
someplace that does high volume business email, for people like you and
me, its not a bad deal at all. Just check the webmail for blocked
messages, and once you add someone its not blocked again.

Dave


Done done it, Dave.

Got the address book uploaded easily.

Even used the notice link to add one early bird
..
I noticed that reading web mail did not remove the mail from the
server, so it was still available for pop3 download.
That's nice.

Maybe there is life after the internet?


Richard

Richard Lamb wrote:
Well, I guess that's the way the world works.

I've had this account up for a couple of weeks and
have started receiving the same old spam loaded
with viruses.

Last year, one somehow got through and perty well
ruined the whole day.

So, for a while at least, I'm raising my shields to
max (one reason I picked Earthlink).

I don't have everybody listed in my address book yet.

So anyone sending a legitimate email will likely receive
a reply advising them how to complete the contact.

Sorry about this.

But I'm not going through that mess again.


Ta.

Richard



First, go to:
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

Run their scan.

They will tell you which ports are open (very bad), which are
responding, and which are in "stealth" mode. They will try to scare you
into buying their security software. Go ahead and buy it if it makes
you feel more secure.

Next, install Zone Labs "Zonealarm" firewall (it's free), and have your
computer scanned again to see what a difference it makes. Be sure to
run a scan before you install Zonealarm so you'll see just how open and
insecure your computer was.

Next, download "Spybot" (it's free) and run it on your computer.

A good, free anti-virus software is AVG.

You are, of course, regularly backing up all your data, aren't you? A
good (free) program for that is Syncback. A good but not free program
for that was Ghost. Now it's Symmantic-Norton Ghost, so it may have
turned into a piece of crap. It's too early for me to tell yet.

Finally, broadcasting your real email address on usenet is an open
invitation for spam. So change your email address now and use a phony
or coded email address like I and many others do. I consider using
Microsoft Outlook an open invitation for viruses, too, but that opinion
was formed several years ago and I'm sure they've improved their
security since then.

I haven't gotten ANY spam in the last two years, and I haven't had a
computer virus ever in the last ten years that I've been online.

--
John Kimmel


I think it will be quiet around here now. So long.

guynoir wrote:

Richard

Finally, broadcasting your real email address on usenet is an open
invitation for spam. So change your email address now and use a phony
or coded email address like I and many others do. I consider using
Microsoft Outlook an open invitation for viruses, too, but that opinion
was formed several years ago and I'm sure they've improved their
security since then.

I haven't gotten ANY spam in the last two years, and I haven't had a
computer virus ever in the last ten years that I've been online.


?